KC extreme weather - what to know? (Kansas City, Independence: 2009, construction)

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by RjRobb2

Really? How are heat and humidity a problem?

I understand some may not prefer heat and humidity but they dont cause bad road conditions, dont destroy your home, dont knock out your power, or flood your home. Not to mention that we really only get 60 days of heat and humidity while we get several months of thunderstorms, ice, snow, and cold temperatures.

I think the two worst parts about Kansas City winters is the wind and the ice. I actually work with 3 people that grew up in Minnesota and they all agree that Kansas City winters are worse simply because of the wind.

Usually only heat and humidity in July and August, mostly August, maybe beginning of September. That's lake and pol weather! Other than that, not a problem. And this year, not a problem at all. It's 63 degrees right now. we should still be having summer weather, but we really haven't even needed the air condition the last several weeks, which should have been the hottest part of the summer so far.

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by RjRobb2

My basement floods if my sub pump fails. I live at the bottom of a hill and with a heavy rain, our yard floods and everything. I cannot stand heavy rains.

In regards to heat, most people that die from the heat are either the elderly that are living in homes without any A/C or people being stupid. An average person generally is not going to die in the heat.

I dont care what anyone says but the heat and humidity in Kansas City is not more concerning than the winter and spring time weather. We dont even get a lot of heat and humidity. This year we actually hardly got any at all. I am actually extremely disappointed that the last few weeks it hasnt been 80s and 90s without rain. It is one part of the year that I actually like here and I feel robbed of it.

RJ, the next time you need to replace your sump pump, pop the extra money for a FloTech Water Cannon. It's 3/4HP and carries a lifetime warranty. We have one and we LOVE it. This thing pumps the pit in about three or four seconds -- a really amazing (and vital) piece of equipment for us. We also have a backup pump and battery for when the power goes out, but since we got it, we (thankfully) haven't had to test it.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by RjRobb2

I am actually extremely disappointed that the last few weeks it hasnt been 80s and 90s without rain. It is one part of the year that I actually like here and I feel robbed of it.

Me too. I love to sit outside on summer nights when it's been 90-100 during the day that day. That to me is a perfect summer night. This summer it's been actually too cool at night for my blood most the time. And usually we have a warm September with lower humidity than August and I love that, but I'm afraid this year it's going to be winter without having a summer or Indian summer. I feel cheated too. I hear everyone all giddy that the temperature is so cool already and I keep saying SOME LIKE IT HOT!!!!

[TabulaRasa]

Seriously, this past weekend was an example of the best type of weather you get in KC, as far as I'm concerned. I enjoyed the Irish Festival at Crown Center without sweating through it, listened to the Elders with a cool breeze on my cheeks...perfect!

[RJDBLues]

Luzianne, I have a house you can buy from me here in South Georgia. It's less than 2 hours from the Gulf Coast. You'd have about 7 months out of the year with hot and humid weather. Only about 5 days a year that temp. drops below 32 degrees. Never any snow. I'm looking forward to a KC winter. Let's see if I'm still saying that mid Jan.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by RJDBLues

Luzianne, I have a house you can buy from me here in South Georgia. It's less than 2 hours from the Gulf Coast. You'd have about 7 months out of the year with hot and humid weather. Only about 5 days a year that temp. drops below 32 degrees. Never any snow. I'm looking forward to a KC winter. Let's see if I'm still saying that mid Jan.

I moved here from Little Rock, which is very similar to Georgia, although it does get the occasional ice storm and a rare dusting of snow every now and then. Kansas City winters aren't that bad. If you get to thinking they are, just make the 6 hour drive to Minneapolis in January. That should put things into perspective.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by northbound74

I moved here from Little Rock, which is very similar to Georgia, although it does get the occasional ice storm and a rare dusting of snow every now and then. Kansas City winters aren't that bad. If you get to thinking they are, just make the 6 hour drive to Minneapolis in January. That should put things into perspective.

Upper Midwest winters compared to Lower Midwest winters are like night and day. KC has "banana belt" winters due to occasional downsloping winds of the Rocky Mountains. If you go a couple hundred miles northeast of the Missouri River the downslope effect is much less and it is SUBSTANTIALLY colder. For example Waterloo, IA could have a low of -17F in January while KC would be about 5F. That is an enormous difference.

[TabulaRasa]

It really is a huge difference. I travel back and forth from Kansas City to northern Illinois for the winter holidays, and it's pretty typical for one to be absolutely frigid and the other balmy by comparison. And the distance in miles is really not great at all. Just a couple of hundred miles north to south makes such a phenomenal difference, here.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

It really is a huge difference. I travel back and forth from Kansas City to northern Illinois for the winter holidays, and it's pretty typical for one to be absolutely frigid and the other balmy by comparison. And the distance in miles is really not great at all. Just a couple of hundred miles north to south makes such a phenomenal difference, here.

Same with the difference between Kansas City and Oklahoma City. I have watched the weather many times and been jealous of how much warmer their weather was than ours. It's about 350 miles but a big difference in temperatures usually.

[northbound74]

^^ Yep.
That's why I keep saying to those moving here from the south that Kansas City can be a virtual icebox in comparison... and I know KC is probably downright tropical when compared to Duluth, MN.