For those of you that lived up north..... (Raleigh, Durham: vacation, work)

[beckycat]

Just out of curiosity, how does the weather in Raleigh compare with these other places? (year round) I'm looking to get people's opinions and not statistics. I know alot of people ask this questions and hopefully this thread will help them out.

1)Wilmington, DE
2)Richmond, VA
3)Baltimore, MD
4)Washinton, DC

[seattlenextyear]

I moved here from DC and didn't really see a huge difference in climate. The weather here would be closest to Richmond, but not too far from DC. Obviously a few degrees warmer in general than any of them and more humid in the summer. It snows more in DC and Richmond, and spring comes about 2 weeks later there.

Since it's a less developed area, however, there are more trees here, so that's something else to consider. You could feel cooler in a wooded Raleigh housing development than on the pavement in DC, even if the temperatures at the airports indicate that its hotter in Raleigh. DC has the air pollution problem downtown, so its harder to breathe in the summer.

I can't speak for Wilmington or Baltimore, but I'd suspect you'd get more of a moderating influence of ocean breezes.

[somuchbetter]

Well, I'm from the lower part of Michigan, and our weather kind of mimics New York's a little bit. Down here, the weather gets extremely humid. And its a kind of humidity I have never felt before, even living next to Lake Michigan. Its just one thing you get used to.

While 70 in Michigan feels hot, its almost near chilly down here! But its rather nice. Once you get used to the fact its beautiful every day, and sometimes a little too hot, you get used to it.

One of my professors kind of described it as summer going to fall back to spring, and you might catch a glimpse of Mr. Frost but only long enough to say hello and goodbye.

For being someone that hates snow, I LOVE it here. The humidity adds to the southern charm if you have a rocking chair and a glass o' sweet tea
(I've lived here not even a year)

[Waterboy526]

Originally Posted by beckycat

Just out of curiosity, how does the weather in Raleigh compare with these other places? (year round) I'm looking to get people's opinions and not statistics. I know alot of people ask this questions and hopefully this thread will help them out.

1)Wilmington, DE
2)Richmond, VA
3)Baltimore, MD
4)Washinton, DC

I would say in the summertime the weather here is comparable to all of those places, maybe a little cooler in MD/DE on some days, but overall hot and sticky in all of those places. I'd say that we're usually a couple degrees warmer than Richmond or DC in the summer with maybe a little higher humidity, but it can actually be hotter there on some days, so it's really a wash. I would say there is really no difference between DC and Baltimore in the summer or winter (maybe 1 degree).

I think were you'll find the difference is in the winter. Raleigh can actually be 5-10 degrees warmer here in January than say Richmond and especially DC. We usually don't get big snow storms or anything over an inch or two for that matter (minus the 20" storm that apparently hit here in 2000?). In the DC area we were good for a 15-20 inch storm every 5-7 years and a 12" storm at least every other year. You won't find that in Raleigh, because it's usually a little too warm when the noreasters blow through and move up the coast.

[newmom5497]

I come from extreme Southern NJ(closest to Wilmington, DE on your list--about 1 hour East) and I have found the weather comparable to Southern NJ except about 10 degrees warmer from Dec-April. SUmmers were hot and humid in S. Jersey..and hot and humid here..so not much difference.

We didnt get a lot of snow in S. Jersey because we were too close to the ocean, so its very comparable to here. Maybe 1-2 inches per year here--- although none this year here....with maybe 4-5 in Jersey per year.

[jaba125]

The winter's in Wilmington are longer and much more dreary. Just when you think it's going to end, another cold front comes through.

My guess is that the heat and humidity we have here in Wilmington in the heat of the summer (July, August) is in Raleigh for longer.

In a nutshell, Wilmington, DE, has longer winters and shorter summers than Raleigh.

[JJingle]

My best friends live in Richmond. We talk almost on a daily basis. The weather tends to be similar. I find it a tad bit cooler there most of the time; nothing really drastic. I will say that my allergies are non-existent in Richmond but not in Raleigh. Doing day trips the allergy issue is the biggest difference I notice.

[Shamasu]

That sucks. I'm from Chicago, and I want the cold, and the snow and the wind. I'm going to miss all that when I do move to Durham.

[OneGnome]

Moderator cut: off topic I'm from Baltimore and I agree with the others that there is about a 5-10 degree difference. Baltimore is more humid and in the summer felt hotter. In the city it was even worse due to the concrete jungle. Raleigh still has a lot more wooded areas which is one of the many reasons I like this area. Raleigh gets more severe hurricane weather, but it is far enough inland not to worry much about it. That 5-10 degree difference in the winter means Raleigh gets a lot more ice than snow. I would rather have the snow than the ice.

In Baltimore whatever the weather it is not an excuse for not going to work. A lot of things close here during severe weather, which I like. The down side to that; NC is often unprepared for the weather. During that winter storm in December of 1999 when we got 18+ inches. It took the state an entire week to plow my road, which is a through street in Durham. That snow was like a vacation as I still had power. A few years after that we had an ice storm that took our power out for more than a week. I like to camp, but not in my home. I had to throw out a lot of food that spoiled. MD seemed much better prepared for the weather. I can't recall having more than a 48hr period before things were cleaned up and operational in my 25 years there.

Spring and Fall seem to last a little longer and are simply wonderful here, unless you have allergies. If you have allergies Baltimore would be a better place for you. Concrete doesn't produce pollen. Most agree that the Triangle area is great for those two seasons.

[I'minformed2]

Moderator cut: orphaned I've heard DC referred to as "the DC swamp" durring summer because of the higher humidity, don't know how much more humid it would be than Raleigh durring summer. I'm having a hard time beliving Raleigh could be considered less humid than Michigan or anywhere else along the great lakes durring summer because I live within 2 miles of Lake Ontario and have lived in Raleigh and it is DEFINITLY not nearly as uncomfortable even on the hottest days here than it was in NC.