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Old 04-17-2018, 03:58 AM
sub
 
Location: ^##
4,963 posts, read 3,674,887 times
Reputation: 7831

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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
Trading snow for ice doesn't seem like what anyone has in mind when looking for warmer winters. But, maybe you're right.

The 5 years I spent in Nashville, though, we had many days well below zero. The wet weather was year-round. Humid/wet summers that simply froze in the winter to ice. People don't drive because it's a skating rink.
https://amp.tennessean.com/amp/21332765
This article suggests Nashville went about 18 years without even reaching zero. The lowest it got one year was 18. It is not a cold-weather area unless you're comparing it to places that simply do not get winter at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaszilla View Post
Your speaking about Nashville like it's MN or something.
I'd take Minnesota's snow over anybody's ice, but Nashville winter weather might as well be nonexistent compared to northern cities.
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Old 04-17-2018, 06:13 AM
 
Location: Middle Tennessee
266 posts, read 242,990 times
Reputation: 383
Quote:
Originally Posted by HankTellYouWhat View Post
I live in MI, have most of my life, I can't do this anymore. I know this year is unseasonably warm. But best case scenario winter weather lasts Dec-March, worst case November-May, I'm tired of 5-8 months of the year being trash and not wanting leave the house for half the year. I need to find a place that boasts average winter highs above 40 (at worse) and experience little to no snow. I'd prefer for it to be within a days drive or so of Michigan, so preferably not west coast. So where do you think I should live?

Other factors outside of weather that are important:

-Nature; I need nature nearby. Lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, beaches... Not all of the above, but some of it.

-Ability to own land; Somewhere where I can easily own a house with 3+ acres and live close enough to a town/city for a job.

-Affordability-Needs to be as affordable as West Michigan. A 1,500 sq foot house with 3 acres should cost 140-200k. If we rent 1bdr apts or 1-2bdr houses should cost $800-$1200 per month.

So where in the US can I find a warm or moderate climate, that's affordable, and has nearby nature?
I'd focus on finding a job within your criteria. We moved from Connecticut to the Nashville area in the fall.

In the short time I have been here I can say winters are milder than where we came from, but they can still have some cold days. They just don't have the 20" - 30" of snow each winter, and the snow/ice passes quickly. For us, there is usually a 10 - 15 degree variance from our previous town in CT. It just depends if you are trying to avoid winter altogether, or just a milder version of. Does the heat bother you?

Many have joked that half of Michigan has moved to Tennessee. Chattanooga, Knoxville or Nashville area might fit the bill for you.
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Old 04-17-2018, 06:42 AM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,368,183 times
Reputation: 10387
Quote:
Originally Posted by sub View Post
When talking to someone from Michigan, Nashville might as well be the Bahamas.
What do they get? Right at 0 or -1 once every couple of years? It's an overnight low one or two nights the whole season at that, when it does happen.
Ice storms are a non-issue because they don't stick around long and pretty much everyone is expected to stay at home anyway until it melts. If a person goes out in it, its on them.
There are plenty of other reasons to avoid Nashville, but a Michigander wanting warmer weather isn't one of them.

Lol @ anyone considering Nashville winters brutal. Our November's are probably the same as winter in Nashville and no one here would call that a brutal month. (Its not even winter yet) The brutality of a Nashville winter. Mildly chilly days and the occasional frozen precipitation event. Scary.
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Old 04-17-2018, 06:44 AM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,368,183 times
Reputation: 10387
North Carolina. Mountains and beaches to appreciate. Mild 4 seasons. Pleasant summers and winters that are cool and mild. If I was ever to move back to the South, NC would be my choice. That would never happen but that's where I would pick.
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Old 04-17-2018, 06:50 AM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,368,183 times
Reputation: 10387
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
Trading snow for ice doesn't seem like what anyone has in mind when looking for warmer winters. But, maybe you're right.

The 5 years I spent in Nashville, though, we had many days well below zero. The wet weather was year-round. Humid/wet summers that simply froze in the winter to ice. People don't drive because it's a skating rink.
As someone who lives somewhere that averages between 10-15 below zero lows, I am genuinely curious on what 5 years you lived in Nashville and how many times it actually went below zero. Windchills don't count. Half the time I feel they over exaggerate the windchills anyway. Just the idea of a southern city getting below zero "many times" let alone once is hard to believe. I know it can happen, even happened in Tallahassee before, just find it incredulous.

By the by, we can get triple digits here in the summer though very uncommon. And I would never insinuate we have a brutal or rough summer. On the contrary, we have one of the most pleasant summers out there and they counteract the harsh continental winters. A few extremes don't define a season.
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Old 04-17-2018, 07:02 AM
 
Location: Terramaria
1,782 posts, read 1,913,949 times
Reputation: 2636
Quote:
Originally Posted by HankTellYouWhat View Post
I live in MI, have most of my life, I can't do this anymore. I know this year is unseasonably warm. But best case scenario winter weather lasts Dec-March, worst case November-May, I'm tired of 5-8 months of the year being trash and not wanting leave the house for half the year. I need to find a place that boasts average winter highs above 40 (at worse) and experience little to no snow. I'd prefer for it to be within a days drive or so of Michigan, so preferably not west coast. So where do you think I should live?

Other factors outside of weather that are important:

-Nature; I need nature nearby. Lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, beaches... Not all of the above, but some of it.

-Ability to own land; Somewhere where I can easily own a house with 3+ acres and live close enough to a town/city for a job.

-Affordability-Needs to be as affordable as West Michigan. A 1,500 sq foot house with 3 acres should cost 140-200k. If we rent 1bdr apts or 1-2bdr houses should cost $800-$1200 per month.

So where in the US can I find a warm or moderate climate, that's affordable, and has nearby nature?
You mean unseasonably cold for that matter. Still, even a place like Cincinnati or Louisville will be nicer as they typically have their winter highs bottom out around 40/41 and don't get the big snows like you get in the mid-Atlantic to the east. You gain a couple weeks of summer and another week of spring and fall respectively compared to Michigan. The Carolinas, Georgia, and parts of TN may be Both cities are relatively inexpensive, and of course, Louisville has a big Ford plant. Both are situated on the Ohio river and have forests nearby, with mountains (especially for Cincy) not far to the east. You can get to lower Michigan in just half a day. The central cities themself may a be a little too high for you, but you can easily find affordable land within an hour of both cities in your price target. There also seems to be more cities to take weekend trips from around those cities (Columbus, Nashville, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago is just several hours).
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Old 04-17-2018, 07:09 AM
 
1,349 posts, read 1,692,149 times
Reputation: 2391
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
Trading snow for ice doesn't seem like what anyone has in mind when looking for warmer winters. But, maybe you're right.

The 5 years I spent in Nashville, though, we had many days well below zero. The wet weather was year-round. Humid/wet summers that simply froze in the winter to ice. People don't drive because it's a skating rink.
You know below 0 isn’t the same thing as below freezing right?
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Old 04-17-2018, 07:37 AM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,821 posts, read 30,898,649 times
Reputation: 47112
Quote:
Originally Posted by HankTellYouWhat View Post
I live in MI, have most of my life, I can't do this anymore. I know this year is unseasonably warm. But best case scenario winter weather lasts Dec-March, worst case November-May, I'm tired of 5-8 months of the year being trash and not wanting leave the house for half the year. I need to find a place that boasts average winter highs above 40 (at worse) and experience little to no snow. I'd prefer for it to be within a days drive or so of Michigan, so preferably not west coast. So where do you think I should live?

Other factors outside of weather that are important:

-Nature; I need nature nearby. Lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, beaches... Not all of the above, but some of it.

-Ability to own land; Somewhere where I can easily own a house with 3+ acres and live close enough to a town/city for a job.

-Affordability-Needs to be as affordable as West Michigan. A 1,500 sq foot house with 3 acres should cost 140-200k. If we rent 1bdr apts or 1-2bdr houses should cost $800-$1200 per month.

So where in the US can I find a warm or moderate climate, that's affordable, and has nearby nature?
You need to keep the price point in check, at least here in northeast Tennessee. I'm from northeast TN, but used to live in Indiana and spent a lot of time in the GR/Holland/Muskegeon area. I'm somewhat familiar with it.

I live in Johnson City - we're close to two hours northeast of Knoxville, have a weak economy for professional level jobs (plenty of $10-$15/hr stuff), low wages, are isolated, and are not particularly touristy. That said, a couple of acres and a house for the $150k range isn't happening in a reasonably desirable area, unless you're looking at trailers or a house that needs a lotof work. $200k and a couple of acres should find something decent. $1,200/month house on a couple of acres may be possible, but will be a bigger stretch than buying.

Outdoors are activities, from mild to wild, are available and doable most of the year.

The cost of living is a toss-up to slightly in favor of TN. Taxes are much more reasonable here. There is no state income tax. My guess is that property taxes are roughly half of around GR. That's where your big savings will be. Auto insurance is a toss-up and is high here compared to where I've previously lived, but maybe not as bad as Michigan. Gas is $2.50/gal here, so slight savings there. Food is particularly expensive here, and the selection is awful. Meijer stops in Kentucky, and we do not have a Super Target, so it's basically Walmart, a regional grocer, Aldi, and Sam's Club. Farmers markets and locally grown food is nowhere near the quality you get in Michigan.

There was enough snow to stick on the rooftops and cars last night. It was 30 when I got up this morning. We'll obviously have much less snow than western MI and will be warmer, but if you want consistent above 40 highs, you'll need to look further south. Winter settled in around Thanksgiving, and while the grass is green and mowing season has started, many trees have not yet even budded, much less leafed out.

If looking at Tennessee, I would stick to metro Knoxville. Knoxville has a much better job market, pays better, and you're right on 75. The cost of living is a toss-up between there and here. Outside of that, I'd definitely recommend the Greenville, SC area. It is warmer (was there this weekend and basically all trees had fully leafed out), with a better economy and more to do than this part of Tennessee.
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Old 04-17-2018, 09:25 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,274,906 times
Reputation: 38559
What's with all the nitpicking about my memory of Nashville, or my statement that Nashville winters aren't the definition of a mild or warm winter? No need to beat chests and proclaim how tough everyone is and how you all can handle much worse, blah blah. The point was to find a winter that didn't deal with ice and snow - at least that was my interpretation of it.

And for those of you who want to see some real data - I was in Nashville during the 1980's.

Here you can see a calendar of weather for Nashville for January 1982:

https://www.wunderground.com/history...ic=&reqdb.wmo=

Note several days below zero: -2, -4, -6, -11. And lots of balmy days barely above zero.

January 1984:

https://www.wunderground.com/history...ic=&reqdb.wmo=

There are several days at 0, -2, -5

January 1985:

https://www.wunderground.com/history...ic=&reqdb.wmo=

You got a -13, -16

And look at how it snows, then rains, gets sunny, snows, then rains. Equals = ice.

When I moved to Nashville, I moved from the mountains of WA and thought it would be milder in TN. Hah! Give me feet of snow any day. It also never got as cold in WA as TN, either. Cold enough to snow, but not below zero like that, with lots of days barely above 0, or even in the teens.

Anyway, this is a great website for looking at historical data.

Feel free to start beating your chests again about .....if you think THAT's cold..... The bottom line is, it ain't warm.
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Old 04-17-2018, 10:13 PM
 
13,336 posts, read 39,726,514 times
Reputation: 10761
Quote:
Originally Posted by HankTellYouWhat View Post
I live in MI, have most of my life, I can't do this anymore. I know this year is unseasonably warm. But best case scenario winter weather lasts Dec-March, worst case November-May, I'm tired of 5-8 months of the year being trash and not wanting leave the house for half the year. I need to find a place that boasts average winter highs above 40 (at worse) and experience little to no snow. I'd prefer for it to be within a days drive or so of Michigan, so preferably not west coast. So where do you think I should live?

Other factors outside of weather that are important:

-Nature; I need nature nearby. Lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, beaches... Not all of the above, but some of it.

-Ability to own land; Somewhere where I can easily own a house with 3+ acres and live close enough to a town/city for a job.

-Affordability-Needs to be as affordable as West Michigan. A 1,500 sq foot house with 3 acres should cost 140-200k. If we rent 1bdr apts or 1-2bdr houses should cost $800-$1200 per month.

So where in the US can I find a warm or moderate climate, that's affordable, and has nearby nature?
Check out Cookeville, Tennessee
  • Gorgeous countryside with 100 waterfalls and 1,200 miles of lake shoreline within 40 minutes of town
  • Average winter highs in the 40s with the occasional cold snap; average of 7 inches of snow per year total with 3-4 snowfalls per year, rarely on the ground more than a couple of days before melting
  • Thriving economy: 2.9% unemployment, over 3,300 new jobs in the last couple of years, and located an hour east of Nashville
  • Tons of people from Michigan have moved here
  • Even the rural areas outside of town have gigabit internet
Here's a sampling of places out in the country near Cookeville for less than $200k:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...?fullpage=true
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...?fullpage=true
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...?fullpage=true
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...?fullpage=true
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