Anyone move from the desert to a 4 seasons state (Phoenix: appointed, living)

[sheena]

Originally Posted by DaveV

Umm... South Carolina is a "4-season state"..

Snow in Myrtle beach? I hadn't heard that. The avg low temps are 37.

Is a sub-tropical climate 4 season?

Myrtle Beach Weather Forecasts, SC Local Reports & South Carolina Climate Information - MBMC (http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/weather/ - broken link)
Ok it has 4 seasons but nice ones..):

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I haven't lived in the "4 seasons" for many years, but I visit often for prolonged periods. The thing that gets me is the clouds. I am talking upper midwest here, but it is cloudy for days (months) on end. It is amazing how I have gotten to expect sunshine, even need it. I know I would have a very hard time in an area with a lot of overcast days.

Here's a test. For those of you who lived here a couple years back - winter of 04-05, I think. Remember how it rained/was cloudy so often in Jan through March? If you found yourself saying "Is the sun EVER going to come out again?" then you probably have become desertized and will struggle in a true 4 seasons environment.

I arrived in New Mexico from New Jersey in Jan 05. I remember that February was cloudy 20 out of 28 days, and I thought to myself "no big deal", I was still used to it then. Then I got the true environment: From October 05 to May 06, it didn't rain at all. Not even a trace amount. I think we set a record for longest period without any rain. My son was 2 years old at the time when we moved. As he became older and could talk better, he became (obviously) more aware of objects. Sometime in June of 06, I was driving and he was in the back seat. It began to rain, nothing big, just a drizzle. I put wipers on intermittent. About a minute later, my son says to me: "Daddy, what's the black thing on the car?" He's yelling at me, all excited. I turn back around, and see nothing. I reply: "What are you talking about?" and he sees it again, and he says "There! Turn back around!" That's when I saw the windshield wiper. He had never seen them used before. I explained to him that they were used to wash rain off the car. To which he replied: "What's rain?"

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by DaveV

Umm... South Carolina is a "4-season state"..

Truthfully, almost every place has 4 distinct seasons. Some are just more stark. North Dakota comes to mind almost immediately. Sometimes summer highs in ND exceed 110. That does not happen in Florida. There is about a 150 degree variance in temperature in many Great Plains states. Where I live in New Mexico, the highs in the summer are about 105 in June. In early January, the highs are generally in the 50s. So that's only about a 50-60 degree variance, however, it still means summer and winter are distinct.

[Bill-]

Originally Posted by tscrilla

Speaking of power outages, it happened numerous times when I lived in phx because of those stupid dust storms. Then I'd have to lay in bed on the verge of heat exhaustion because my blood was so hot it was probably boiling in my veins. Worst thing I can imagine is power out when it's hot. No wonder so many imigrants die. If it's cold, no biggie, put on another layer and you're good. You can only take off so much when it's hot, unless someone out there know how to peel of layers of skin.

Traffic on an icy road isn't nearly as bad as having hispanics truck tires blow out all the time on the freeway right next to you. I feared for my life everytime I took to the US-60 and 101.

I have lived here for 10 years and never lost power during a dust storm and never had a "hispanics'" truck tire blow out next to me on the freeway. Sorry about your bad luck.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Truthfully, almost every place has 4 distinct seasons. Some are just more stark. North Dakota comes to mind almost immediately. Sometimes summer highs in ND exceed 110. That does not happen in Florida. There is about a 150 degree variance in temperature in many Great Plains states. Where I live in New Mexico, the highs in the summer are about 105 in June. In early January, the highs are generally in the 50s. So that's only about a 50-60 degree variance, however, it still means summer and winter are distinct.

Got it! I was just concerned about snow. I can take anything else but not snow.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Truthfully, almost every place has 4 distinct seasons. Some are just more stark. North Dakota comes to mind almost immediately. Sometimes summer highs in ND exceed 110. That does not happen in Florida. There is about a 150 degree variance in temperature in many Great Plains states. Where I live in New Mexico, the highs in the summer are about 105 in June. In early January, the highs are generally in the 50s. So that's only about a 50-60 degree variance, however, it still means summer and winter are distinct.

I agree with you. You keep reading this Phoenix does not have seasons stuff and that is bull. It was 16 in January of this year and 116 in July. If you can't see seasons here you spend too much time indoors and have lost the ability to observe nature, I think. Spring is very obvious with flowers and cactus and palo verde trees blazing. Summer is the hot and muggy stuff. Fall is very subtle here, maybe even non-existent. But you can tell by looking at the desert plants. They get greyer and the blooms turn to seed. The evening temps fall precipitously from the warm highs. The wind has changed direction. Winter is cold, the mesquites get bare and stark. And one other things that is seasonal here (and in New Mexico) is the light. The angles, contrasts, and shadow changes from season to season are dramatic and beautiful. Look closely and let your senses feel the changes in the desert. If you need a snowbank in front of your front door to know its winter then you are out of touch with Mother Nature.

[DaveV]

Originally Posted by sheena

Snow in Myrtle beach? I hadn't heard that. The avg low temps are 37.

Is a sub-tropical climate 4 season?

Myrtle Beach Weather Forecasts, SC Local Reports & South Carolina Climate Information - MBMC (http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/weather/ - broken link)
Ok it has 4 seasons but nice ones..):

Myrtle Beach is hardly "Sub-Tropical" You have 4 seasons, kiddo PS New England has 4 nice seasons too..

[jenkaye]

Can anyone tell me about New England seasons? Been in AZ pratically my whole life but would like a change...love Maine.

[DaveV]

Winter is harsh, but once you embrace it and get used to it, no problemo.. Summer is the shizzle, people come from all over the world to summer there..

[Magnum Mike]

In the desert areas of Arizona, the four seasons are, Cool (Late October through mid March), Warm (mid March through mid May), Hot (mid May through June, and September), and Monsoon Hot (Mid July through August)