[Restrain]

The first winter forecasts are coming out. If they come to pass, below normal temps Texas through Virginia, really below normal temps through Missouri, Kansas, etc. OMG below normal temps through Wisconsin, Illinois, etc.

Florida will be cool which is a relative term. Cool here is pretty much mid-summer in some northern areas.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by Restrain

The first winter forecasts are coming out. If they come to pass, below normal temps Texas through Virginia, really below normal temps through Missouri, Kansas, etc. OMG below normal temps through Wisconsin, Illinois, etc.

Florida will be cool which is a relative term. Cool here is pretty much mid-summer in some northern areas.

Oh well, looks like an influx of more transplants are in the cards.

[OptimusPrime69]

at the end of July-- it feels like winter is soooo far away. Love winter's in FL...or at least in Miami...dry and warm.. This summer heat and humidity and constant on and off rain is getting a bit hectic to deal with. . . the rain being the most annoying actually.

[tallrick]

Better the regular rains than constant depressing hot sunshine, followed by a big blow in August-October. Be grateful for the regular rains as they will keep this area from being cleansed by nature.

[jambo101]

As the baby boom generation moves into retirement i'm sure many of them are giving a move to Fla some serious consideration.I'd expect much increased relocation to Fla for the next 20+ years as retirees envision leisurely days at the beach sitting under palm trees with no snow to deal with.. .

This =
http://indiagreets.com/wp-content/up...each-scene.jpg

instead of this
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...r/DSC00064.jpg

[StarfishKey]

Florida tourism commercial - YouTube

This still makes me laugh.

But realistically, severe weather is increasing everywhere - you can't keep moving because you don't like the weather, otherwise you'd never stop moving. I would rather deal with shoveling a few feet of snow, than the worry that my home might be wiped out every year by a hurricane. But I just could not deal with the constant darkness - some 300 days of every year without sun. It became worth it to take the risk, because I function much better in the reverse - almost no days of complete darkness all year. A little extra snow or cold wouldn't bother me, because I lived very far North where snow was on the ground 8 months of the year anyway - to me there's not much difference between 15 degrees and 10 below, you have to wear pretty much the same gear anyway.

The problem is not really the weather, it's that people associate a tropical-type climate with vacation. Like the video encourages, they think that you won't work hard or have any stress as soon as you're living in a place with warm beaches or palm trees - because every time they were ever in such a place, they felt relaxed and were having fun. Until you live your regular life here - then it's just regular life, and you bring all your problems with you. It's not a two-week vacation where you can avoid bills, bosses, and commutes, and pretend you're on your honeymoon so you have no relationship problems or family stress. Wherever you live year-round, you're still you, your family is still your family, and your boss is still your boss. And the bills still pile up.

Having said that, I personally love the hot humid weather [unless I have yard work to do!], the daily showers and thunderstorms, and the exotic (if poisonous) plants and animals. Although I was out in the cold weather all the time a majority of my life (I had frostbite many times to prove it), I hate cold weather. So I would rather have my normal stress in extreme Southern Florida, where between stressful daily moments I walk out into a humid 90 degrees, or look out the window on a brief but intense thunderstorm through rays of the sun still shining, than do so and look out on snow. It's just a personal preference. I like intense color, not white and gray, and I like hot sun, not summers where the temp is often in the 60s or 70s.

Hopefully people who choose to move here due to being frustrated with a single extreme winter will remember the trade-off they are making, and make sure extreme humidity and storms are really what they're seeking. Nowhere is perfect, but some places suit some more than others. I knew an awful lot of people up North who hated the winters, but also could not stand the worst of the summers - in the 90s and hitting 100 every year, with a lot of humidity. If you don't like extreme weather, Florida is not a great choice either. Better to try the mid-Atlantic states, or central Western states (mid-altitude) if you like moderate temps but dry climate. And if you're going to live on the coast anywhere in the Southeast of the country, hurricanes are going to be a part of life. Blizzards are easy - all you have to do is stay home. But you can't ignore a hurricane, and many times it will force you right out of your home for several days, or possibly a whole lot more. You do not have a choice, it's not something you can ignore and pretend is not happening while you cuddle up inside your house, the way you can with a snowstorm. It's more expensive, and also more dangerous, than severe winters tend to be.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Oh well, looks like an influx of more transplants are in the cards.

Can't say I'm thrilled to see that......

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

at the end of July-- it feels like winter is soooo far away. Love winter's in FL...or at least in Miami...dry and warm.. This summer heat and humidity and constant on and off rain is getting a bit hectic to deal with. . . the rain being the most annoying actually.

Rain is a part of the summer season here, usually it's the regional downpours that start around 3PM and last maybe an hour or less- then leave the area more humid. Seems a bit rainier this summer, and that happens sometimes. For some reason, after having spent 38 years in Florida, and having seen some summers rainier than others, I associate a rainier summer season here with weather systems that tend to keep hurricanes that form in the Atlantic from hitting Florida- may be westerlies associated with an el-nino system that tend to deflect approaching storms off the coast and northward, or weaken approaching storms- at least it seems that way. So if that's the case, and lots of rain in Florida in the summer means weather that deflects hurricanes, I say let it rain!

[gypsychic]

Where I live the (Sarasota/Manatee) it has been very dry. We have gone DAYS with zero rain. And the humidity has been low and it has felt pretty good to me - better than it has in years. I have been going to the beach and feel like I am on vacation.

Anyway, not happy to hear that herds more people are moving here, especially my city being near the top of the list!

[StarfishKey]

>Oh well, looks like an influx of more transplants are in the cards.

>Can't say I'm thrilled to see that......

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Anyway, not happy to hear that herds more people are moving here, especially my city being near the top of the list!

Most people in FL are transplants, either from another state, or from another part of FL. I do not understand for the life of me why so many people here think they should be the only one allowed to move, and then the town borders should all be shut. If you are someone who moved, then you understand what it is like to want to move to your town to have a better life. Why should you be able to do so, but nobody else? And if you have lived in your town your whole life, I would think it is a compliment to know that other people want to move there - it's a whole lot better than living in a place that people are moving away from in droves, like say Detroit, or Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl...

More people is generally good for the economy, good for house prices, and can bring some diversity and interesting new things to town. It's generally NOT good for the environment, but creating and enforcing local laws to protect the environment, and a local culture that takes good care of it by recycling and composting and saving water not littering and all that, can help a lot.

It seems awfully hypocritical to like where you live and then have a problem with other people liking it too! Sometimes it seems like people just look for things to complain about... I'm happy I live in a place that other people want to be in, it makes it easier to get visitors, easier to meet different kinds of people, and it proves that I have a good head on my shoulders and know how to pick a great place to live!

At one time Native Americans were not so thrilled to see people like us arrive either. But the nature of this country since the 1700s has been change, no place within its borders ever stays the same for long.

I'd much rather live in a popular place, than a desolate or war-torn place, which many many people are dealing with. Why not just enjoy that you live in a popular place that everybody likes? I just don't want uninformed people to move down here and be miserable and go broke and get stuck here, because that's not a happy circumstance for anybody. Which is why we try to inform people on C-D that it's not all sunshine and rainbows, FL has some serious downsides, too. It is not by any means a perfect state. But I like living here, and I understand why other people would too.