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Funny thing is, when I first got on C-D Forum while living in CO, we read numerous posts from people who moved from So Calif to Denver metro concerning the snow/winters there. Apparently they didn't read the memo....."Denver does get a winter and at times it can be pretty bad". The folks that don't snow ski seem to have the worst problems. People in So Calif that snow ski, go to the mountains often and are use to driving in the white stuff and the coldness of it. The non-skiers want a change of environment and expense from So Calif, so many move to Denver area and get very shocked at all the snow/cold weather that can happen there.
As far as the mountains go, we have photos and video of RMNP.......Elk "rut" and driving on Trail Ridge Rd (part of U.S. Highway 34) to the 12,184 (or so) foot level summit. That is the highest continuous highway in the U.S. to drive a vehicle. That was neat......somewhat scary drive, but still neat!
I think most Californians who move here are very well aware of the amount of snow because most of them are very well traveled. Yes, it can be said that "knowing" and actually "living" and driving through heavy snows through many winters are far different story than visiting a Mountain resort to ski--reality does set in for some and they leave.
I grew up near Buffalo and I have been in the Denver area for 32 years. Cold and snow does have some good advantages--it does control insects proliferation and it does minimize greatly street people who can live outdoors in more yearround warmer climates. What I like about snow and cold is that it does give me a big excuse to NOT do any yard work. There is also that slumbering quiet around my neighborhood which allows me to hibernate with some good reading and it slows the pace of life. I am retired and the problems of driving and commuting are much less--I stay home when the weather is not perfect.
Denver is certainly a milder winter climate than Buffalo--to me, it has good balanced weather. Many people, I grew up with, moved on the Florida--that was the big retirement goal when I left the Buffalo area over 40 years ago (I moved up to Denver from Dallas/Ft. Worth). Colorado was certainly not a place mentioned for retirement. Today people are more knowledgeable about the country and the varied climate and they consider more places to retire.
I do not regret having picked a warmer area to live because Denver is now home; and to me familiarity and comfort of place are the best amenities that one can have in retirement. Denver is a progressive, clean, safe city and certainly is not a dying or depressed city like Buffalo. It has much changed and improved since I move here. Denver and the cities along the Front Range of Colorado are considered by many as a good place to live, work and retire.
moved back here to north cause of kids n grandkids---so far am hating it here and miss the south and am trying to make myself believe that seeing the kids more is worth it(between you and i NOT SO FAR!
Today I drove 30 miles on country roads to see my daughter in VT. We have quite a bit of snow, but not enough to keep me in. Spent most of the day playing with three year old grandson and when I left he said, "thank you for coming to play with me. I love you." THAT to ME, WAS worth it.
Today I drove 30 miles on country roads to see my daughter in VT. We have quite a bit of snow, but not enough to keep me in. Spent most of the day playing with three year old grandson and when I left he said, "thank you for coming to play with me. I love you." THAT to ME, WAS worth it.
Thanks, I needed to hear that to remind me why I'm staying here!!
Friend lives in SC and in spring has to be careful gardening because of the copperhead snakes. No thanks!
Not just the copperheads in the south... there is also the Recluse Brown Spider to really watch for. I have a friend who lives in Southern Va. and went out into the yard to do some work and went near the wood pile and got a bite. She was lucky, she knew what it was and went to the ER right away. Ugh! Heaven knows what is even more south than that.
Today I drove 30 miles on country roads to see my daughter in VT. We have quite a bit of snow, but not enough to keep me in. Spent most of the day playing with three year old grandson and when I left he said, "thank you for coming to play with me. I love you." THAT to ME, WAS worth it.
While living in Denver, CO metro, and seriously thinking about a move to Florida, we were told to watch out for all the gators in Florida and how bad the hurricanes can get. Been here in Jacksonville for 2 yrs and have seen one very small gator (think it was a gator) in a retention pond as we were driving on an off ramp. No hurricanes yet, but plenty of lightning and rain. So, so much for gators and hurricanes! Have seen some Ghost Ants and numerous little green lizards running around.
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Originally Posted by brava4
Friend lives in SC and in spring has to be careful gardening because of the copperhead snakes. No thanks!
Not just the copperheads in the south... there is also the Recluse Brown Spider to really watch for. I have a friend who lives in Southern Va. and went out into the yard to do some work and went near the wood pile and got a bite. She was lucky, she knew what it was and went to the ER right away. Ugh! Heaven knows what is even more south than that.
There is no guarantee that you will escape the cold - by moving south. Even my sister in Atlanta has experienced snow and severe cold. The big problem? Homes in the south are NOT INSULATED... so you feel the cold all the more. A friend in Tucson, AZ has had freezing days/nights this winter.
And Las Vegas can get downright cold - and windy. In the desert there are no windbreaks.
I don't think this year is an anomaly. I expect we will see more of this in the future.
And - to the poster who lives in Madison, Wisconsin? I spent the first 22 years of my life there. I'm now in the Rockies - and the winters here are a piece o cake compared to Madisons.
I had more insulation blown into my Florida home...I now have a ceiling rating of over R-50.
They said I was nuts, but now I have bragging rights, and as electricity gets more expensive down the road it will already be done. The difference between an R-30 and an R-50 was not much at all.
There is no guarantee that you will escape the cold - by moving south. Even my sister in Atlanta has experienced snow and severe cold. The big problem? Homes in the south are NOT INSULATED... so you feel the cold all the more. A friend in Tucson, AZ has had freezing days/nights this winter.
And Las Vegas can get downright cold - and windy. In the desert there are no windbreaks.
I don't think this year is an anomaly. I expect we will see more of this in the future.
And - to the poster who lives in Madison, Wisconsin? I spent the first 22 years of my life there. I'm now in the Rockies - and the winters here are a piece o cake compared to Madisons.
Everything you say above is true, but let's face it: Places like Atlanta have snow and severe cold only rarely as opposed to all winter long. So while it's true you don't escape it completely, you escape it relatively.
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There is also that slumbering quiet around my neighborhood which allows me to hibernate with some good reading and it slows the pace of life. I am retired and the problems of driving and commuting are much less--I stay home when the weather is not perfect.
It's relative.
