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First off, I've never lived through a rough Northern winter, so...
But I would *think* that HOT HOT summers are less tramatic.
No snow tires, no three layers of clothes to add / remove.
No collapsed roofs, probably less traffic accidents.
Less chance of dieing from a broken down car like that couple did last winter in Oregon.
It's just hot and nasty...but not 'inconvienent' or potentially deadly!
Not for most.
I think alot more people die from overexhaustion and heat stroke than collapsed roofs in Buffalo. (I have never heard of collapesed roofs in Minneapolis, which is even colder)
Most traffic accidents in heavy snow are spin-outs where SUVs end up in the ditch.
Snow chains are illegal in most places except for the interior West.
You should probably experience a northern winter before you comment on one.
Personally I'd go for the winter but I hate really hot weather. Much of it probably has to do with your physical make-up what do you tolerate better?
Whenever there is a major heat wave in northern cities you hear of elderly dying. It is people that don't have AC or don't know how to compensate for the heat. Of course in the north you are going to die without heat also so that is pretty much a wash.
In the north if you have your own house you may have to shovel or risk falling on the ice. Heart attacks and broken hips take some folks.
Of course one of the benefits of being old and retired is that you have more flexibility in your schedule. If the weather is horrible you can often just decide to wait it out and not go outside until things improve.
Unless I'm swimming, or the humidity is low, I'm miserable whenever the temperature exceeds 85. But, I've been told that extreme cold can really be painful for people with arthritis.
As much as I abhor Texas heat, I'd that that, in a practical sense, brutal heat would be much more tolerable than brutal coldness. I mean, the cold HURTS. And snow makes your shoes wet.
When it's summer and it's hot and humid, I often say "there's no way winter is worse than this".
When it's winter and it's cold and very windy, I often say "there's no way summer is worse than this."
Bottom line, both hot and humid weather and cold and windy weather suck!
Seriously, in the winter it's actually not bad at all when it's not windy. If you have a day where it's 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the sun is out, and it's not windy, it's actually nice and not uncomfortable at all if you are dressed appropriately. But when it's windy in the winter (which is the majority of the time), it can be unbearable when it's very cold and/or very windy.
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