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Curious on what people think would be best as a winter location to spend the winter months as snowbird. May 15-Oct 15 would be spent in VT, NH, ME or WA. Mid 40's and no kids, like the outdoors, sports, healthy lifestyle. Factors to think about...housing cost and quality, things to do, outdoor activities, weather, culture. Just want to get various opinions. I have lived in San Diego. Have not lived in St. Pete (by St. Pete area I'm including all of Pinellas Co.) or Phoenix/Scottsdale, but I have been to both.
Some of my thoughts.
San Diego:
-most expensive housing of three
-slightly cooler than St. Pete area Dec-March
-nicer topography than St. Pete with hills
-St. Pete greener and SD browner
-SD has SDSU Aztecs and USD (I'm a college hoops & football fan)
-nice hiking east of SD
-traffic is not bad in SD for a large city
-beach has nice surf to look at (I don't surf)
St. Pete area:
-slightly warmer than SD in Dec, Jan, Feb...and a lot warmer in Nov, March, April
-Univ of South FL sports and spring training in March
-very flat landscape, but green and lusher
-nice boating
-lower cost housing than SD - probably a bit higher than Phx/Scottsdale?
-nice sand on beaches but no surf
-probably less hip and health conscious population than SD
-older population than SD
-not sure how traffic compares
-not sure what the hiking is like...are there some decent state parks to take walks (even though flat walks)?
-more tropical feel - SD & Phx more desert feel
-decent flight connections to Northeast and Caribbean, Latin America
Phoenix/Scottsdale
-probably the coolest weather of all 3 Dec, Jan, Feb (but only slightly cooler than SD) - Nov, March, April warmer than SD
-ASU, Grand Canyon sports and Spring training
-Flag, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Tucson area as nice getaways
-Phx has the best airport of the three in terms of non-stops places
-the air can be very dry at times & skin gets very dry
-landscape very brown
-most affordable housing of the three? Definitely more than SD but not sure St. Pete
-good hiking near and afar
-not as hip crowd as SD
....and any other areas other than these three you would suggest???
Phoenix is only cooler than the other places, and thats only at night, and only for a handful of days. Daytime temps should be right around St. Pete, and warmer than SD. When the sun goes down it gets chilly, and can get down to freezing a few nights a year. Most of the winter you can expect temps in the 60s and 70s, with some days poking into the 80s. Nighttime lows usually range in the upper 40s, low 50s, with occasional frost warnings (read: colder than FL).
Surprised St. Pete area taking that big of a lead over SD and Phx/Scotts in the poll. I guess it has to do with greater affordability than SD + warmer winter.
Phoenix is only cooler than the other places, and thats only at night, and only for a handful of days. Daytime temps should be right around St. Pete, and warmer than SD. When the sun goes down it gets chilly, and can get down to freezing a few nights a year. Most of the winter you can expect temps in the 60s and 70s, with some days poking into the 80s. Nighttime lows usually range in the upper 40s, low 50s, with occasional frost warnings (read: colder than FL).
Thanks for the info on Phx winter weather. I noticed when I was there it could also be a bit chilly in the AM too, but warming up nicely by noon with that warm abundant sunshine.
To get a truly 100% warm winter (75 degree+ days and warm nights) the only choice is to leave the U.S mainland (Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Australia, Costa Rica, etc...). Even when I was in St. Pete last January I needed a sweatshirt at sunset. Even Miami and the Keys have some chilly days and nights.
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