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My husband and I just wandered by your forum earlier this week as we (as many of you) are also researching South Carolina.
Basically it's a similar story as others: Family with young children wanting to leave the fast paced liberal state of California. We are lured by the South and it's slower pace and more conservative living. Not to mention the financial freedoms we would find--it's hard to make it on one income in our area of No. California. I am blessed to stay at home with the kids! We also love the Ocean (we're looking at Summerville--close to ocean but good location for family) and the idea of exploring the East and all it's history. We have however been a bit pursaded to consider other areas after reading this forum and the positives of Greenville, Rock Hill, Fort Mills, etc.
Anyways, the topic I haven't seen much discussion on is humidity. We have dry heat here. This week is set to be five to seven days of 105+. But anytime we tell others that we are considering a move to SC people can't believe we'd put up with the humidity. Is it really THAT bad? Are you just used to it? I'm thinking such humidity might be a positive thing in some respects. Everything here is brown and dry from late May -October. Humidity keeps things lovely in color? Is it a price I'm willing to pay for more space, slower lifestyle, less hussle and bussle, financial room, and less liberal everything?
okay I am from california (southern cal)--and now live in ny since 1997...we may be reloing (corporate transfer) to columbia and visited there.
It is as humid as in the part of NY wear we live...and it did take getting use to when I moved...but no more than one season and I got used to it and it doesnt even phase me anymore.
That is the huge difference...out in Orange County, there was not any humidity..just "dry heat"--nothing like palm springs..but just dry heat..so it just roast you.
We just got back a couple of weeks ago from columbia..and it is way different than the oc, and different from ny..but a GOOD different...at least our experience was extremelly positive!
Yes its sticky here in ny and was in columbia..but honestly..its really NOT that bad...dont let it scare you....and for what its worth..you wont be sending the kiddos out in something above 85 degrees anyway (unless they are in a pool or something)...anyway right?
Hey Team Mom I live in NorCal now and have for the past 8 years, I've also lived in Michigan which has humid summers and was in SC during the month of July for a few weeks last year which even the locals said was an abnormally hot month. It is definitely humid and hot and if you have to be out in the elements on those particular days it is really tough on the body. But I will say with time your body will get use to it and one of the great things about that part of the country over there is you have 4 seasons, so the summer really hot times will not stick around long. On those days like the other post said you would normally be inside, at the lake or pool. Then when the evening hits you can enjoy the outdoors when the humidity and temperature has dropped a bit. You know the evenings we have had here the last couple of days? Really nice moderate temperature evenings that you can still be out in shorts and a T-shirt? That is what most of the summer evenings are like in SC. It is quite a nice change from the cooling off we get in NorCal in the evenings. Hope that helps from someone who has experience both sides.
Location: Comunistafornia, and working to get out ASAP!
1,962 posts, read 5,197,785 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Mom
Basically it's a similar story as others: Family with young children wanting to leave the fast paced liberal state of California. We are lured by the South and it's slower pace and more conservative living. Not to mention the financial freedoms we would find--it's hard to make it on one income in our area of No. California. I am blessed to stay at home with the kids!...We have however been a bit pursaded to consider other areas after reading this forum and the positives of Greenville, Rock Hill, Fort Mills, etc.
Anyways, the topic I haven't seen much discussion on is humidity. We have dry heat here. This week is set to be five to seven days of 105+. But anytime we tell others that we are considering a move to SC people can't believe we'd put up with the humidity. Is it really THAT bad? Are you just used to it? I'm thinking such humidity might be a positive thing in some respects. I would love your thoughts here!
Greetings Team Mom,
From your mention of 105 degree I bet you're from the Central Valley Sacramento area? I'm in Sacramento area. The weather, although a small part, is one reason why we are trying to get out of CA. The other reasons are as you mentioned.
Humidity? It's the south I lived in Texas for more than 8 years and it was very humid there, but after living there for years I do think you get used to it. It will be a bit of a shock at first of course.
I would recommend the upstate area. But personal taste, jobs, etc. will drive your decision. Stay plugged into the forum and go back and read the verious topics about weather, jobs, housing, people, bugs (yes bugs), crime, etc. it will help you alot.
Is it really THAT bad?
yes. I hear people on this message board, particularly from the north, claim that it 'isn't that bad'. This is completely contrary to what I've seen. Most northerners won't even go outside in the summertime before 8:00pm. I used to be a valet at a very nice restaurant in Columbia. We'd sit outside for hours, sweating mildly, while folks with CT/PA/NY/NJ tags would pull up, sweating profusely, with the A/C on full-blast. "Geeeez it's hot! This is unbelievable!" So I'd be prepared.
As far as dry, Arizona-type heat vs. humid, subtropical heat, there is a huge difference. In dry heat, you have sharp fluctuations in temperature from day to night, whereas humidity causes the heat to stick around.
Are you just used to it?
yes. It still isn't pleasant to be in 85-100 degree heat here, but people here will operate in such weather if need be. I assume that someone from, say, New York could get used to it over time, but I really don't know for certain.
The southern lifestyle is built around summertime activities. There's a reason we all hang out at the lakes, and the beach. There's a reason we drink Natural Light instead of Guiness. Dress is different too - linen and seersucker are very popular fabrics because of their light weight. Black clothing, with a few exceptions, is a sure sign of someone from out of town. Most people push flip-flips and sandals to the fashionable limit. It's not uncommon to go into a decent restaurant in the summertime and see half the customers in flip-flops.
But at the same time, weather in April, May, late September and October is unbelievably nice. June, July and August (especially late July-early August) can be really, really hot, even unpleasant at night. Also, short afternoon thunderstorms happen most days in the summer.
My husband and I just wandered by your forum earlier this week as we (as many of you) are also researching South Carolina.
Basically it's a similar story as others: Family with young children wanting to leave the fast paced liberal state of California. We are lured by the South and it's slower pace and more conservative living. Not to mention the financial freedoms we would find--it's hard to make it on one income in our area of No. California. I am blessed to stay at home with the kids! We also love the Ocean (we're looking at Summerville--close to ocean but good location for family) and the idea of exploring the East and all it's history. We have however been a bit pursaded to consider other areas after reading this forum and the positives of Greenville, Rock Hill, Fort Mills, etc.
Anyways, the topic I haven't seen much discussion on is humidity. We have dry heat here. This week is set to be five to seven days of 105+. But anytime we tell others that we are considering a move to SC people can't believe we'd put up with the humidity. Is it really THAT bad? Are you just used to it? I'm thinking such humidity might be a positive thing in some respects. Everything here is brown and dry from late May -October. Humidity keeps things lovely in color? Is it a price I'm willing to pay for more space, slower lifestyle, less hussle and bussle, financial room, and less liberal everything?
I would love your thoughts here!
Hey there Team Mom...we are originally from So. CA and have been here in Tega Cay, SC for 2 1/2 years now. I also have a Phoenix background (born there...with most family members still around in the AZ area). Never had I known the likes of humidity as they have on this side of the country (other than a few prior vacation trips to Hawaii)....so that tends to be my form of comparison (get the visual of Hawaii out of your head and just concentrate on the weather there) ...hot and humid like Hawaii, rain out of nowhere then over in minute (little more to it...but that's my Reader's Digest condensed version). What helps are all the lakes, pools, air conditioning and knowing that summer only last 3 months of the year (though seasons are mild to a Northerner's viewpoint...coming from CA...it is just nice to see any kind of difference between Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter). When we first told friends and family we were headed out to the Carolina's everyone had that open mouth....blank stare look...followed by the oh my .......... (fill in the blank) use to live back there and the bugs were the size of airplanes, or my babysitter's ........ (fill in the blank) use to live in ........ (fill in the blank) and they said ....... (fill in the blank). I don't think we heard one positive thing from any one person's lips prior to us moving out here. I am glad we didn't let any of these stories deter us from moving...sure I realize it may not be for everyone...but as I say all the time...the only thing I wish we would have done differently...was making the move sooner. Good luck with your search....where ever it may take you!
Team Mom- As you'll see, there are a lot of us in this same situation- wanting a better life for our family, wanting the best for our kids, etc. And yes, everyone here in Seattle area looks at me like I'm nuts when I say we are moving to the Carolina's. "Oh, the HUMIDITY! ". And if anyone's going to have a hard time, it's going to be my family! Have you seen the weather here? It's actually 69 degrees today, and the kids are saying it's so hot! Oh boy!! But I'm sure we'll all be fine, and get used to it. I'm just excited they have air conditioning in houses there! (that's unheard of here!).
Location: Comunistafornia, and working to get out ASAP!
1,962 posts, read 5,197,785 times
Reputation: 951
Quote:
Originally Posted by momof2boys
Team Mom- As you'll see, there are a lot of us in this same situation- wanting a better life for our family, wanting the best for our kids, etc. And yes, everyone here in Seattle area looks at me like I'm nuts when I say we are moving to the Carolina's. "Oh, the HUMIDITY! ". And if anyone's going to have a hard time, it's going to be my family! Have you seen the weather here? It's actually 69 degrees today, and the kids are saying it's so hot! Oh boy!! But I'm sure we'll all be fine, and get used to it. I'm just excited they have air conditioning in houses there! (that's unheard of here!).
Momof2,
Try 106 today in Sacramento, CA.! and on Sunday its supposed to be 113 ouch! It least humidity acts as a natural cooling for the body, but the Sac valley "dry" heat is like living in an oven set at 400 degrees.
Mark, you have it backwards. Humidity doesn't act as a natural cooling agent for the body at all. The evaporation of sweat is necessary for the body to cool; humidity prevents that evaporation and retards the cooling mechanism.
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I lived in Texas for more than 8 years and it was very humid there, but after living there for years I do think you get used to it. It will be a bit of a shock at first of course.
It least humidity acts as a natural cooling for the body, but the Sac valley "dry" heat is like living in an oven set at 400 degrees. 
