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Here I am!!! hahaha.... Summer starts here in May and ends in late September...its BRUTAL. I'll take the snow. 2months???? Don't let these people fool you..if you hate heat , you will suffer...trust me.
Beautiful day today by the way...wow..perfect day. This time of year here is just incredible I do admit.
Here is the deal, it IS a trade off. If you tolerate heat better, you are better off here..if cold , up there..its really that simple.
I gotta say, I think I agree with jp03. I am from the west coast, which I know is apples and oranges when comparing the 2 places, but I find the Charlotte summers unbearable. We are only in Charlotte in the summers so I do not experience the other seasons. I think how you tolerate the weather depends on your starting point. It may be a good trade off when coming from the NE but is very difficult coming from the west. I walk or hike every day and find it near impossible in NC.
I guess that for now I will have to take your word for it. I am from New England, so I have never had the opportunity to swim in water that wasn't either A) cold or B) really, Really REALLY cold. I am doing my level best to move closer to your neck of the woods, so when I do, I'll go for a swim and report back with my findings
We are thinking about retiring in the Charlotte area to be near our daughter and son-in-law. I know the summers are hot, but we'll be giving up our cold winters. I figured that's a fair trade. But for you New Englanders who've already moved down, is it? I don't like wind and sleet pelting me in the face or slipping on ice on my driveway when I walk down to get the mail, but there are also nice sunny days, when, if you're dressed properly, you can go for a walk and admire the snow covered countryside and listen to the snow crunch under your feet. Are there a reasonable number of nice days in the summer, or does everyone spend most of their time staring out the window, wishing it were tolerable enough to go outside, as we do here in winter?
Also, what's the trade off on heating expense up north versus air conditioning expense down south. Another even trade, or is it on average more or less? We do also use air conditioning here and you obviously use heat too, so I'm really asking about the total.
Thanks!
I'm in CT again, and lived in Charlotte for a couple years and Florida for half a decade.
IMO, I found Charlotte Summers to have higher extremes than Florida, but it was cooler at night and not "unbearable" every single day. One big factor in Charlotte is the dew points are lower (Yes, less humidity than Florida).
Last year CT was like a regular Summer in Charlotte IMO. Granted Charlotte was even hotter and in record territory too, but you can at least get an idea by last year up here.
Here is a chart of last year's high temps and dew point I made. Keep in mind last year was hotter than normal for much of the country.
So as you can see, it WAS actually hotter in Charlotte than Southwest Florida last year from June to Sept. But the dew points are telling too. Any dew point over 70* is what makes you feel sticky and uncomfortable as it's getting close to our natural skin temperature. Relative humidity doesn't really mean much in the way of comfort. For instance you can have 90% relative humidity and be comfortable...so long as it's 55* with a dew point of 50*. (Think of an early May morning in CT) Relative humidity of 90% at 90* feels unbearable because the dew point is 80* and you sweat standing still.
As for AC costs vs heat. I find it's a savings. Electricity is much less expensive than up here. You are not paying $300-500 per month to cool your house like you do to heat your house with oil.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
I'll take the snow. 2months????
If you think that's it, you are fooling yourself and being melancholic. No offense. We just got a decent snow in April. Yesterday I was out trying to spend a day at the trolley museum with my boys and it was partly cloudy with passing showers, 45*, the wind blowing and cold. We had to bundle up and my kids were shiverring standing out in it. It's APRIL. The trees are also still dead bare, and have been so since November. And we had snow at the end of Nov and in Dec as well.
It's not "two months of snow" but more like 6 months of "cold" weather and dead foliage.
So as you can see, it WAS actually hotter in Charlotte than Southwest Florida last year from June to Sept. But the dew points are telling too. Any dew point over 70* is what makes you feel sticky and uncomfortable as it's getting close to our natural skin temperature
The best measurement we have right now to measure how "hot" it is is called the "heat index" (because everyone has different opinions on this...) Wherever one comes from they always have a bias (good or bad) toward their home thinking the weather is more extreme than it really is.
Its a very common tool meteorologists' use to show the comfort level in the summer (it combines temperature and humidity.)
Sort of a 180 version of the "wind chill" factor in winter.
Charlotte last year had many days where the heat index was over 100. In the summer, places like Charleston SC, and areas of the Deep South will sometimes get to near or above 115, which is extremely dangerous.
I'm in CT again, and lived in Charlotte for a couple years and Florida for half a decade.
IMO, I found Charlotte Summers to have higher extremes than Florida, but it was cooler at night and not "unbearable" every single day. One big factor in Charlotte is the dew points are lower (Yes, less humidity than Florida).
Last year CT was like a regular Summer in Charlotte IMO. Granted Charlotte was even hotter and in record territory too, but you can at least get an idea by last year up here.
Here is a chart of last year's high temps and dew point I made. Keep in mind last year was hotter than normal for much of the country.
So as you can see, it WAS actually hotter in Charlotte than Southwest Florida last year from June to Sept. But the dew points are telling too. Any dew point over 70* is what makes you feel sticky and uncomfortable as it's getting close to our natural skin temperature. Relative humidity doesn't really mean much in the way of comfort. For instance you can have 90% relative humidity and be comfortable...so long as it's 55* with a dew point of 50*. (Think of an early May morning in CT) Relative humidity of 90% at 90* feels unbearable because the dew point is 80* and you sweat standing still.
As for AC costs vs heat. I find it's a savings. Electricity is much less expensive than up here. You are not paying $300-500 per month to cool your house like you do to heat your house with oil.
If you think that's it, you are fooling yourself and being melancholic. No offense. We just got a decent snow in April. Yesterday I was out trying to spend a day at the trolley museum with my boys and it was partly cloudy with passing showers, 45*, the wind blowing and cold. We had to bundle up and my kids were shiverring standing out in it. It's APRIL. The trees are also still dead bare, and have been so since November. And we had snow at the end of Nov and in Dec as well.
It's not "two months of snow" but more like 6 months of "cold" weather and dead foliage.
Reread my post please. I was saying nothing of the sort. Who said it was 2 months of snow??? I was responding to lovesmountains comment that it was 2 months of HEAT here. Its more like five.... and yes winter is painful up north SOME years..
How you can compare a Charlotte summer with a CT summer is BEYOND ME, and in the same measure a Florida summer is PAIN compared to the CArolinas..I could care less about average daiy highs. ..... no offense
Reread my post please. I was saying nothing of the sort. Who said it was 2 months of snow??? I was responding to lovesmountains comment that it was 2 months of HEAT here.
Oh okay sorry. The statement below was not very clear to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
I'll take the snow. 2months????
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
Its more like five....
No it's not. Unless you consider "heat" anything over 70*.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
and yes winter is painful up north SOME years...
The trees are bare the same amount of time regardless of snowfall amounts. I think it's safe to say some years are easier and some harder, but the reality is it's still cold in Nov, and April. Sometime worse than others. But cold is cold and 40* weather is cold...especially for little one's. I don't mind it above 30*, but it does affect what you can do outdoors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
How you can compare a Charlotte summer with a CT summer is BEYOND ME,
Were you here last Summer? I was, and I've lived in Charlotte - I think at this point longer than you. The last Summer in CT was brutal in comparison to other years and spot on for normal Charlotte Summer. Even my friend who moved up from St Pete was shocked at how hot it was.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp03
and in the same measure a Florida summer is PAIN compared to the CArolinas..I could care less about average daiy highs. ..... no offense
I suppose you are basing this on the 3 months you spent there (Hiding indoors) in comparison to factual weather data and the 6 summers I experienced there. Summer in FL is not as bad as Charlotte. I'm sorry if you disagree, but 105* for a week with a dew point of 83* is MUCH hotter than 91* with a dew point of 79*.
Florida is roughly 120 miles wide and has this thing called the ocean on either side. It's more temperate. Yes when it's 75* in the Carolinas, it will still be in the 80's and 90's in FL but you don't have the extremes you get inland.
You have a bias, and that's fine...but it's just that, a bias. I could care less either way, the data is what the data is and that's what the OP is looking for.
Oh okay sorry. The statement below was not very clear to me.
No it's not. Unless you consider "heat" anything over 70*.
The trees are bare the same amount of time regardless of snowfall amounts. I think it's safe to say some years are easier and some harder, but the reality is it's still cold in Nov, and April. Sometime worse than others. But cold is cold and 40* weather is cold...especially for little one's. I don't mind it above 30*, but it does affect what you can do outdoors.
Were you here last Summer? I was, and I've lived in Charlotte - I think at this point longer than you. The last Summer in CT was brutal in comparison to other years and spot on for normal Charlotte Summer. Even my friend who moved up from St Pete was shocked at how hot it was.
I suppose you are basing this on the 3 months you spent there (Hiding indoors) in comparison to factual weather data and the 6 summers I experienced there. Summer in FL is not as bad as Charlotte. I'm sorry if you disagree, but 105* for a week with a dew point of 83* is MUCH hotter than 91* with a dew point of 79*.
Florida is roughly 120 miles wide and has this thing called the ocean on either side. It's more temperate. Yes when it's 75* in the Carolinas, it will still be in the 80's and 90's in FL but you don't have the extremes you get inland.
You have a bias, and that's fine...but it's just that, a bias. I could care less either way, the data is what the data is and that's what the OP is looking for.
I disagree with you on the Florida thing BIGTIME. I've lived in both places and Florida is consistently hot all the time for a much longer duration, humidity levels NEVER ease up...sorry man, you and I are at an impasse on this one.
And heat over 70? The average high is 80+ from May 15th to September 25th. Thats a solid 4 months of heat. PLUS you can bet on about 2 weeks in April/early MAy in the 80's too. Heck we have had days over 80 already.
The heat is no more or less unbearable than the cold to me. Its the duration that matters. I used to love a nice 90 degree day in CT..it was a novelty...here, I dread it because I know there are more to follow. And yes last summer was a rare beating up north. Its not like that every year.
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Unless you consider "heat" anything over 70*.
