Help! Which weather would you choose? (low crime, home, job market)

[GiaSmith]

I am native to So. California, and love it here, but want to leave because I can no longer afford to live here. It is hard to decide where to move, because I've never even been in snow (don't laugh!), so I don't know what to expect if I had to live/drive in it. But is it worse than living in a place like AZ, where it gets to 110 degrees? Or Atlanta, where the humidity is bad? The heat in Cali is a dry heat, and can get to well over 100. At that point, I'm none-to-happy. But I've never delt with humidity or snow. Which is the worse of the 3 evils...snow, heat, humidity? And there is trying to find a place with the right weather, yet has affordable housing, good job market and low crime. Denver seems to be where my research keeps taking me, but that whole "snow thing" keeps me from being 100% commited to the idea. Has anyone delt with the 3 types of weather conditions?

[GiaSmith]

I am native to So. California, and love it here, but want to leave because I can no longer afford to live here. It is hard to decide where to move, because I've never even been in snow (don't laugh!), so I don't know what to expect if I had to live/drive in it. But is it worse than living in a place like AZ, where it gets to 110 degrees? Or Atlanta, where the humidity is bad? The heat in Cali is a dry heat, and can get to well over 100. At that point, I'm none-to-happy. But I've never delt with humidity or snow. Which is the worse of the 3 evils...snow, heat, humidity? And there is trying to find a place with the right weather, yet has affordable housing, good job market and low crime. Denver seems to be where my research keeps taking me, but that whole "snow thing" keeps me from being 100% commited to the idea. Has anyone delt with the 3 types of weather conditions?

[MotleyCrew]

When we moved from SoCal to NorCal years ago, I had never driven in snow. I did not do very well. I learned to hate snow and could not wait to leave the mountains. I did not care for frozen feet, sliding down my driveway in heels or my husband having to get behind me and push me up to the car to go to work. Not to mention the endless rain from Oct to June or July. Oh and on top of that, poison oak. Everthing I touched had poison oak oil on it. I even got it two years after moving to AZ by touching the junk in my garage. We love the AZ heat and the winters here are a gift. I can go outside all year and putter. You simply do things early in the morning or later in the day during the summer. Just my two cents. You might like snow.

[calikathy]

I'd definitely choose snow over heat or humidity. I grew up in Utah, so I've lived around snow and currently live in So. Cal right now too; I've lived here for several years and am trying to sell our home at the moment so that we can move to Denver. We also had a choice on anywhere (in the West) to move to and ruled out Az b/c of the heat and it's getting to be so crowded. The thing about Denver weather is that yes, you'll have snow, but it melts quickly and there are over 300 days of sunshine a year in Denver (more than where I live right now in So Cal!). The 4 seasons are so nice to experience too, it changes things up a bit and puts your body into a cyclic rhythm. Humidity (you mentioned Atlanta) is unbearable to me. I'd much rather have the snow that my kids can play in and make fun memories in; not to mention learn to ski and/or snowboard. You can't make a snowball out of heat or humidity. :O)

[tfox]

There's a lot of other threads on this issue. Weather is very subjective, so I don't think anyone can tell you one is better than the other. I will say that there is a lot of people who apparently really enjoy Colorado's 4-season climate. Others will tell you that they can't leave fast enough due to weather.

I have some experience with the desert climates of Arizona and New Mexico. New Mexico's climate is largely much, much less extreme than Arizona. I don't really mind Arizona's climate too much, but its never ending string of 100+ degree days, lasting well into November, is in my opinion one of the more extreme climates you can find in the country. The 1-2 month long "monsoon" in Arizona is the worst time of year, bringing oppressive humidity and dust-storms as well as continued heat. However, the "winter" in Arizona, from mid-November to mid-April, is a lovely time of year if a little chilly for the natives (50s-60s). Personally, I'm not all that affected by weather until it gets too extreme on one side or the other,but my opinion is that Colorado's front range and western Colorado falls into the "extreme" category far less often than Arizona.

I think Colorado is unique in its variability. Arizona, by contrast is fairly consistent and predictable in its climate (i.e., in June it will be scorching hot every day, in December it will be mild in the 50s). In contrast, Colorado changes on almost a minute-by-minute basis. Cold, heat, sun, thunderstorms, rain, snow, hail, we have it all here. I think what bothers many people more than anything is the fact that our climate switches back and forth between spring/summer and winter about 1000 times from March - May and again from about Sept - Nov. That lack of predictability frustrates a lot of people from outside Colorado, who claim we have no spring/fall here. Luckily, the lack of predictability means that extended periods of extreme heat or cold are mercifully rare here.

[LoveBoating]

The wife and I use to live in Costa Mesa, Calif and moved in 2002 to the Denver area (first Englewood and for the last 3 years here in Parker). Even though it had been a number of years since we had lived in winter weather, we knew what that season was like since we are originally from Indiana and Michigan. In moving here, we had no problem with snow, cold and ice.....until I fell this past December on ice/snow and had to have shoulder surgery done.
If you have never lived in a "snow season" before, it can/will be a major shock to you. You will drive in "white-out" conditions, shovel inches (if not feet) of snow, use salt on the driveway and definitely have a winter coat or parka. And, if you don't like shoveling snow......don't move here! That is just a FACT. Here you can have snow sometimes starting in September and lasting into May. And that isn't just in the local mountains, that snow is right down here in the Denver metro area.
We are definitely not telling you not to move here, BUT just be aware that we do have a winter here with cold temps (sometimes freezing), snow (in inches and sometimes feet) and winter driving conditions that could have you thinking to yourself "what the h_ll am I doing here".
Good Luck

[ibarrio]

Well, you have been in heat before so I would say AZ. I also hate the cold and snow. Phoenix gets cool in the winter...maybe sometimes even borderline cold but nothing like the A.V. Mojave Desert.

[leavingcali]

I am in a similar situation. I want to leave CA too, but not just because it is so unaffordable, but also because I want to experience the landscape and culture of a different state. Also, I think I would like living somewhere that actually has 4 distinct seasons; I think the variety would be nice. Although I have visited places with snow (and I liked it), I don't know how that compares to LIVING in it.

If you can afford it, try to visit each of these climates (humid, hot-hot, and snow) at their worst time of year, and then pick which one was more bearable. My pick would be Denver--it isn't humid (not a big fan of humidy, but I can deal with it; the hubby hates it though), has lots of sunshine, gets very warm in the summer but not as hot as where I currently am, and from what I hear (I have not experienced this myself) the cold and snow aren't bad there--the snow usually melts pretty quickly (because of all the sunshine), and it doesn't get bone chilling cold there like it does in say Minnesota. There are many posts/threads about Denver weather--just do a search, and read for yourself.

Another thing to consider--AZ is only miserably hot for a few months out of the year; that seems tolerable (I haven't been there either though, so who knows). Good luck! Let us know what you find out.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by leavingcali

I am in a similar situation. I want to leave CA too, but not just because it is so unaffordable, but also because I want to experience the landscape and culture of a different state. Also, I think I would like living somewhere that actually has 4 distinct seasons; I think the variety would be nice. Although I have visited places with snow (and I liked it), I don't know how that compares to LIVING in it.

If you can afford it, try to visit each of these climates (humid, hot-hot, and snow) at their worst time of year, and then pick which one was more bearable. My pick would be Denver--it isn't humid (not a big fan of humidy, but I can deal with it; the hubby hates it though), has lots of sunshine, gets very warm in the summer but not as hot as where I currently am, and from what I hear (I have not experienced this myself) the cold and snow aren't bad there--the snow usually melts pretty quickly (because of all the sunshine), and it doesn't get bone chilling cold there like it does in say Minnesota. There are many posts/threads about Denver weather--just do a search, and read for yourself.

Another thing to consider--AZ is only miserably hot for a few months out of the year; that seems tolerable (I haven't been there either though, so who knows). Good luck! Let us know what you find out.

I agree with Denver, it seems like it has a good climate. I plan on visiting sometime this year.

But for AZ heat, if you mean "a few months" as in 6 months, then you'd be right. We start getting 100 degree days in April-May and it ends in mid Oct.

But it can be bearable. I noticed yesterday, the first 110 degree day so far, that I didn't notice the heat at all. That's because I was in an A/C'd environment all day. Home to car to office to car to store to car to home. I was never out in the heat for more than one minute at a time. I did take a walk at about 9pm last night it was still 100 degrees, but that's not bad without the sun.

[vfrpilot]

We have lived in Lake Havasu, central Texas, San Diego, and now Monument,CO. We get some of the worst winter weather along the Front Range because the altitude here is over 2000' higher than Denver.
San Diego has the best weather by far, no big surpise. I survived Havasu heat when I was younger, but don't think I'd enjoy it now. We have not been too discouraged by the winters here. The last was the worst of the 3 years we've been here. I almost enjoy messing around in the snow> shoveling and snow blowing. Our daughter really likes to play in it. The snow is usually light and fluffy, and is easily moved. The rest of the year is great. I like the afternoon thunderstorms we've had this past week. Makes everything clean and green.
Like Loveboating mentioned, driving can be a bit hair raising. Lots of people do it, but it isn't much fun.
I've found that your level of tolerence of weather will depend much on other factors. Like the local schools, neighbors, and financial situation.