Climate Solvang vs Sacramento (Santa Barbara, Redding: apartment, allergies, quality of life)

[MountainHi]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

OP, Sacramento has more "moderate" air days than the coast.

But Sacramento also has many "good" air days for 11 months out of the year. Last summer season Sacramento had somewhere in the range of 2 "bad" air days. Consider this, for the last 9 months Sacramento has had ALL "good" air days; I wouldn't call that horrible.

OP, were you in Sacramento last month (Feb), How can you possible call it a "long grey winter", when every single day, last month, was SUNNY.

And Solvang isn't on the coast, either. But it sounds like the OP wants a change, and wants a shiny, new apt. building, like Solvang is able to offer. As long as he's ok with a small community, and the rents would be close to the same in the senior apartments in both areas, it sounds like he's leaning towards moving, and it might work out for him.

Be sure to check that the units offer air conditioning. Solvang will not be any less hot in the summers than Sacramento.

[MountainHi]

Originally Posted by redhummingbird

I didn't realize Solvang has long grey winters. Hmmm. I've been looking at the Palm Springs area as well as considering Arizona and southern Nevada. Thanks Chimerique.

I wouldn't move to an area already experiencing major drought and potential water scarcity. Palm Springs, Nevada and Arizona are on the more extreme side of that problem. NorCal is in better shape. Solvang is somewhat pushing your luck long-term, but not as much as a move to southern NV or AZ would be.

[redhummingbird]

Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia

RedH, Solvang does NOT have a lot of gray days, it is SoCal, & it's in a drought...completely different weather than NorCal. SoCal has not even had its typical "June gloom" overcast days on a regular basis for several years.

Also, Bakersfield, Fresno, the Inland Empire...they all have horrible air quality & hot summers. Due to crime, you have to be very selective regarding Inland Empire communities. Palm Springs is great in winter & early spring, but hot as hell otherwise.

Thanks MarciaMarciaMarcia. It's good to hear from someone who is familiar with the weather pattern. I agree about Bakersfield, Fresno, and the Inland Empire. I ruled out Bakersfield and Fresno long ago and then after doing some reading here and elsewhere, ruled out the Inland Empire also.

I have a friend who recently moved from the PS area who said the same thing about the heat for 5 months of the year. She said I'd be basically stuck indoors with a/c.

[redhummingbird]

Originally Posted by MountainHi

I wouldn't move to an area already experiencing major drought and potential water scarcity. Palm Springs, Nevada and Arizona are on the more extreme side of that problem. NorCal is in better shape. Solvang is somewhat pushing your luck long-term, but not as much as a move to southern NV or AZ would be.

Good point about drought. Thanks. I don't mind the heat so much as tule fog. I'm not interested in a 'shiny new apartment' so much as a safe community free of mold and roaches. I'd take days of rain over mold/roaches/loud parties etc...

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

In normal non-drought years don't forget May Gray and June Gloom, and the rest of the year when the coast is typically, daily, covered in cloud cover or fog for much of the morning. The 5 years before the drought, people complained very much about consistent daily fog on the coast that lasted much of the day. Some call it the gray dry desert because for over 6 months out of the year it is dry yet gray and foggy daily.

Note, the drought has affected NorCal much worse than SoCal, and NorCal provides the Southland with much of the State's water.

The only weather that is "completely" different than SoCal is the weather in far North State and the mountains and foothills of NorCal. Bay Area and Sacramento are only marginally cooler in the winter than much of the Southland, but, yes, Bay Area and Sacramento get 1/3 to 1/2 more rain in normal winters, thank God.

Wait, what?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by redhummingbird

I have a friend who recently moved from the PS area who said the same thing about the heat for 5 months of the year. She said I'd be basically stuck indoors with a/c.

I can vouch for this. Don't consider a move to the desert SW if you enjoy being able to stroll around outside year-round. The heat is oppressive, it does trap you indoors for about 5 months out of the year, and the temps are only going up. I would check the temperature trends in Solvang for the last couple of years, too, if I were you.

[blueskywalker]

It depends on where in the southwest.
When i lived in New Mexico i was never, ever "trapped indoors" .... not even in the height of summer.
When i visited Tucson in June however, it was so hot i could barely breathe.

[Ruth4Truth]

New Mexico has changed since the 90's. It's 10-15 degrees warmer now, year-round. There's rarely snow in winter now, unlike the foot or more of snow that used to be routine. Elders say that in the mountains, it used to be Bay Area weather in the summer, i.e. cool, except for the annual "heat wave" that went into the 80's, no higher, for about 3 weeks. It hasn't been like that in over 15 years. Now it's in the 80's and 90's for about 5 months, sometimes even passing 100, though that is rare. The low elevations are even worse. And the OP wasn't considering NM, anyway. AZ, except for Flagstaff, is more intense.

[redhummingbird]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

New Mexico has changed since the 90's. It's 10-15 degrees warmer now, year-round. There's rarely snow in winter now, unlike the foot or more of snow that used to be routine. Elders say that in the mountains, it used to be Bay Area weather in the summer, i.e. cool, except for the annual "heat wave" that went into the 80's, no higher, for about 3 weeks. It hasn't been like that in over 15 years. Now it's in the 80's and 90's for about 5 months, sometimes even passing 100, though that is rare. The low elevations are even worse. And the OP wasn't considering NM, anyway. AZ, except for Flagstaff, is more intense.

Good to know about AZ. I have considered NM in the past and am now revisiting it. I lived there when I was very young. I don't remember it but loved it when I traveled there in the 90's.

I'll need to make a decision about Solvang in the next few weeks. Right now it's looking like my best, most affordable option. I have to decide whether living in an enclosed apartment building with no balcony is worth the trade off of affordability. I would also need to figure out how to reduce the apartment noise factor. I haven't lived in an apartment building in years.

[ashpelham]

At least the OP isn't concerned about economic climate. I understand that Sacramento has had issues since the recession, more than some others, and Solvang being so small, I can't imagine the job situation being very robust. Biggest selling point for me on Solvang is the great cycling weather, and the fact that many pro teams have trained in the area during the off season.