Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My family and I are thinking of moving from the north west corner of CT to the Manchester area of NH. Is there much difference in the weather? (I'm thinking there is not, but maybe I'm wrong) I read a lot about people who move to NH and how they have to be prepared for the winters.
south central NH is a bit colder but not much, based on the climate data I've looked up. lows in the Winter average 3 or so degrees colder perhaps, and daytime highs in summer are a bit less than that.
I routinely compare south central NH to north east CT (since I grew up there and still have lots of family and friends there)
I know extreme north west CT is a little colder and snowier in the winter due to elevation.
With that said, I would say the climate is very similar but the winters in NH will be slightly colder and snowier. In CT we saw a lot of mix type storms anytime a nor-easter rolled in in the winter. In NH we still have that occasionally but its more often snow then a mix. Which helps on the shoveling/snowblowing as well as the roads.
as for the cold, it definitely gets colder up here. more-so at night. -10 -20 without windchill does happen and its not all that uncommon in southern NH. If I recall growing up in CT it was rare to hit below 0 without windchill.
It is definitely colder and snowier in that part of New Hampshire. Higher elevation makes a difference, but I don't think it's a huge difference. You can see differences just driving an hour in any direction.
NH has many micro-climates depending on location. Portsmouth, the immediate coast, and urban areas of Manchester have the mildest climate in the state. Concord is significantly colder than Manchester due to the placement of the official airport that is in a more rural area. Areas northwest of Concord have cooler climate due to the higher elevation overall. The Lakes region is slightly cooler than the Merrimack Valley. The White Mountains and the North Country are both colder than the more populated areas of the state. The two reporting stations north of the notches (Berlin and Whitefield) are both in valley locations and are often quite a bit colder than most other areas.
south central NH is a bit colder but not much, based on the climate data I've looked up. lows in the Winter average 3 or so degrees colder perhaps, and daytime highs in summer are a bit less than that.
Really does depend on what town and in some cases where you are in the town due to micro climates from mountains.
This post talks about differences between various NH cities and other US cities.
We are just north of Concord and find that it is generally a bit colder here than Manchester. We don't spend any time in CT other than driving through to take care of his mother on Long Island. We always find it is warmer once we hit Mass and gradually warms up more as we head further south. Once last winter when we had a bit of snow on the ground, it was 70 degrees by the time we hit NY. Spring seems to be about a week or two earlier as well. We were in Springfield, MA when our trees were still bare and theirs were budding. We usually travel on 91 and the Merritt Parkway. I don't know if western CT is different climate wise than central.
Biggest difference you will find is seasons being "pushed back" a week or so more than you're used to. When I was in school near Lake Champlain, coming back to southern NH was like fast-forwarding time: snow would melt away, grass would get longer and flowers would start blooming. In parts of our drive we'd still see a half-inch of snow in May, and see leaves all orange and red when we were barely taking in the veggies in NH. Overall, it's not that much different, as I'm sure you know already that New England winters vary a lot year-to-year.
My family and I are thinking of moving from the north west corner of CT to the Manchester area of NH. Is there much difference in the weather? (I'm thinking there is not, but maybe I'm wrong) I read a lot about people who move to NH and how they have to be prepared for the winters.
Thanks! JakesMom
I would say they are quite similar. We live in southwest Maine and have family in Litchfield. It seems like they get similar amounts of snowfall and cold temps. although spring comes a little sooner there--mid-March--as opposed to late March, early April for us.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
