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The difference, to me, is that people in the South absolutely freak out about cold weather, but people in the North quietly distolerate (a word?) hot weather. Plus, the South can't even come close to as cold as it gets in the North, while the North CAN get about as hot as the South.
This is where you're wrong. A cold snap in the South can make the temperatures in the South similar to the average winter temperatures up North. And in extreme cases, the South can get colder than the North. The record low in Nashville is -17. That's colder than the record low in New York City, Philadelphia, and Newark.
The difference is the cold doesn't last as long and doesn't happen as often in the South. Just like the heat doesn't last as long and doesn't happen as often in the North.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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How often does it dip below 0 in Nashville vs. how often does it exceed 95 in Chicago? Plus, when it's 95 in Chicago it's not like it's 115 in Nashville, whereas if it's -17 in Nashville it's probably -37 in Chicago.
How often does it dip below 0 in Nashville vs. how often does it exceed 95 in Chicago? Plus, when it's 95 in Chicago it's not like it's 115 in Nashville, whereas if it's -17 in Nashville it's probably -37 in Chicago.
On average, there are 18 days a year when Chicago hits 90. Can't find the number for 95 but it would be even lower than 18. There are 50 days when Nashville hits 90, so Nashville sees more heat than Chicago.
And just so you know, the record low in Chicago is -27. So maybe it would be -27 in Chicago if it was -17 in Nashville. That's a 10 degree difference. It may very well be 105 in Nashville if it's 95 in Chicago.
How often does it dip below 0 in Nashville vs. how often does it exceed 95 in Chicago? Plus, when it's 95 in Chicago it's not like it's 115 in Nashville, whereas if it's -17 in Nashville it's probably -37 in Chicago.
Yet it may reach 95 degrees like 3 days a year in Chicago, but reach 95 for 30-60 days a year in Nashville.
Humidity lowers as you move away from the gulf and the coasts. While it can get humid in Chicago, the intensity is alway much less than Nashville.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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Quote:
Originally Posted by city_data91
On average, there are 18 days a year when Chicago hits 90. Can't find the number for 95 but it would be even lower than 18. There are 50 days when Nashville hits 90, so Nashville sees more heat than Chicago.
And just so you know, the record low in Chicago is -27. So maybe it would be -27 in Chicago if it was -17 in Nashville. That's a 10 degree difference. It may very well be 105 in Nashville if it's 95 in Chicago.
You're making a good point, however, I still am not seeing much about how often Nashville (or any Southern city) dips below 0 degrees. I used Chicago as an example because it's a little more "normal" in the winter compared to Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, it goes below 0 more times than I care to count, yet it can and does go over 95 and even 100 degrees almost annually. My point earlier was that I didn't think the South had swings that severe like the North, and hence, Northerners may "brag about toughness" more because they see it all. Clearly though, the South is MUCH hotter than the North (I never argued with that), but I still maintain that it doesn't experience the same winters even for one day on an average year that the North experiences (at least Minneapolis, maybe Chicago).
You're making a good point, however, I still am not seeing much about how often Nashville (or any Southern city) dips below 0 degrees. I used Chicago as an example because it's a little more "normal" in the winter compared to Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, it goes below 0 more times than I care to count, yet it can and does go over 95 and even 100 degrees almost annually. My point earlier was that I didn't think the South had swings that severe like the North, and hence, Northerners may "brag about toughness" more because they see it all. Clearly though, the South is MUCH hotter than the North (I never argued with that), but I still maintain that it doesn't experience the same winters even for one day on an average year that the North experiences (at least Minneapolis, maybe Chicago).
Well here in the city of Chicago, it actually doesn't drop BELOW zero as much as people probably think:
Number of times in the winter of:
2009: 0 times
2008: 10 times
2007: 7 times
2006: 8 times
2005: 2 times
2004: 1 time
2003: 4 times
2002: 2 times
2001: 1 time
2000: 8 times
So over the past 10 years it's an average of around 4 days per year.
I deal with 95+ humid hot weather for three months (June to August)and it's not fun. But I'd take that any day over 6 months (November to April) of cold weather that Northerners get. Cold weather is much worse to me than hot weather. Maybe because I'm used to the hot weather. I like hot weather because when it cools down a couple of days or when the wind blows it's actually nice, but cold weather UGHH!! It's only fun around Christmas.
My point earlier was that I didn't think the South had swings that severe like the North, and hence, Northerners may "brag about toughness" more because they see it all. Clearly though, the South is MUCH hotter than the North (I never argued with that), but I still maintain that it doesn't experience the same winters even for one day on an average year that the North experiences (at least Minneapolis, maybe Chicago).
I am a meteorologist with Natl Weather Service up in Grand Forks North Dakota. I think your point is correct. I grew up in W Kentucky about 90 miles northwest of Nashville and I also lived a few years outside of Chicago. The north central States such as ND, SD, MN, Nebraska and Iowa have some of the most extreme weather from summer heat to winter cold than farther south and east. Many folks up here say cold keeps the riff raf out, that maybe true. But also I think many folks have this idea that it is colder than it really is in the far north. There is also a very tight gradient in how far true cold air gets south and east. I live about 300 miles northwest of Minneapolis and calling Minneapolis cold in the winter is quite interesting as we are usually 10 to 15 degrees (or more) colder on most winter days than down that way. Chicago rarely gets too cold. I love the cold and absolutely hated the heat and humidity of the lower ohio valley/tennessee valley.
As for extremes.....Nashville highest temp is 107 and lowest -17
Bismarck ND highest temp is 111 and lowest temp -44
Minneapolis highest temp is 105 and lowest -34
I see a lot of talk about temperature, but honestly, it isn't the cold weather that's a problem in the winter in the north (at least, in the snowy areas of the great lakes). The cold sucks, and is sometimes unbearable with the windchill; but you're very rarely out in it for any extended period. You're usually just hopping from heated location, to heated location (heated home, to heated car, to heated work/school/store/etc). I'd imagine it's similar to summer in the south where people might hop between air conditioned locations and just bear the heat for periods in between each.
What's more crappy in the winter where I live in Rochester, NY is the snow...and its consistency. In the winter, almost every morning, I wake up to a fresh few inches of snow on my car and the driveway. In order to leave for work in my car, I have to shovel and I have to clean my car off in order to leave because there's a pile of snow between my car and the street. This gets really old when you're tired and groggy, and just want to get to work on time. It's not a choice like yardwork (interesting analogy) where I could just put it off a day if I didn't have time, nor is it planned; It's just something you have to do to get to work/leave.
Another thing about the snow in all my years of living here going to school/working is that I've never seen the city shut down. That means no matter how terrible the roads are or how much snow is on the car/driveway, I have no choice but to battle the elements to make it work. I'd say for every winter, there are at least a dozen days in which the roads are not suitable to drive on, but I do to get where I need to...it's really dicey, and I definitely do not like doing it. But we just do it...I mean, you have to.
Anyways, I guess the point is, I don't like it. Nor do I brag about it at all!! In fact, I'd straight up tell someone to not move here if they do not want to deal with snow on a daily basis for 4-5 months of the year. We have very pleasant (albeit short) springs, summers, and falls; but the winter is just brutal and wears you down very quickly.
All that being said, I wouldn't want to deal with the extreme heat of the south. Even with AC, I don't know how you guys in the south handle it! I wouldn't last very long, for sure, and I'm certain I'd be inside for half the year like I am up here in the winter! I don't think you'd catch me saying you guys can't handle the elements with your weather.
Thankfully, though, I'm moving out west to the bay area where the temperature is consistently in the 50-70 degree range almost the entire year. Finally, I won't have to worry about the weather affecting my day-to-day life anymore! (rather maybe just traffic and the nagging thought of an earthquake...)
Last edited by HockeyMac18; 07-15-2010 at 10:42 PM..
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