The Absolute Worst City to Live in (for either cold, hot, humid,stormy, etc. wether) (record, temperatures)

[Jammie]

Susan, you have a very good point. KC is much warmer then it is here, BUT those ice storms are awful. We have them on occasion~rarely, but we do and I'll also take snow over them.

[tvdxer]

For an actual CITY (not town), I would nominate my own Duluth, MN.

Horrid, excessively long winters, with NO (or very little respite). Several days in a row in which the temperature does not exceed 0F (-18C) or even -4F (-20C), even though it might be perfectly sunny outside. The windiness just makes things worse. "Rugged" mentality means even though windchills might be -40F or lower, you still have to go to class at 8am because the college is not closed. Average high in January is 16F; in December and February they're in the lower 20s. Any day that reaches above freezing (32F) in one of those three months is a delight; unlike other Midwestern locations (especially those south of the MN - IA border or affected by chinook winds), we almost NEVER get a true "spring-like" day in December, January, or February; highs above 40F are rare in the winter, perhaps one or two days; 50F are almost unheard of.

And did I say long? March is still snowy and colder than January in most lower Midwestern cities (average high 32F/0C). Snow usually remains on the ground well into early April. You can go an entire March with no 10C/50F high; anything significantly above that is very rare. Extreme cold weather (say below -10F / -23C) is still possible in March.

And then spring: a joy, but that's because you live here. We don't have a true Spring - it's mostly just really wet from all the melted snow. Also, April and May are both cooled by the influence of cold Lake Superior waters, which means while the rest of Minnesota is enjoying a day or two with temperatures in the 70's and 80's (even locations north of you!), you're stuck at 40F (5C). May 18th it was 97F in Minneapolis ... and about 45F in Duluth. And the trees don't have leaves until mid-May.

Summers are wonderful, but still subject to occasional cold spells - it's July 31st, noon as I type, and only about 62F (17C). This is especially true in June - we had a string of days in the 40s and 50s in JUNE. Early fall is great too, with the foliage-covered hills, but that ends quickly and you're back to November, with plunging temperatures.

[StillwaterTownie]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Oklahoma City. In recent years it has been in the news for ice, hail and wind storms, tornados, flash fires and spells of 100 plus degree weather.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Oklahoma City. In recent years it has been in the news for ice, hail and wind storms, tornados, flash fires and spells of 100 plus degree weather.

Well, one benefit that OKC has is that their winters are relatively mild. I tend to agree with TVDX cause his winters are even worse then mine. And mine aren't too good.

[FVWinters]

"Worst" pretty much depends on what you don't like. Barrow, AK comes close to the top of my list. There are guaranteed no sunny days between mid November and mid February. Not one. Average January temperature there is a bone-snapping -16 Degrees. February is even colder. By the time we reach July the average maximum temperature is a steamy 46. This July has been exceptional in that there have been three days that topped 70 but there have been at least as many where it has failed to reach 40. Fog is a constant summer companion. Did I mention the insects? You do get that occassional lovely day there; 60+ sunny, with no wind and no fog. But then you're dealing with with suddenly thawed mud, unstable permafrost and swarms of mosquitos each the size of F-14's.

SAB, if you think Melbourne's bad, you oughta try Barrow.

For places over 100000 population we have to leave the USA and go to Magadan in Russia's far east. It's warmer than Barrow - just. But at nearly 1200 miles closer to the equator it dang well ought to be. It gets so cold in winter the Sea of Okhotsk can freeze solidly enough to drive on - and people do. January can hit -30 (F) and stay there for weeks. So can March. Average July temperatures are around 52 degrees and afternoon maximums seldom reach 60. Wind here is as bad as fog is in Barrow and with 230 days of precipation per year and an average number of fully sunny days in the teens, a place not much more inviting than the Grand Banks or Macquarie Island.

[MrMarbles]

Norilsk, Russia is another good candidate - population is 134k so it is a real city. It is located in northern Siberia. In addition to having terrible climate, the city is also extremely polluted due to industrial and radioactive waste.

The city exists only because of a large nickel mine (where 20% of all the world's nickel, along with a host of other metals, is mined)

[deneb78]

Norilsk is pretty bad that's for sure.... if you want to talk about actual settlements where people live... probably Resolute in Nunavut, Canada is the worst for weather....even worse than Barrow, AK... average July temperatures are in the 30sF (3C) and winters go down to -60 and -70 and stay there for weeks on end.

[FVWinters]

Originally Posted by deneb78

Norilsk is pretty bad that's for sure.... if you want to talk about actual settlements where people live... probably Resolute in Nunavut, Canada is the worst for weather....even worse than Barrow, AK... average July temperatures are in the 30sF (3C) and winters go down to -60 and -70 and stay there for weeks on end.

Makes Barrow seem positively balmy!

[dxiweodwo]

San Diego........because it dosen't get any of that

[§AB]

Originally Posted by dxiweodwo

San Diego........because it dosen't get any of that

I sort of agree here....San Diego doesnt get storms, and the weather is much hotter at a painfully short distance away. And those much hotter places get "monsoonal" thunderstorms to boot. That's psycological torture right there...