[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I know what you mean. Winter in VT, or any of the New England states, is beautiful compared to other places. I'm in NE Ohio where the sun hardly ever shines all winter. I remember the bright sun and clear blue skies of the New England winters...perfect for skiing and keeping ones spirits up.

I love Vermont in the winter but being the 5th cloudiest state in the country sunny bluebird days are few and far between. On average we have twice as many sunny days in July(the sunniest month) versus November(the cloudiest month).

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

I seen nights on the 4th of July where it was too cold to sit out and watch fireworks without a coat on, frost the second week of June and the first week of September. Summers in vermont are generally very pleasent but Vermonts defining season is winter. Over the past twenty years winters have been milder but with still a sprinkling of years with below freezing temps that last for days. The short days never change though, by halloween it's dark at 5:00 pm, at Christmas it's dark at 4:30 and not light until 7:30 AM and for me that's always the worst part of winter. I've skied and snowmobiled when it's below zero, I've always cleaned my own driveway and shoveled my walks but I've always hated the short days. Winters are what made yankees hard, you had to raise and store enough food in three months to last the rest of the year and cut and haul firewood by the tens of cords for heat. You wear a heavy coat and gloves and boots for five months of the year and by february cabin fever is at it's height and you try to remember what the lawn looked like without snow. Yet there are times when I've stood outside in subzero temperatures on a night that was still as the dead with a sky filled with stars in the crystal clear air and marveled. But to describe it in seven words,"if it just wasn't so damned long".

Living in GA, a relatively cold night on the 4th of July would actually tickle me pink.

I used to live in Everett,WA, near Seattle. Seattle is the northernmost major city in the lower 48, at 47.6 degrees North latitude. Everett is on the 48 parallel, further north than the border of northern Maine. I remember when November came and it would get dark before 5PM and winter definiitely had very short days. I am kind of a night person, so darkness at 5PM actually makes me giddy. My only worry is if no one else wants to be outside at dark.