Who Has Moved Out Of Denver Metro Area Because Of Winters Here? (neighborhood, living)

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Living in a place with cold winters is also more in line with mainstream American culture, especially once the holiday season comes around.

Hmm. The last thing I am worried about is being in line with mainstream American culture. Especially these days.

If you guys could see the constant flames and the hyperbole in the Florida forum, you'd give poor Loveboating and his occasional anti-winter soliloquies a break. The anti-winter sentiment here is just as mild as the season itself.

I have to back him up a bit because the winter weather, however mellow, sunny and ephemeral, is capricious and not to be taken lightly.
When a tree falls on your truck in April or your roof implodes in March, it doesn't matter that it might be worse in Buffalo or Michigan--or that the snow will melt in two days.

[yukon]

Maybe this is the thread to ask this on....concerning the Denver winter/spring seasons - it sounds like many of you are saying that the snow storms dump, melts in a couple of days, then there may not be any more for days (weeks?), then it repeats. Is that a correct interpretation? Or is it like Minneapolis where it snows and snows and snows, and you shovel the car out before you go to bed, get up at 2:00 a.m. to shovel again, then shovel once more to leave for work....all winter long?

If it's a case of more days without snow than with (for driving), I can deal with that. I just don't want to shovel for 6 months.

So, honestly, which is it usually?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by yukon

Maybe this is the thread to ask this on....concerning the Denver winter/spring seasons - it sounds like many of you are saying that the snow storms dump, melts in a couple of days, then there may not be any more for days (weeks?), then it repeats. Is that a correct interpretation? Or is it like Minneapolis where it snows and snows and snows, and you shovel the car out before you go to bed, get up at 2:00 a.m. to shovel again, then shovel once more to leave for work....all winter long?

If it's a case of more days without snow than with (for driving), I can deal with that. I just don't want to shovel for 6 months.

So, honestly, which is it usually?

Honestly, it is the former: the dump, the melt, the repeat. And the repeat might not be for quite some time.
There can be some really open, dry winters.
What you say about not wanting to shovel for 6 consecutive months--that is true, so rest easy.
But the *possibility* of shoveling can begin as early as September, and end as late as the end of May.
Pittnurse said there was once snow in June up in Boulder.
Believe me, I have experienced the late/early snow many a time. The novelty of this can be invigorating, especially if you are a newbie.
But if you are a gardener it can be a bummer.

[Katiana]

Pittnurse said there was once snow in June up in Boulder.

Actually, it's happened twice in my 25 yrs in Boulder County; 1998, on my older daughter's last day of 8th grade, and 2005, the day my younger daughter graduated from high school.

But if you are a gardener it can be a bummer.

Too True! We have learned to wait on the tomatoes b/c of late spring snows and freezes. And sometimes you lose it all in a Sept. snow. We just let it all freeze anymore. Used to try to cover the tomatoes.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by cil

If you guys could see the constant flames and the hyperbole in the Florida forum, you'd give poor Loveboating and his occasional anti-winter soliloquies a break. The anti-winter sentiment here is just as mild as the season itself.

I agree... I haven't read all the other forums, but the Denver and Colorado forums seem to be almost completely absent of the flame-wars I've noticed elsewhere. I guess that reflects well on us, maybe.

As for LoveBoating... I think he/she is really trying hard to let others know that we are NOT a tropical or even subtropical climate. We do have winters here. And LoveBoating's accident on the ice this winter was very, very personal, so who can argue with that? Some of us like the climate here, but there will be many others, like Loveboating, who will prefer something else.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by tfox

I agree... I haven't read all the other forums, but the Denver and Colorado forums seem to be almost completely absent of the flame-wars I've noticed elsewhere. I guess that reflects well on us, maybe.

As for LoveBoating... I think he/she is really trying hard to let others know that we are NOT a tropical or even subtropical climate. We do have winters here. And LoveBoating's accident on the ice this winter was very, very personal, so who can argue with that? Some of us like the climate here, but there will be many others, like Loveboating, who will prefer something else.

True. I like this forum a lot better than some others. People seem much more respectful here, which makes it easier in return. Believe me, I can really get going. And yes, a winter like last year is not something I would look forward to year in and year out. I too, had a concussion slipping on the ice and it wasn't fun.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by cil

Hmm. The last thing I am worried about is being in line with mainstream American culture. Especially these days. If you guys could see the constant flames and the hyperbole in the Florida forum, you'd give poor Loveboating and his occasional anti-winter soliloquies a break. The anti-winter sentiment here is just as mild as the season itself. I have to back him up a bit because the winter weather, however mellow, sunny and ephemeral, is capricious and not to be taken lightly. When a tree falls on your truck in April or your roof implodes in March, it doesn't matter that it might be worse in Buffalo or Michigan--or that the snow will melt in two days.

Ok, here's one thing I'll agree with you one: after following a whole bunch of city-data.com forums for the last six months, hearing what people all over the country have to say about their weather, I'm starting to think, it is a mistake for Coloradans to market their climate as "mild" or to downplay the winters. The climate along the Front Range is full of extremes, weather turbulences, and it's dry, windy, and barren. The summers are hot with dangerous thunderstorms every day, and the winters are cold. Sometimes with snaps of Arctic cold. Sometimes with mega dumps of snow. I live in (or rather, I am stuck in) Arizona right now, so I know what truly mild winters are all about. I'm living in Phoenix, ground zero of the southwest desert right now, so I see what the Sunbelt is all about, and the people who it attracts, first hand. After living in both climate extremes, I can tell you, Denver is the better place to live, hands down. Denver is a better place to settle down and live year round. Phoenix and Arizona (and Florida) is great to take a vacation in the winter when you want to warm up for a little bit.

Man has known how to use fire and warm himself up for hundreds of thousands of years-- but air conditioning was only invented around 60 years ago. Here's a little rule of thumb I've discovered first hand over the last few years-- the farther south you go in this country, the dumber the population gets. The southern and southwestern states are routinely ranked the worst when it comes to health, education, poverty, and violent crime. I can't imagine a worse place to live than Florida. The kind of people who would leave a great city or town "up north" to relocate farther south, for no reason other than they can't take the winter, are not exactly those with the most self-discipline and character. Experiencing the Colorado winter every year toughens you up. Not to mention, winter in Colorado is arguably the most beautiful season of the year! There is nothing more scenic than a blanket of snow covering the ground with ponderosas and blue spruces around, under a blue sunny sky.

[Katiana]

I do not take it as a moral failing to not like winter.

[Fuzz]

I moved out of Denver because of the winters -- I wanted to be CLOSER to the snow! :-)

[yukon]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Ok, here's one thing I'll agree with you one: after following a whole bunch of city-data.com forums for the last six months, hearing what people all over the country have to say about their weather, I'm starting to think, it is a mistake for Coloradans to market their climate as "mild" or to downplay the winters. The climate along the Front Range is full of extremes, weather turbulences, and it's dry, windy, and barren. The summers are hot with dangerous thunderstorms every day, and the winters are cold. Sometimes with snaps of Arctic cold. Sometimes with mega dumps of snow. I live in (or rather, I am stuck in) Arizona right now, so I know what truly mild winters are all about. I'm living in Phoenix, ground zero of the southwest desert right now, so I see what the Sunbelt is all about, and the people who it attracts, first hand. After living in both climate extremes, I can tell you, Denver is the better place to live, hands down. Denver is a better place to settle down and live year round. Phoenix and Arizona (and Florida) is great to take a vacation in the winter when you want to warm up for a little bit.

Man has known how to use fire and warm himself up for hundreds of thousands of years-- but air conditioning was only invented around 60 years ago. Here's a little rule of thumb I've discovered first hand over the last few years-- the farther south you go in this country, the dumber the population gets. The southern and southwestern states are routinely ranked the worst when it comes to health, education, poverty, and violent crime. I can't imagine a worse place to live than Florida. The kind of people who would leave a great city or town "up north" to relocate farther south, for no reason other than they can't take the winter, are not exactly those with the most self-discipline and character. Experiencing the Colorado winter every year toughens you up. Not to mention, winter in Colorado is arguably the most beautiful season of the year! There is nothing more scenic than a blanket of snow covering the ground with ponderosas and blue spruces around, under a blue sunny sky.

I live in Florida and grew up in Phoenix and the Mojave. Good thing I'm not taking your post personal. Experiencing a Florida hurricane every summer toughens you up too.