Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's a different feel...
Last time I went to Montreal (it was a mid-November day) I left FL at around 60 degrees. I was wearing a light jacket.
I walked out of the airport in Montreal, it was 41 degrees, and I felt the same as I did in the 60 degree FL weather.
Similarly, I remember walking down Sainte-Catherine St one summer day, at 79 degrees, and I was boiling hot, as was my (at the time) Florida-native gf. Mind you, we had just left 95 degree daily highs.
I don't understand the science behind this, but I can assure you, most people I know who have experienced both, Southern US and Canada (excluding brutal winter temps) have also made this observation.
Theres a lot of variables in cold and heat. I really doubt Canada has some magic sunlight going on, most likely there were some variables that made Florida feel colder than it was.
I get that perspective is different from a Canadian, but a 51°F high is a nasty cold day to me. Sounds awful to have that in late April. The coldest month in San Antonio averages 64° for the high temperature.
We are having an unusual cold spell for April. It's usually picnic weather. Also when you live in a place you acclimatize.
We have had 22C /72F in April, but Spring is unpredictable. By May I'm at the beach.
Weather? San Antonio receives 34 inches of rain over 81 days while Vancouver receives 46 inches over 169. The rain is very different here. I prefer San Antonio obliviously, it is truly only hot here late May through early September. (This year in April it has been hot and cold which is very unusual)
Food? I bet you can find what you want in either. San Antonio's food scene has significantly improved in the last 10 years, but I'm sure it still lags behind while we play catch up.
Economy? Tie.
Urbanity? Not even close. I live just north of the San Antonio airport on a quarter of an acre in the middle of the city. If I wanted a condo downtown and have to share a pool it is only 8 miles away, but that is not my interest nor apparently hundreds of millions of Americans.
Lots of unnecessary San Antonio bashing here. Comparisons to Laredo and Lubbock…com’on now. Here’s what I know: I can afford to live a comfortable, fun life in San Antonio. Not so in Vancouver. So it doesn’t really matter how much nicer it apparently is.
Of the categories, I’d give food to San Antonio. Tex-Mex and Texas BBQ >> Chinese/Indian food (also great, but no contest for me). And if COL factors into economy, I’d give that to SA as well. Weather is super subjective. Rainy/cool maritime climate, or hot and sunny? I’d find myself wishing for whichever I didn’t choose after awhile in either case.
Vancouver is not beach weather in May. Avg high is 62 with 46% possible sunshine. It's colder in May than any major US city, including Minneapolis and Chicago!
I've been there in mid-June with mid 50s and rain.
Vancouver is not beach weather in May. Avg high is 62 with 46% possible sunshine. It's colder in May than any major US city, including Minneapolis and Chicago!
I've been there in mid-June with mid 50s and rain.
Averages are deceiving. Public outdoor pools in Vancouver start opening the third week of May. Also by " going to the beach " doesn't have to mean swimming, but sunbathing. When it's 19C out it is quite pleasant. Some people sit on the beach when it's even 15 C. Remember, people acclimatize to where they live. Victoria Day weekend in May is considered the beginning of summer, with people flocking to the beach or BBQ's.
The weather pattern is usually this. Nice May, rainy June until usually mid-June, sun throughout July until the PNE starts in the third week of August, a week or so of clouds, then back to sun until mid-September.
Of course with climate change these patterns and temps get messed up a bit.
Averages are deceiving. Public outdoor pools in Vancouver start opening the third week of May. Also by " going to the beach " doesn't have to mean swimming, but sunbathing. When it's 19C out it is quite pleasant. Some people sit on the beach when it's even 15 C. Remember, people acclimatize to where they live. Victoria Day weekend in May is considered the beginning of summer, with people flocking to the beach or BBQ's.
The weather pattern is usually this. Nice May, rainy June until usually mid-June, sun throughout July until the PNE starts in the third week of August, a week or so of clouds, then back to sun until mid-September.
Of course with climate change these patterns and temps get messed up a bit.
Well this didn't age well.
We are having a horrible May. Much colder than normal, and wet. I keep getting FB Memories popping up showing the same days last year, 2 years ago, etc. Photos I took while either at the beach, or a nice picnic.
Ugh....
I understand it's been cooler in a lot of places this year as well.
An interesting comparison as it's two polar opposites; one of the most planned cities in North America versus a Sunbelt sprawl city. I almost feel like Vancouver vs. Austin would be a more fair fight, only because Austin has a bigger cultural presence than San Antonio and both are regional centers.
I'm a Texas native, so San Antonio was a frequent destination, and the Riverwalk area has a special place in my heart. Being a large Texas metro, it's very sprawl heavy and car-dependent. This sprawl results in a lot of strip malls and cookie-cutter neighborhoods as the suburbs expand. I grew up around it and don't understand what people like about the Texas suburbs, but I guess others like it, as the new houses keep selling in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas keep selling.
I've visited Vancouver for conventions, and it was very pleasant to get around, but with the emphasis on mid-rise condos, you've got many families living in condos when they would be living in single-family homes elsewhere. Vancouver's a bit of special case as it was an interesting experiment in urban planning, purposely stymieing highways and car-dependent culture, as well as enforcing standards for residential condo height, street layout and residential/commercial use.
Here's an interesting deep-dive in Vancouver's planning history and practices if you're interested:
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
