And out-of-stater curious about Idaho (Boise, Nampa: ski resorts, sale, real estate)

[Mountain Rose]

I think as long as you don't come here with the idea that you need to change Idaho into the place you just left, you'll be fine. It's the Californians (and New Yorkers, and Georgians, and, and, and) who come to Idaho and immediately want to turn Idaho into the states they just fled who are heavily resented.

My husband and I came here from upstate New York fully prepared to assimilate as quickly as possible, and people have treated us with nothing but kindness and open arms. If we'd come here wanting to change Idaho into New York, by, say, agitating for stricter gun regulation/confiscation laws, higher taxes, a more bloated local government, stricter building codes, etc. then I doubt people would have been all that thrilled to know us. And I can't say I'd blame them.

Come to Idaho to become an Idahoan and you should be fine. Come to Idaho to exploit its lower cost of living and still mostly unspoiled natural beauty while complaining that it's not California, and I doubt you'll be very happy here. (But you don't sound like that kind of Californian.)

And definitely visit first, ideally during the winter, so you know what you're getting into.

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by Mountain Rose

And definitely visit first, ideally during the winter, so you know what you're getting into.

Some of the best advice ever. I love snow and cold and moved here from a place with 80"-plus annual snowfall, and even I was surprised the first winter at how much everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) changes during the winter months...especially small dirt roads which nearly become impassable (VERY glad I bought a snowplow!).

[The_GarGars]

Wow, these are some very well detailed posts! Thanks to everyone who left some information for us to consider! And wow, Banjomike is like a Cliff Notes verision of a travel guide!! So much to consider.

It appears the North Idaho is what we are looking for, so we'll be looking into information on that area; see what weather is like and such. In terms of visiting, we were looking to visit sometime in May or June. In our hometown, we're in the low 80s to mid 70s. Is it still cold in Idaho at that time?

Another question in regards to the snow and road conditions, we have a 2-wheel drive Jeep Liberty. Will our vehicle be sufficent or will it requires like snow chains or something (is it possible to attatch a plow to the front? :P)?

I do apologize for all the questions, it's just that we're the first in both of our families to move out of state and we want to make informed decisions, y'know.

[Hp1167]

Yes. You'll see 30* and snow up to 85* and hot in Idaho in May and June. For the most part, count on a lot of wind, rain, clouds, and temps between 30*-70*, with the average daytime temp being in the high 40's to low 60s.

[cleosmom]

Here in Idaho Falls, we see snow in June.. heck who am I kidding? I've seen it snow on the 4th of July

The most awesome thing about Idaho is that the various areas all have something wonderful. Here in SE we're not far from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, have awesome fly fishing and we're about three hours from an international airport (Salt Lake). We get quite distinct four seasons; Summer, Fall, Winter and Sprinter/Mud. We also are a bit infamous for our winds any time of year!

CDA and the panhandle, have their own treasures along with Boise in western ID and Twin in the south central.

If you're looking at northern ID, you might want to rethink the two wheel drive Jeep Liberty to an all wheel drive, but I will let the folks up that way go into that further with you.

Househunting during Winter is a bonus, you can get a great idea on drifts, ice, etc. The bad part is you can't see the roof.

If you nose through the older pages you can see some of our winter pictures from all around the state

[banjomike]

Idaho winters do need mentioning!
Winters are somewhat warmer in N. Idaho due to terrain. N. Idaho gets a lot of Washington weather. The snow is usually heavier, and the snow itself is wetter. There is more winter fog, and more winter rain.

S. Idaho is colder, and gets it's weather from N. California & Oregon. The snowfall varies more- some years are very heavy, some very dry. The snow itself is usually dry powder as the temps are colder. It is windier here, seldom foggy, and a bit sunnier.

Anywhere in Idaho can get seriously cold. Temps of -10º are almost guaranteed for a week or so every winter, and a cold snap can drop much lower. I've seen the Island Park area drop to -55º in the night more than once. These extremely cold temps never last for very long, but a cold winter can hover around zero for 4 months. A warm winter will be typically above zero-40º and may have periods of rain, not snow.

Winter starts when winter wants to start. I've seen winters start on October 1st and hang until the end of May, and I've seen winters that started after Christmas and left by the end of March. El Niño and La Niña play into the winter weather here as much as they do in California.

Montana lies almost totally on the eastern side of the Great Divide, and the mountains act like a big weather wall. Montana gets much more weather coming down from Canada and the N. Pacific, so a warm day in Bozeman can be a very cold one in Idaho Falls.

Coeur d'Alene and McCall lie next to lakes, so both towns get their own weather sometimes.

The thing to living through an Idaho winter is pretty simple- if you keep your feet dry, and your head and hands warm, you'll be fine. Layering clothes works better than buying one heavy winter coat, as most buildings tend to be overheated, and city life consists of constantly going out in blistering cold from 72º inside.
Heating costs are a big deal here. While it varies a lot, I think folks heat their homes to 65-69º and wear warm clothing or use a comforter inside, but eventually, most folks become comfortable with being slightly chilly. Lounging around home in a T-shirt and shorts costs a lot in the winter!

As far as driving a 2-wheel drive:
Studded snow tires on all 4 wheels will get you around town fine, and are better on icy highways than regular snow tires. A 4WD will get you through a snowdrift better, and is harder to get stuck, and will accelerate on a slick street better, but it won't stop any faster than a 2WD, and 4WD can plow you into a deeper snow pile than a 2WD.

One thing about driving here in the winter that's very often overlooked by newbies is the need to carry a blanket and some water in your vehicle. A slide-off can happen at any time, and out here, especially during a bad storm, getting stuck after a slide-off happens all the time. It might be hours to most of a day before help can come, depending on where you are, so keeping warm and hydrated becomes a real big deal.

Learning to drive in winter can be pretty easy. I suggest to newcomers that they go out to an empty parking lot and learn how to drive through a skid there. Once you cut a few cookies, you get the hang of it. Most of it really is being conscious of how slick it is and slowing down. There are always a lot of accidents after the first storm from people driving too fast.

[Hp1167]

Something else to mention:

I know that the mountains, rivers, lakes, and camping tends to attract a lot of people to Idaho/Montana. Keep in mind that the mountains are usually covered in snow and inaccessible (except for snowmobilies) until mid to late June... and camping really doesn't begin until July, unless you're exceptionally hearty. Same with river and lake access, with the water flows and temperatures.

So, ideally, there's a 4 month window of river, lake, and mountain enjoyment unless you're an exception. And even then there are limitations.

[Lovin Idaho]

One of the issues with people from California is that when they find a good area they flock to it in mass, causing economic turmoil. This has happened in the Bend and Redmond area in Oregon. Although they cause employment to increase, once they are done building the quality of the employment remaining is of question... and now with the recession many homes for sale, that are still over priced and just too huge for normal folks.

They also cause proverty values to skyrocket. This makes it hard for the locals as they grow up to to purchase property. What use to be 120,000 now is 240,000... or even worse!

This we had first hand experience with as my husband was from Bend Oregon. We cannot afford to live near our family who have been there for several generations.

Now in Idaho, where we have settled, it is also happening in the same way. When we first looked for property here we went over to Eastern Idaho in the north section on the west side of the Tetons, not to far from Jackson Hole. For many many miles from there towards central Idaho the realestate prices have soared.... its like the billionaires of Jackson Hole threw out all the millionaires into Idaho... We could not afford this area. Nor could we afford anything in the long valley that leads to Sun Valley. We really wanted mountains and to be close enough to Salt Lake where our kids are living so we can visit frequently enough... so that puts northern Idaho out of the question. We didn't even look up there.

There are areas in Idaho that are still very affordable, where the Californians with all their mega houses, and fancy retail shops have not yet found their way to. We found such a place and it is georgous here...

But dam, if Im gonna tell you where it is!

[MountainBiking]

I'm from Southern California and I can assure you, Lovin Idaho, that I will not affect property values in Idaho because I'm a poor S.O.B.

-Cheers.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by MountainBiking

I'm from Southern California and I can assure you, Lovin Idaho, that I will not affect property values in Idaho because I'm a poor S.O.B.

-Cheers.

With a handle like yours, you'll probably fit right in as long as you don't talk about the superiority of California trails! We have mountain bikers here who scare me to death. Respect the Idaho mountain, and bring a warm coat.