Summer Questions (Syracuse, Boston, Pompey: house, car, money)

[TCMaster]

Looking back at my previous posts, I have noticed that I have only asked questions about Syracuse winters, so I decided to ask a few about your summers:
-how hot does it get?
-how humid does it get?
-do you get a lot of thunderstorms?
-is it sunny or cloudy in the summer?

While I am at it, I might as well include a few about spring and fall:
-are the tree colors nice?
-what type of trees are there?
-how long does spring last?

And I have one little question about winter:
My new car that I will take ownership of in 2 weeks has headlamp washers. Are they going to be a useless showoff item, or am I going to be happy I paid the extra money for them?

[boomvang]

The summers up here are about as nice as they get and like winter the temps will vary with location, when it is high 80's in Syracuse it can be 10 degrees cooler here in the hills to the south east. The humidity is not a factor as far as I'm concerned, but I'm originally from L.I. where it can be very muggy in the summer. We do get some good boomers, but overall summer is just wonderful here.

Autumn is many folks favorite time up here, the colors are spectacular with maples, aspen, birch, oak, sumac, and tulip tree just some of the players. Together with all the fall festivals, apple and pumpkin picking it is indeed a wonderful time.

You will not reget the headlight washers, it is a sloppy mess much of the time from November to late March.

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-how hot does it get?

-Syracuse averages 8 or 9 days in the 90s each year
-Most days in June,July & August the highs are in the upper 70s and low 80s
-Syracuse is the warmest metropolitan area in Upstate NY during the summer months

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-how humid does it get?

It can get quite humid, but the high humidity doesn't last long. It is on and off all summer. Cold fronts usually arrive every few days to make it feel more comfortable.

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-do you get a lot of thunderstorms?

Yes, at least once every couple weeks, but more often than not 2 times a week.

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-is it sunny or cloudy in the summer?

Sunny

June: 2 and half weeks of sunny days/partly cloudy days......... (roughly 18 days)
July: Almost 3 weeks of sunny days/partly cloudy days............. (roughly 20 days)
August: 2 and half weeks of sunny days/partly cloudy days....... (roughly 18 days)

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-are the tree colors nice?

Yes, very much like New England.

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-what type of trees are there?

The Syracuse area = Temperate Broadleaf Deciduous Forest

Trees like oak, maple, beech, chestnut, hickory, elm, linden, walnut, sweet gum, dogwood, and redbud.

Originally Posted by TCMaster

-how long does spring last?

Crocuses arrive in Mid-March. Daffodils bloom in early April. Tulips bloom in late April. Most deciduous trees grow back foliage in early May.

The warm weather usually arrives the second half of April. It starts to turn hot in about mid June.

Originally Posted by TCMaster

And I have one little question about winter:
My new car that I will take ownership of in 2 weeks has headlamp washers. Are they going to be a useless showoff item, or am I going to be happy I paid the extra money for them?

don't know

[TCMaster]

It sounds like the summers are similar to the ones in Boston. Would you say they are a bit more dramatic (as in 90 one day 65 the next), because you are further from the ocean?

[skaneatelesmom]

Thoughts of summer keep many of us going through the winter.

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by TCMaster

It sounds like the summers are similar to the ones in Boston. Would you say they are a bit more dramatic (as in 90 one day 65 the next), because you are further from the ocean?

Somewhat true, but nothing as extreme as the changes that occur in the Great Plains or Midwest. The nearby Great Lakes help moderate the temperatures here.

[Jeromeville]

Summer weather: I find that Syracuse's summers can be hit or miss. It is disappointing when you get a cooler/wetter than average summer, which can happen every 4 or 5 years. Often the temperatures do not stabilize until June... although this past spring was really spectacular and got an April start.

(wow it's so nice to have someone asking about Syracuse summers instead of Syracuse winters!)

[TCMaster]

Should I be only looking at homes with A/C when I go house hunting?

[boomvang]

I never used the central AC our house came with all last summer, and only a few times the summer before. There are many micro-climates here, with elevation the prime indicator of coolness/heat. I have noticed that a mere 4 miles away from our hill the summer temps can be 6 to 10 degrees higher.

[proulxfamily]

So true, boomvang. My parents are just 10 minutes away in Fabius-Pompey and when we get into those really sticky, hot days, we head out there to swim. The only problem is that out there, it's not hot and often just a bit too breezy to want to get in the pool. LOL