winters in Nc and the NC coast or near coast (Southport: insurance, condo)

[col]

I need to relocate because I cannot take the dry winters and furnace heat in NYC due to respiratory issues..I need to know about the winters are there four seasons? what about schools and cost of living..we would also need to locate work for an individual with a master degree in the developmental disabilities field
( management or close to) working with retarded adults.
Are there things to do?

[Ellise]

It's like there are 3 seasons: Summer, fall, spring. The whole winter here is not as cold as spring in Boston (maybe a bit colder at times than spring in NYC).

There are not nearly as many things to do around here as there in NYC. There's the beach. Period. Very few parks, conservation areas, etc. Golf and fishing are popular pastimes. If you get into a neighborhood that offers you water access, you can canoe or kayak on the tidal creeks. There are a few public boat ramps, but not too many.

Cost of living is lower than NYC.

[Ibginnie]

Originally Posted by col

I need to relocate because I cannot take the dry winters and furnace heat in NYC due to respiratory issues..I need to know about the winters are there four seasons? what about schools and cost of living..we would also need to locate work for an individual with a master degree in the developmental disabilities field
( management or close to) working with retarded adults.
Are there things to do?

Yes, there are four seasons, just not the kind of which you may be thinking. Humidity is very high along the coast. That makes for some very hot (heat index) summers and the winters very bitter (wind chill). The weather program that I have installed tells me right now that it will be 72 in Atlantic Beach, NC today. However, in a few days it's going to be in the lower 50s there. Right now the temp is 64 but, the humidity is 82%. Get familiar with weather sites or download one of the several out there and enter the town and state in which you are interested.

The cost of living is very affordable. BUT, your income MAY be substantially lower than what you make now.
Schools...I don't have a clue. I don't have young children so that is not a concern of mine. If you are looking at higher education you can google that or I'm sure some fine folks here will chime in.

You say there are respiratory issues. Do allergies come with that? If so you will find that your allergies are exacerbated by the weather conditions. There's nothing like the pollen from the long leaf pines to make your respiratory stand up and take notice.

I used to live along the coast of NC and have been gone for several years. I will be there this time next week scouting out a new area to move to. I'm going home.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by col

I need to relocate because I cannot take the dry winters and furnace heat in NYC due to respiratory issues..I need to know about the winters are there four seasons? what about schools and cost of living..we would also need to locate work for an individual with a master degree in the developmental disabilities field
( management or close to) working with retarded adults.
Are there things to do?

We have been on the coast near Cape Carteret, NC for eighteen months.

I find the climate exceptional here. This is our second January. Last January there were only 19 hours the whole month below freezing. At the same time there were 11 days above seventy degrees. I think we have a good shot of beating that this year.

I think it is a stretch to call the few days we have of cold weather a winter.

What we really enjoyed was spring. We were able to sleep with our windows open May and June. It was very hot and humid from late July through late September.

Then we had a glorious fall. I picked the last tomato off our vines just before the middle of December.

The climate has many zones close when you get close to the coast. Even our subdivision has a zone or two. The water has a huge impact.

Living over on the beach, the winter afternoons don't get as warm, but the low temperatures are moderated a little. It also takes the beach longer to warm up in the spring, but it is slower to cool down in the fall. Just talk to some locals to figure out what might work best for you.

As to cost of living, we find the property taxes much lower, but some of the break you get there is taken up by increased insurance costs.

We still have a home in Roanoke, Va which is a low insurance cost area.

When we combine property taxes and insurance, it is still 30% cheaper on the NC coast, comparing our two homes. That is with our home here on the coast being required to have flood insurance because it is right on the water.

Many homes in the area aren't in flood zones so our same house, no flood zone, two lots farther from the water would be 40% cheaper, taxes and insurance.

There are significant savings in heating and cooling also. We have so much sunshine in the winter months, that most days our heat pumps do not run.

Overall I believe it is cheaper to live here than in Roanoke, VA which is a pretty inexpensive spot. Based on the clarity of the photos I take here, I am betting we have fewer fine pollutants in the air, but that is just a guess on my part.

You might want to check the Carteret County News Classifieds (broken link) occasionally for the job market.

In the last few days I have seen a job in there about working with developmentally challenged individuals.

There is some basic info on the Carteret County schools at this site.

As to the things to do, there are great places to have an evening meal, go for a walk on the beach or hike a trail. There are a few museums sprinkled around, the NC Aquarium, lots of weekend festivals, and some small movie theaters.

We have lots of boating, fishing, kayaking and swimming in the warmer months.

Moderator cut: tos violation this site for lots of area pictures.

[mm34b]

The average annual temperature at Southport on the lower coast is nearly as high as that of interior northern Florida, while the average on the summit of Mount Mitchell is lower than that of Buffalo, New York.

Climate of NC - http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenorm...Clim_NC_01.pdf

Historical Climate Data for North Carolina

[col]

Thanks alot guys I have gleaned alot from your replies. IF we can find work and a proper
house or condo its one of the top spots for us to consider so far.

Thanks again.

[Ebediel]

I've lived in the northern NC coast near the VA border for about 10 years. When we first moved here the winters were a little colder and we would get about one good snow per year (1-6 inches, hardly more than a flurry in NY) but that has not been the case for the last 3 or 4 years. The climate has been even milder. Winter has been little more than the short transition from fall to spring and that is if we even have a fall. It has been pretty mild, but that will probably change.

The allergy thing is something you should not take lightly though. If you have allergy problems that could become serious here. I didn't have any problems with allergies growing up in VA and living in PA but when we moved here it started right up. I take daily meds for allergies and have found it to be only a little inconvenient. For someone coming here with allergy problems you may find it even worse. The more southern part of the state may be better but I don't really know about that.

I hope you find the perfect place as Yogi Bear used to say. Of course they never did find it, but then again they never visited NC either! Have a great day.

[jonfrommitchell]

I can't figure out how to start a thread, so I'll write here. My girlfriend and I want to go to North carolina over christmas break. Whats the weather like during that time of year. We're coming from canada.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by jonfrommitchell

I can't figure out how to start a thread, so I'll write here. My girlfriend and I want to go to North carolina over christmas break. Whats the weather like during that time of year. We're coming from canada.

Click the 2nd link in post #5 and choose a specific area to see the historical climate summary for that coastal area.

[Bill Hitchcock]

I can't figure out how to start a thread, so I'll write here. My girlfriend and I want to go to North carolina over christmas break. Whats the weather like during that time of year. We're coming from canada.

Just to throw a wrench in the works.............

Christmas of 1989 we had a foot + of snow here along the Crystal Coast of NC.
I remember another Christmas that it was so warm that I was outside in shorts and no shirt & doing yard work.
Keep this in mind-From Hatteras south our temperatures arer influenced by the warm waters off of the Gulf Stream. Go just a few miles inland and the temperature can be 5-10 degreee different. The inland temperatures will be cooler in the winter-Warmer in the summer.
I've been on a weeks vacation along the Crystal Coast going on 30 years now!!
Bill