Weather confusion - Could locals explain please (Denver, Fort Collins: month to, home)

[MsBall]

Originally Posted by westcoastg

Thanks for ideas. We were looking at Colorado, as we are not crazy about the New Mexico desert look. We are attracted to Colorado's beauty, that it does not get midwest cold. I had a friend live in Prescott for a while and it is beautiful, and I should reconsider. Everyone seems happy there. No one says oh I moved to Colorado for a couple of years and hated it.

Originally Posted by unbeliever

Sure they do. I moved to Colorado and dislike it. I was taught to never use the word hate unless I meant it.

I wouldn't use the word hate either. I had my reasons for moving back to the Midwest. Hate wasn't one of them, more like dissatisfaction.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by MsBall

I wouldn't use the word hate either. I had my reasons for moving back to the Midwest. Hate wasn't one of them, more like dissatisfaction.

and for many others... Disillusion with unrealistic Colorado expectations.

There are some very nice areas, but you need to pay the price of admission. (weather, jobs, costs)

Certainly CoSprings is a great choice if you can find housing to suit. It has a very nice setting / community and is much closer to much of CO recreation and beauty than much of the front range.

If beauty is the objective (along with mild / non-snow bound weather) Consider non-CO options (there are plenty).

If Colorado, be SURE your chosen destination avails access to your preferred reasons for moving to CO. Best to actually live IN your choice of recreation, rather than have to wait until you have time to go find it. (then fight the thousands of others doing the same)

[Pilot1]

If you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait twenty minutes, and it will change. That's all you need to know. I found that out one day while cutting the lawn when it was SNOWING.

[Rainbow Demon]

Originally Posted by unbeliever

Sure they do. I moved to Colorado and dislike it. I was taught to never use the word hate unless I meant it.

I'd probably say the same thing if I ended up in Broomfield. City life is city life. It definitely isn't anything like living rural Colorado/the mountains/etc. Yuk.

[BabyBoomers2]

Colorado can be/is like Florida.........some move there and absolutely love it, while others move there and end up moving out. There are folks that live in, and around, Los Angeles and love it and then there are those that can't wait to leave So Calif. period.

There are those that would never think of moving away from Minn., Wisconsin, the Dakota's and other very cold/freezing states including the city Buffalo, NY.

A lot of folks look for "Utopia". Some find it, while others go "why in the heck did I move here?".

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

If you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait twenty minutes, and it will change. That's all you need to know. I found that out one day while cutting the lawn when it was SNOWING.

My dad used to say wait five minutes in Pittsburgh, but I think our weather here in CO is even more changeable.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by westcoastg

Thanks for ideas. We were looking at Colorado, as we are not crazy about the New Mexico desert look. We are attracted to Colorado's beauty, that it does not get midwest cold. I had a friend live in Prescott for a while and it is beautiful, and I should reconsider. Everyone seems happy there. No one says oh I moved to Colorado for a couple of years and hated it.

Plenty of people are not high on Colorado.

Anyhow. You need this place called Medford, OR.

[Still Seeking]

[quote=pikabike;49152504]Freaky weather is part of CO living. That old saw about "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"? I heard it in New England, CO, and coastal WA. Of those places, it did not apply to coastal WA, whose weather is very predictable. New England, it fit somewhat, but to nowhere near the degree that it fits CO. The weather often changes FAST.

Hi, I noticed you mentioned that Washington State Coastal region has very predictable weather. I have looked into the areas of Port Townsend, and Sequim as places to live. Would you agree that these two towns would have somewhat predicable weather? Thanks, Pikabike.

[DOUBLE H]

[quote=Still Seeking;49168719]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Freaky weather is part of CO living. That old saw about "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"? I heard it in New England, CO, and coastal WA. Of those places, it did not apply to coastal WA, whose weather is very predictable. New England, it fit somewhat, but to nowhere near the degree that it fits CO. The weather often changes FAST.

To a lesser extent that can also apply to Mesa County in western Colorado. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend you can generally pencil in "90-95 for the high, 10% chance for rain." The one thing about Colorado's front range I do miss is those afternoon and evening thunder showers, however, heh, I certainly don't miss lightning.

Regarding the weather changing fast, that does happen from time to time in the early Spring with rain, sleet, flurries, hail, rain, and blue skies in four hours time. However a general rule of thumb for the Grand Valley's late Winter/early weather systems is the "triple 50 factor"--50 raindrops, 50 snowflakes, and 50 m.p.h. winds.

[pikabike]

[quote=Still Seeking;49168719]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Freaky weather is part of CO living. That old saw about "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"? I heard it in New England, CO, and coastal WA. Of those places, it did not apply to coastal WA, whose weather is very predictable. New England, it fit somewhat, but to nowhere near the degree that it fits CO. The weather often changes FAST.

Hi, I noticed you mentioned that Washington State Coastal region has very predictable weather. I have looked into the areas of Port Townsend, and Sequim as places to live. Would you agree that these two towns would have somewhat predicable weather? Thanks, Pikabike.

Yes. They are in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, too, so less wet than Seattle area. Very small typical temperature range between winter and summer, moderated by the maritime influence all year 'round. PT is on a small peninsula on a peninsula (Quimper Peninsula on the much bigger Olympic Peninsula), making it, essentially, surrounded by water on three sides. Within the small city limits, it has water on two sides.