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I'm not sure I agree with the sunny assessments of Boise's winters. The fact is that it is hard to find a town in the Northern Tier of the US that has a sunny winter. If you look at where most of the storms hit the West Coast in the winter, they're centered on Oregon and Washington and then generally track East. Similar to Bend, OR, in Boise you may not have the high levels of precipitation as you find on the Pacific Coast (see Astoria, OR, Eureka, CA, and Aberdeen, WA for an idea), but you still get the clouds.
Here's a good website (Sunshine- Average Percent (%) Possible) for you to check out the percent sunshine in major metropolitan areas by the month. Boise's winter is not terrible, but it's not good either - November is 43 percent of possible sunshine, December is 38 percent, January is 40 percent, and February is 50 percent. Keep in mind that you will have less daylight in the North during the winter than to what you're accustomed in SD and Maui. As a basis of comparison, San Diego is above 70 percent sunshine in all of those months. When you combine that with the longer days and the more direct sunlight, you get a lot more winter sun down there. Head to Missoula, MT or Coeur D'Lane, ID in the winter, and you'll be hankering for "sunny" Boise. Comparing Boise's climate to the winters in Albuquerque is almost laughable with its 72 percent sunshine in January.
In the summer, between the sunshine, the high temps, and the long days, you'll have all of the sun you can handle. Just save some of that for the winter. If you want sunnier winters, you'll need to go South.
Boise has a lot to recommend it, but winters are not one of my favorite aspects. At least you have that wonderful community resort of Bogus Basin close to town with affordable downhill and cross-country skiing. If you can embrace the winter there, you'll be much happier than if you holed up for 3-4 months.
Good luck!
PS Other good resources are the travel planners of weather websites, where you enter in a range of dates and then they give you average weather for that period. Here's one resource: Trip Planner : Weather Underground
Hi all, well let me tell you about bugs...we moved from Newport Beach Calif. to Naples, Florida...what were we thinking? Traffic here stinks, one freeway...bugs the size of your dog, snobby people with too much money and no brains, and there is the drivers here...yikes they'll make a left turn from the very right hand lane cutting across other lanes and not even care...
All this to say we are wanting out and considering Idaho.any ideas, we just cant afford to go back to California...
Set
if you're moving to idaho, and require the services and aspects of a populated area, the only two places in idaho that I would suggest are Boise or cda... eastern idaho is growing and does have the energy site which provides good paying jobs, but it is very isolated
I lived in NY City for 7 years... the first chance I had to get out of there I took it.
I will never go back... I will never regret it.
I live in Boise for the last 9 years and I never had trouble with bugs, humidity or the cold winters. Sometimes I pray will snow in Boise long enough so I could build a snow man, slim chance.
This winter was the heaviest if I could say so... it snowed but the snow never made it in town, it's all up on the mountain.
Here is a picture of the worst snow fall in 9 years... didn't even reached the houses on the foot hills.
Can you compare this (Boise winter)
With this? (NY City Winter), that was my car burried in there.
I was in Boise for two weeks and there was snow on the ground the whole time. lol
But that wasn't typical compared to the 15 years I lived there.
And how many times you used the snow plow? LOL
There was more snow the winter I moved to Boise in '99.
Then yes, I managed to make a sorry looking snow man that was already melting by the time I stuck the carrot in his face ... hihihi
Comapare with NY winters I would say Boise weather is way much better.
CONS
*Four distinct seasons! Summers can be very hot...VERY similar to the Inland Empire area of Los Angeles but not as hot as the deserts. Winters are moderate in comparison to cities at other latitudes and elevation but still cool and every so often very cold.
I think this is the first time I've seen 4 distinct seasons listed as a con. I like 4 seasons, but it's obviously not for everyone. I suppose if your one season was nice and sunny (southern CA) it would give you a lot different perspective than being where the seasons are 10 months of wet and 2 months of sun (Western WA).
I also listed it as a pro. When it is a 100 degrees you say, "I'm ready for winter!" But when it is 30 degrees you say, "Bring on summer!" lol That is the love/hate of four seasons.
I lived in Seattle for awhile and would take Boise over that any day!
Hey guys, I just returned from boise last week .My first time there,I really liked the area and all the things you can do there. It got pretty hot there it was@92-95deg for a few days but wasn't very humid. the people seem pretty mellow and nice for the places we went. They have so many things to do outdoors! so close to the mountains and also close to the city if thats what you like. I currently live in so.california and I'm planning on moving there in 1-2 yrs. I noticed the wages do seem a little low but there seems to be work there if you get out and look.
Hello maui08, did you end up moving to boise? Ove the last year I have looked through blogs gathering info for a possible move to Boise from Riverside County, CA.
This week, 1/10/2012, I looked at housing in the boise area (again) and compared it to Temecula, Murrieta & Wildomar and I was very disappointed because houses in the Temecula area are much more appealing ex. 4 bed 2 bath pool house 1 acre for 210,000 or less. I was hoping Boise could beat Riverside County in this area but it can't.
If you did move, what has been your experience?
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I like 4 seasons, but it's obviously not for everyone. I suppose if your one season was nice and sunny (southern CA) it would give you a lot different perspective than being where the seasons are 10 months of wet and 2 months of sun (Western WA).
When it is a 100 degrees you say, "I'm ready for winter!" But when it is 30 degrees you say, "Bring on summer!" lol That is the love/hate of four seasons.
