[bridgerider]

Hi everyone, I hope I'm posting in the correct thread. I ran a forum search first, I think I'm in the right place. I'm exploring a possible move to CT. I'm currently near Albany, NY and the cold snap is wearing me down. I do not mind winter; I would just prefer one slightly milder. I notice CT from roughly the middle of the state going south seems to have a milder climate. The growing zones are better than Albany, even if only by a few notches. An earlier spring, and overall winter temps above 30° on average with a slightly longer growing season would be ideal. Would any of you say that's about right compared to Albany? Thank you in advance for your responses.

[dkv]

Originally Posted by Cambium

So now we're back to the cold pattern in the long range which is more believable right now.

Latest GFS says we stay below freezing till mid February. and another arctic blast around the 30th and 7th.

And look at the precip column! That is A LOT of snow days!

EPIC winter! You are the best!

Obligatory outdoor hockey photo:

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by bridgerider

Hi everyone, I hope I'm posting in the correct thread. I ran a forum search first, I think I'm in the right place. I'm exploring a possible move to CT. I'm currently near Albany, NY and the cold snap is wearing me down. I do not mind winter; I would just prefer one slightly milder. I notice CT from roughly the middle of the state going south seems to have a milder climate. The growing zones are better than Albany, even if only by a few notches. An earlier spring, and overall winter temps above 30° on average with a slightly longer growing season would be ideal. Would any of you say that's about right compared to Albany? Thank you in advance for your responses.

You're barely going to notice a difference between albany and harford when it comes to cold. A few degrees warmer on average. 20 inches less snow a year at bdl. That's about it. You really have to head farther south for a big difference compared to albany

[bridgerider]

Thanks mikelizard860. I was hoping that the difference in growing zones & annual snowfall would translate to overall warmer temps in January & February. I am in CT on business frequently & notice the greenery pops up quicker in spring than up here. Appreciate your response.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by bridgerider

. I notice CT from roughly the middle of the state going south seems to have a milder climate. .

Everything is relative. These temps we been having lately is not cold for me but someone else will say its a bad cold winter. But as far as averages, yes, central CT southwards will see a difference from Albany. Greens pop more with any warm up we get. Good eye. The way the Jet Stream flows and the gradient of the Atlantic you'll notice a big difference of weather in CT vs inland.

I think the bottom line is if you don't mind the ups and downs of winter and want early spring, then move south of Latitude 41°N and you'll be fine for sure.. But there are 4 Counties in CT in my opinion that you would like better than Albany's weather... Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London. (all southern counties)

Northern CT BDL 26.1 average in January.
Southern CT BDR 30.1 average in January.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by dkv

EPIC winter! You are the best!

Obligatory outdoor hockey photo:

Oh man. that is AWESOME to see! Not sure where the puck is.. not sure if the little guy had it on the left wing or the one in the middle.

If it was the little guy did he pass it to the one on the right looks like he's waiting for it? lol

And get that Zamboni out there. :-)

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by Cambium

Everything is relative. These temps we been having lately is not cold for me but someone else will say its a bad cold winter. But as far as averages, yes, central CT southwards will see a difference from Albany. Greens pop more with any warm up we get. Good eye. The way the Jet Stream flows and the gradient of the Atlantic you'll notice a big difference of weather in CT vs inland.

I think the bottom line is if you don't mind the ups and downs of winter and want early spring, then move south of Latitude 41°N and you'll be fine for sure.. But there are 4 Counties in CT in my opinion that you would like better than Albany's weather... Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London. (all southern counties)

Northern CT BDL 26.1 average in January.
Southern CT BDR 30.1 average in January.

Yes everything is relative.
Albany NY 22.6 Average in January. So just a few degrees difference between hartford and albany. It's significant climatically, but not so much from a perspective of wanting to move somewhere warmer. Cold is cold. If was moving from caribou, maine to CT than that would be a huge difference. Also, BDR is right on the water. So it doesn't get that cold in the middle of the night, which can make it seem warmer than it would feel walking around on a daily basis when looking at mean temp.

[mels]

Originally Posted by bridgerider

Thanks mikelizard860. I was hoping that the difference in growing zones & annual snowfall would translate to overall warmer temps in January & February. I am in CT on business frequently & notice the greenery pops up quicker in spring than up here. Appreciate your response.

I have spent quite a bit of time just west of Albany and can assure you Connecticut's winters are shorter and sunnier. I find Albany (and west) suffer from more gray days in winter where in CT you get more sunshine, which does a lot for the psychological aspect of winter. We can get tastes of what's to come with hints of warmer weather in March, when I feel upstate NY is still in the grips of real winter. Also, those lake effect clouds and snow sometimes sneak into extreme northwest CT but otherwise get blown apart when coming into CT.

The above is not based on any weather data but just from my observations. I like having 4 seasons and I find the length of seasons in CT to be just right, while I find summer in upstate NY a little too short and the winters a little too long.

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by mels

I have spent quite a bit of time just west of Albany and can assure you Connecticut's winters are shorter and sunnier. I find Albany (and west) suffer from more gray days in winter where in CT you get more sunshine, which does a lot for the psychological aspect of winter. We can get tastes of what's to come with hints of warmer weather in March, when I feel upstate NY is still in the grips of real winter. Also, those lake effect clouds and snow sometimes sneak into extreme northwest CT but otherwise get blown apart when coming into CT.

The above is not based on any weather data but just from my observations. I like having 4 seasons and I find the length of seasons in CT to be just right, while I find summer in upstate NY a little too short and the winters a little too long.

Yes, but it's just a few degrees as the data shows. Data tells the whole story. It's just a notch colder in Albany vs harford. Not a drastic difference that it would make sense just to move for the weather.(warmer temperatures as op wanted)

West of albany(utica) is a far different place than albany due to the amount of snow. That lake effect shuts down quickly once you get near Albany. Syracuse airport averages 124 inches and Albany averages 59 inches.

BDL averages 40 inches. 28 at bdr. So the main difference between albany and hartford is snowfall. Albany gets quite a bit more, but op's complaint was temperature. Temperatures only a few degrees difference, but in our marginal climate that means rain here and snow up at albany. That' quite common when a low comes to close to the coast and brings ct rain, but snow farther north and west

http://ggweather.com/normals/NY.html
http://ggweather.com/normals/CT.html

[Cambium]

February 4th-5th timeframe. Watch for big storm.

Euro yesterday afternoon big snowstorm.
Euro overnight big rainstorm
Recent GFS big rain to snow storm
Recent Euro big snowstorm

Details Details.

Basically it's going to come down to the track as usual and if or when the Ohio Valley Low phases with the coastal low.