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I'm absolutely thrilled to be moving to Denver in 1.5 weeks.
The trouble is I've heard different weather descriptions on this board. I'm not a person expecting perfect weather or anything like that, but I've never experienced a "dry" climate. I've been in Florida for the past 2 years where it's hot & humid (even now in the end of Oct it's been 90 degrees almost every day). I originally grew up in Wisconsin, so I have "snow experience", but it's been a while!
I know what the temperatures are, I've been watching the weather in Denver closely, but because of the drier air, etc., I'm not sure if I should rely on those numbers alone - besides, I'm not sure I can comprehend 60 degrees right now when where I live hasn't gone below 85 in months!!
Should I bring a winter coat? What are the citizens of Denver wearing right now? Should I be concerned with boots/socks? (Both of which I haven't owned in 2 years!)
Any advice is appreciated.
I guess you haven't heard about our blizzards. I also moved from the south to Denver and had to learn to drive in snow - up to several feet. I bought a Subaru Forester and have had no problems since my first several winters, when I used snow-studded tires to survive with my Maxima. You will need lots of winter gear- Columbia, REI, LL Bean,etc. will be your friends. I have been here 9 years and love it. I visit the South but may never move back.
I'm absolutely thrilled to be moving to Denver in 1.5 weeks.
The trouble is I've heard different weather descriptions on this board. I'm not a person expecting perfect weather or anything like that, but I've never experienced a "dry" climate. I've been in Florida for the past 2 years where it's hot & humid (even now in the end of Oct it's been 90 degrees almost every day). I originally grew up in Wisconsin, so I have "snow experience", but it's been a while!
I know what the temperatures are, I've been watching the weather in Denver closely, but because of the drier air, etc., I'm not sure if I should rely on those numbers alone - besides, I'm not sure I can comprehend 60 degrees right now when where I live hasn't gone below 85 in months!!
Should I bring a winter coat? What are the citizens of Denver wearing right now? Should I be concerned with boots/socks? (Both of which I haven't owned in 2 years!)
Any advice is appreciated.
The main, main thing that you should know is that the
weather here can sometimes be really unpredictable.
We can have bright sun all morning and a blizzard in
the afternoon or evening. (It's hardly ever THAT extreme.
But we really do have a saying, if you don't like the weather,
wait five minutes! [It's USUALLY not LITERALLY true,
though. ^_~])
Yes, if you are going to live in Denver in the winter, you
probably will need a winter coat, boots, and socks unless
you want to wear your boots without them. But don't worry
too much about acquiring them beforehand. You can easily
get them here. (Try thrift stores if you'd rather not spend
very much. Or discount clothing stores, or outlet stores,
or something like that.)
The weather right now is great. But the weekend before
last, it snowed the entire weekend! (In October, the snow
usually melts really fast. In December, January, February,
it might not. That's why last winter, when we had our first
December blizzard in a long time [six days before Christmas],
the snow just STAYED...and then when more came, THAT
stayed...etc. Usually, that doesn't happen, because we
generally have more/deeper snow in spring and/or fall
than in calendar-winter. That doesn't mean that you're
going to freeze as soon as you arrive. But, yes, bring a
jacket if you've got one. And maybe buy some socks.
For the real winter wear, you should be [I hope] able
to quite safely wait until after you arrive. But keep an
eye on the Weather Channel, just in case. The weather
here can, and sometimes does, change incredibly fast
...and the predictions can change too...I THINK that we
won't have any [more ^_~] significant snowfalls until
at least Thanksgiving...but just remember, there are no
guarantees...especially when it comes to weather...no
one can ever COMPLETELY predict it in EVERY detail or
with absolute accuracy!)
We could have a really easy winter or a really hard winter
or even a mixture of both. It's too soon to tell. Generally
the best thing is to be prepared. This is a good time of
year to buy a winter coat and boots and a snow shovel
(last winter when there was a ton of snow, it started to
become difficult to get such things after a while!). You
might not even use them, but it's good to HAVE them.
But you don't need to have them until after you get here.
You can start looking in the phone books and online and
suchlike to find them then. ^_^
Have fun (in the winter weather, if we should happen to
have some this winter! ^_~).
Here's my take on Denver weather. I grew up on Long Island and lived 7 years in (yawn) Virginia Beach. I moved to Denver 5 years ago because I just couldnt take another humid day!
It is dry! However, I've never seen any adverse affects physically. Some people complain about really dry skin or eyes, I've never really dealt with that. Everyones reaction to on average 40% humidity is different.
It can get hot here in the Summer. You could expect atleast one week of temperatures over 100 degrees for the high.
When it rains, the rain is COLD! It could be 98 degrees out and it rains and its cold. But at that temperature the cold rain is awesome.
It can also get down into the single digits in the winter. But that damn sun will be out the whole time.
Whats really awesome is in January we can get temps in the 70s because of the Chinook winds.
It's windy here! Not as bad as Wyoming...but there are days when it can be pretty damn windy.
There are weeks on end when the sun never goes away. Day after day of bright warm sunshine. When it does actually rain or snow...I rejoice!
Thunderstorms are awesome!!! I love the late afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. You can watch them roll in off the mountains and it can pour inches of precipitation.
Tornadoes usually come and go out on the eastern plains.
If you love the four seasons, you will absolutely love Denver weather!
I think you're taking my comments too literally. But, I don't base the pleasure of living in a particular city solely on its weather conditions.
If a person were to focus only on what could go wrong when moving to Denver (or anywhere else) they'd scare the living poo out of themselves! And probably never venture over the county line! But, then they'd also miss out on adventure, a chance at something wonderful.
Besides, I've gotten through plenty of tropical storms/hurricanes in FL, tornadoes and blizzards in WI, and enough road rage driving between the two. Not everything that Mother Nature is capable of dishing out, I understand. But, I'm tough.
I was really just concerned about whether to fill the 2 ft by 2 ft of trunk space in my hatchback with long-johns or flip-flops.
Um...I'd say, ideally most of your stuff should be NEITHER
long-johns NOR flip-flops, but in between. ^_^ (Yeah, I know,
you were probably using two opposite extremes as examples,
on purpose. ^_~)
Actually, if you are going to live here all year, you could
probably use a pair of long-johns AND a pair of flip-flops. ^_^
But what you'll probably use a lot more than either is, say,
jeans and sneakers. ^_^ You know, in-between stuff. ^_^
(And if your jeans and sneakers are tough enough, you
can even wear them until you get your boots and woolies,
if you do get caught in a winter storm before then! ^_^)
(Oh...if you're going to live here all year, you'll probably
need an umbrella...for sun, not just rain. Umbrellas are
incredibly useful in a few different kinds of weather! ^_^)
Thank you Mtngal & Catmoon. I appreciate your help. I hope the weather holds out until I get there, at least! Driving through snow/rain is difficult. I heard that all-weather wiper blades are a good investment for Colorado winters, too. I haven't found any in Florida, but I'm putting them next to "shovel" and "boots" on my shopping list.
Thank you Mtngal & Catmoon. I appreciate your help. I hope the weather holds out until I get there, at least! Driving through snow/rain is difficult. I heard that all-weather wiper blades are a good investment for Colorado winters, too. I haven't found any in Florida, but I'm putting them next to "shovel" and "boots" on my shopping list.
Oh, you're very welcome for the help. ^_^
(Welcome in advance to Colorado, by the way! ^_^)
(It's definitely an adventure to live here. ^_^
Usually a fun adventure, if you like all the four seasons! ^_^)
Yeah, I hope the great weather we're having now lasts
until you get here too. Driving to Colorado in the middle
of a snowstorm would not be fun. Or very safe. (As far
as I know, fairly typical [if there is such a thing] fall
weather is the forecast for the next week or so...now...
like I said, keep watching the Weather Channel every
couple of days or so in case there are any important
changes!) (There was, I thought, a pretty incredible
amount of snow for one weekend, that weekend before
last. It was all gone in about two days, though. ^_^
[I love snow but I am NOT eager to be snowed in
(well, I mean, my CAR was snowed in, not my house...
but I couldn't drive anywhere!) for 10 days at a time
like last winter...luckily that's pretty unusual! ^_^])
I knew a lady who lived near me and my parents in
Denver years ago (my parents and I live in the suburbs
now, them in Lakewood, me in Westminster) who, if
she was asked if the weather was normal for the time
of year, would say something like, "I wouldn't know,
I've only lived here fifty years!" ^_~ (Yeah, that's
actually kind of how it is...unpredictable...but FUN. ^_^)
(Especially when you get a sudden snowfall or rainfall
after what seems like endless sun, as italiaboy mentioned.
I love that too. I love weather...just not EXCESSIVE
amounts of it at a time. ^_~)
I'm very excited about the different weather patterns that the state of Colorado has. Here in Florida we get amazing thunderstorms/tropical storms, but they're too far and few between, IMO.
How do you like Westminster? I'm looking at a few apartments in Arvada, myself. I've still yet to decide between Arvada vs. Littleton, but I'm not going to make a Final Decision until I've been there and can see the cities with my own 2 eyes.
I'm very excited about the different weather patterns that the state of Colorado has. Here in Florida we get amazing thunderstorms/tropical storms, but they're too far and few between, IMO.
How do you like Westminster? I'm looking at a few apartments in Arvada, myself. I've still yet to decide between Arvada vs. Littleton, but I'm not going to make a Final Decision until I've been there and can see the cities with my own 2 eyes.
you have no place to stay yet??? one thing I've noticed is that all the apartment complexes make you go through a application ....kind of sucks but it doesn't take long to get approved only took me one day! here in Florida it took me like a month to get accepted which was very annoying....I'm going to stay in Arvada because I found a complex that doesn't make me sign a lease so i can just go month to month just in case i find a different area i would like to stay. My first choice was Golden but the apartment i wanted to stay at wanted me to sign at least a 6month lease and since i haven't seen any of the areas yet i decided to wait.... thought i would let you know this site was very helpful if you want to do a little browsing HOMES – The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Classifieds | Classifieds
you have no place to stay yet??? one thing I've noticed is that all the apartment complexes make you go through a application ....kind of sucks but it doesn't take long to get approved only took me one day! here in Florida it took me like a month to get accepted which was very annoying....I'm going to stay in Arvada because I found a complex that doesn't make me sign a lease so i can just go month to month just in case i find a different area i would like to stay. My first choice was Golden but the apartment i wanted to stay at wanted me to sign at least a 6month lease and since i haven't seen any of the areas yet i decided to wait.... thought i would let you know this site was very helpful if you want to do a little browsing HOMES – The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Classifieds | Classifieds
Thanks for the link. There were a ton of Arvada rentals posted there, apartments I'd never discovered in my own search.
No, I haven't picked out a place yet. As of next week I'll be "homeless"!
I've never been to the Denver area before, so it's impossible to know what neighborhood is going to be a good choice for me. I've narrowed it down to either Arvada or Littleton.
I'm leaning more towards Arvada because of the quick commute to Denver, the other north/northwest suburbs, and relatively easy access to Boulder. All of the apartments I'm seriously considering are w/in a mile of the Park & Ride (located @ Wadsworth and 56th Ave). Being able to ride my bike & use public transport is a very important factor in my decision.
But Littleton is tempting because of the Light Rail system (Arvada only has the bus right now). And that's where the school is located that I'll be attending next fall. Decisions, decisions...Argh!
What general area in Arvada will be you be staying? (This isn't a stalker question, I promise!) Are you going to have your own car out there?
Thanks for the link. There were a ton of Arvada rentals posted there, apartments I'd never discovered in my own search.
No, I haven't picked out a place yet. As of next week I'll be "homeless"!
I've never been to the Denver area before, so it's impossible to know what neighborhood is going to be a good choice for me. I've narrowed it down to either Arvada or Littleton.
I'm leaning more towards Arvada because of the quick commute to Denver, the other north/northwest suburbs, and relatively easy access to Boulder. All of the apartments I'm seriously considering are w/in a mile of the Park & Ride (located @ Wadsworth and 56th Ave). Being able to ride my bike & use public transport is a very important factor in my decision.
But Littleton is tempting because of the Light Rail system (Arvada only has the bus right now). And that's where the school is located that I'll be attending next fall. Decisions, decisions...Argh!
What general area in Arvada will be you be staying? (This isn't a stalker question, I promise!) Are you going to have your own car out there?
i'm not sure if its considered north arvada or not? between Wadsworth and Sheridan Blvd north of 56th ave.........yes i will have a car how about you? assuming you will since your driving there but i see public transportation is important to you?
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But, I don't base the pleasure of living in a particular city solely on its weather conditions. 
