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Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
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Old 04-01-2008, 10:16 PM
 
Location: South Beach and DT Raleigh
13,966 posts, read 24,005,425 times
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Hi Esquire! I once lived in Texas on assignment (Houston) and spent a few long weekends in Austin. What struck me about Austin is how familiar it felt to me although it was different in several ways from Raleigh. (I have also had that experience with Madison, Wisconsin but that's another story) I have come to a conclusion that state capitals that are college towns just have a particular familiarity to them for those of us who are used to that combo. I suspect that you might find that to be true for you too.
Regarding your specific questions and comments, I can offer some confirmation of others' comments and some more of my own.
1. Summers are hot and humid with the humidity levels peaking when the temps are around 90 degrees. Last year's drought ridden Summer was less humid but much hotter than average....seemed like every day was either flirting with or at 100 degrees. This is not normal.
2. Rainy days are not usually wash outs. This is especially true in the Summer. A day will typically begin with sunshine with clouds building in the late afternoon, followed by a late afternoon thunderstorm that clears out well before the sun goes down.
3. Historic housing in Raleigh will probably be as expensive as it is in Austin since both cities have high demand for it and a limited supply. I'd suspect that the far flung suburban housing will be cheaper in Austin than it will be in the Triangle but I am guessing that's not for you.
4. Chapel Hill is a town. It has about 50,000. The activity of the town during Fall and Spring semesters diminishes significantly during the Summer.
5. Where Austin is more about one city, the Triangle is not. While Raleigh is the largest city by far in the area, it shares center stage with Durham and Chapel Hill specifically because each has a major university anchoring it. And...it's not just about shades of blue, the largest university in the area and the state is RED. :-) Go Wolfpack!
6. While there will be things about Chapel Hill that will remind you of Austin, so will Raleigh. My personal impression was that Austin was more like a combination of Raleigh and Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
7. I agree that snow/ice gets less frequent as time goes by. I'd also add that any small amount of it is most likely to fall to the N & NW of Durham. And, yes...things come to a screeching halt when it even threatens to snow or ice. Winter temperatures are on a constant yo yo. Days in the Winter can push 80 as often as they push 0. However, the range will more likely swing wildly between 30-60 degrees during the coldest month of Winter. Early and late Winter bring many more 70 degree opportunities.
8. What the Triangle can offer you is a "neopolitan of sorts" when it comes to flavors and vibes. Each city offers choices where they each excel.
9. None of the cities have a waterfront. :-( I wish they did. However, there are two man made lakes: Falls & Jordan where boaters play for several months. Thank goodness the rains are filling them (especially Falls Lake) since the serious drought of 2007.
10. Like Austin, the Triangle is probably the most politically progressive part of an otherwise conservative state. However, NC is actually historically run by conservative/moderate Democrats instead of Republicans.

Good luck and welcome when you get here!
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Old 04-01-2008, 11:33 PM
 
8 posts, read 18,807 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl View Post
And...it's not just about shades of blue, the largest university in the area and the state is RED. :-) Go Wolfpack!
Thanks so much mc2mfl for all the great information! Everything you said makes me think we will feel right at home in the traingle area. We were just looking up season ticket information for the University's in the area and I added yours to my list. All the sports especially Women's basketball look like they are a great value and lots of fun. And we already own lots of RED!
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Old 04-01-2008, 11:47 PM
 
7,065 posts, read 4,673,162 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StoneOne View Post
In which part of the Triangle hasn't there been snow this past winter? We had snow, admittedly not very much, on the ground for about 3 days where I live in Carrboro.
Well, I live in North Raleigh, so I was talking about this area.

Carrboro is a bit far away from here and so your weather, as you said, was different. A little bit of snow on the ground (less than an inch) which melts in a matter of a couple of days isn't what I would call "measurable snowfall," but that's just my opinion, especially when the snow doesn't even cover the grass.

I had heard on the local news that there has been "no measurable precipitation" in the Raleigh area for the last four years.

They apparently are not counting what was described as a "wintry mix," which did not amount to anything more than a frosty grassy area.

Best,
toodie
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Old 04-02-2008, 08:48 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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If you want snow that badly...head up to the mountains, a mere 3 hour drive away!

Vicki
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Old 04-02-2008, 08:52 AM
 
4,537 posts, read 6,335,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toodie View Post

Over the last decade, the amount of snow here has decreased each winter. We used to have a beautiful winter wonderland (and with all these trees, it's incredible to see) at least once or twice a year. Then it seemed we had ice storms for a couple of years instead of snow. Now we have zip. It hasn't snowed here for four years.


Best wishes,
toodie

Actually, it has snowed in recent years in Raleigh. Albeit, well below normal snowfalls, but it has snowed.
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Old 04-02-2008, 09:18 PM
 
Location: Franklinton, NC
56 posts, read 185,234 times
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Good luck on your move out here. We moved here from Baytown, Tx (near Houston). I lived there for over 35 years. You dont have to trade in your burnt orange..lol. I still pull for the maroon and white, Aggies. One thing you will have to get used to is not being able to find good Texas BEEF bar-b-que as easy as you can in Texas...lol Pork is big here. I like them both actually. As far as weather goes I myself feel there are 4 distinct seasons. Being from hardly any snow back home to even a light dusting here is a good snowy day for us.
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Old 04-02-2008, 10:03 PM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,218 posts, read 30,396,210 times
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It snowed in January '07 when I was there. It was only a couple inches. It's a lot more rare in Austin (and even moreso in Houston, although we had a White Christmas in '04).

Raleigh weather is comparable to Dallas, except Dallas might stay hotter a little longer and Raleigh is a little more susceptible to major winter storms like they had a few years ago. Raleigh is also closer to the coast and can be affected by hurricanes or tropical storms. Like Austin, Raleigh is going to catch a lot of evacuees from the coast if something big comes around. Austin got their hotels and highways jammed when Rita came to Texas and Louisiana in '05, and with the growth on the NC coast you will likely see a similar scenario in the Triangle area if a Hugo- or Fran-like storm appears. Not something you'd encounter

Also, people in NC kind of freak out over snow and ice. When I went there I thought people would be used to it. They act like Texas people do, except every time there's a big fear of a blizzard or being iced in for days. Here the big question is whether it's going to stick to the ground. You don't want to be in the grocery store or a gas station in NC right before something frozen is forecast to come out of the sky.
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Old 04-02-2008, 10:13 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
12,475 posts, read 32,132,492 times
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Last year when hubby and I were in Austin, I looked around and FELT like I was in Raleigh! Maybe all college towns do look alike? The trees and the air just felt like home. Of course, we were there in March and I hear the humidity there is a bit worse than what it is here. Still, it seemed like a very nice place and all the people that we spoke to were very nice.

Vicki
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Old 04-03-2008, 04:30 AM
 
403 posts, read 350,478 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Waterboy526 View Post
IN NW Raleigh where I live...last year we had 2 snow storms with about 1 inch total with a couple of dustings, and this past winter we had 1 snow storm of about a ½ inch with a couple of dustings. I'm not saying we get much at all, but we have gotton snow the 2 winters I've lived here.

I have lived in Southern Durham and in Cary the last 3 winters and no snow at all, other than flurries.
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Old 04-03-2008, 06:45 AM
 
5,728 posts, read 17,532,253 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jfre81 View Post
Raleigh weather is comparable to Dallas, except Dallas might stay hotter a little longer
I disagree. I think that it is, on average about 5-10 degrees cooler here than in Dallas. I've been here for 2 summers and my car thermometer has never broken 100. In Dallas, it was common for it to read over 100, and sometimes as high as 110 or 115.

Part of the difference may be that there is more radiated heat from buildings and roads in Dallas. There are a lot fewer buildings and roads here in Raleigh, and MANY more trees, hence more shade, so that may cool things off a bit, or at least give that perception. I also think that the humidity is a tad higher here than in Dallas.

If you believe the data listed for each city on this City-Data website. Raleigh's highest average temperature is about 90 degrees and it occurs in July. But the humidity is up around 90% from July-Oct.

Scroll down the page about half-way.
Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

For Dallas, the average high is above 90 degrees from June-Sept and the max is about 95 in July-Aug. However, the humidity peaks at about 85% for only May-June, which is out of sync with the hottest months.

Dallas, Texas (TX) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
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