Lost, sick 'n tired of heat - where are there four seasons? (Phoenix: crime rate, live in)

[ivanna serf]

Can you all please recommend a city in AZ that has four seasons? I am divorced, 48, no kids/pets and moving in three weeks - plans to move to Lexington KY just fell through, so, need to find a place to go in THREE WEEKS. Cali too expensive, my hometown of Baton Rouge crime rate soaring, Seattle drenched, HELP! Feel so lost. I wonder if you all may know of a city that has four seasons, over 50k pop? thx in advance

[Gretchen B]

Possibilities in AZ (4 seasons, pop over 50k) Flagstaff, Prescott (including Prescott Valley, Chino Valley - about 85,000), and then some cities in SE Arizona. I'm not sure of the population, but I think Sierra Vista and Bisbee might be close. There might be a couple of others in SE Arizona.

What about Albuquerque, NM? Or someplace in Texas?

[NMAZ]

I moved from Phoenix to the Albuquerque area in 2006. Compared to Phoenix, there are what people from other parts of the country seem to consider central to the seasonal experience: leaves fall off trees, some snow falls, leaves grow back. If that's the sort of thing you're looking for, ABQ does have it.

I didn't leave Phoenix for the weather; I hate the cold, love the heat and miss citrus trees. I grew up in Phoenix so I measure the passing of seasons by completely different factors and frankly wouldn't mind if it were 110 every day. But, FWIW, since someone else mentioned ABQ, that's what's here.

[MotleyCrew]

I would vote for Prescott. Has just about all the shopping you can dream of and 4 seasons.

[ArizonaBear]

One thing I have noticed is there are no true '4 season' areas W of the Rocky Mountains as defined by hot summers and cold winters in the same geographic locale.

Phx has no winters compared to Chicago yet Flagstaff's summers are not exactly 'hot' either going by Chi's

And; most of coastal SoCal has no de facto seasons as determined by average temperatures

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Phx has no winters compared to Chicago yet

Flaggstaff's high temps are only a few degrees warmer than Chicago's during the day, just as cold at night, and Flagg gets A LOT more snow.

[marmih]

Flagstaff had snow on Tuesday, May 13th!!!!

[esselcue]

Yeah...a whopping two inches which melted off almost immediately. And is extremely rare for this date.

[steve22]

Originally Posted by esselcue

Yeah...a whopping two inches which melted off almost immediately. And is extremely rare for this date.

It's interesting how people from central and southern AZ, as well as from other parts of the country like the midwest, make such a big deal about how Flag gets "so much snow" and is "so cold". Never mind that the snow, for whatever annual accumulation statistics show, generally melts almost immediately or at least within a few days (even in the dead of winter) if there's a big snowfall, in the city itself and at lower elevations, due to the sun and low atmospheric pressure.

And also, the whole lack of humidity phenomenon which makes it seem much more comfortable at hot temps in a place like Phoenix (to a point) also works the same way for cold temps- meaning that with the intense sun and dry air, sub-freezing temps feel much more comfortable than they do in cold, humid climates. I live in Durango, which has a similar climate to Flag's, and am a MI native. Never would I trade the winters here for the ones back in the midwest I grew up with- it's SO much nicer here. Trust me, if you ever lived in this part of the country, you'd understand. It ain't at all what you'd think if you just read the statistics.

[esselcue]

Steve22, you are right on. I live near Flagstaff and have been in a Chicago winter and Flagstaff does not even begin to compare with midwest snow. Not sure what statistics say but our western moutain winters are nothing like midwestern winters. (Sorry Steve-O)