I hate the Northeast winters. Am I crazy for considering Denver? (buying, living in)

[mrbrightside03]

A couple years ago I moved away from the Northeast to the Southwest to escape the cold, snowy winters. Now I'm married and have a kid and we miss having 4 seasons and snow during the Christmas months, etc. We want our kid to get the full experience.

We are highly considering Denver since it's a beautiful area - the mountains, the flat plains, the dry and sunny weather, plenty of parks and hiking opportunities, pro sports, etc. I think we would love it.

The only thing that worries me is the snow. I'm not a huge fan of snow but I will admit that I miss seeing it. I think the worst part for me in the Northeast was having to drive in it. Especially having to drive up/down mountainous terrain on roads that weren't plowed very well. Having more sunny warm days in the mild Denver winters would definitely be a lot better than the Northeast, and assuming most roads are relatively flat, it might not be that bad.

Since we would probably be living in the suburbs (mostly due to affordability), I realize this makes my commute to where I'd be working most likely a little longer, especially in the winter. But should I be concerned about the snow? Am I crazy for even considering Denver as a place to settle my family?

Looking for a place with a good enough tech scene and all 4 seasons with some snow is proving tougher than I expected!

[flamadiddle]

No, not crazy. The Winter in Denver is a piece of cake compared to the Midwest/NE. You get blizzards followed by 60 degree temps. It's weird, but very dry air. So dry that your sinuses will do back flips. Plan on buying humidifiers, saline, lots of chapstick, etc. The Sun is very strong too, laser like. The problem right now is that everything is so expensive in Denver. You may be buying into a bubble.... I like Denver, but not enough to move there.

[JrzDefector]

I'm from New Jersey. The winters here are MUCH easier on me than they were in Jersey. For one thing, there's more sun, so I don't get seasonal affective disorder. It has been a noticeable difference.

For another, it's a dryer kind of cold for the most part, and you don't feel it in your bones so much.

The snow also tends to disappear much faster (though this past winter was a bit different in that regard.)

And you also get the occasional unusually warm day to break up the monotony.

Personally, I prefer Denver winters over the winters in the Northeast.

[lovecrowds]

Denver has a long period of freezing nights. In fact it is has more freezing nights then any large metropolitan area in the country.

Denver is a city where you don't know what the winter will bring. Some winters are very nice and others are very cold and snowy.

Denver does have a 10-20 days of downslope winds. Which are strong winds, that downslope off the mountains. When this happens the high temperatures in January can warm into the 60s and lower 70s.

The main issue isn't the high temperatures in the winter which average in the mid 40s when you combine the downslope winds with the artic outbreaks but how long it takes to warm up in the spring.

Sometimes it is very chilly with rain and even snow in April and May. Many times the trees and flowers don't blossom until the middle of May if it is unusually cold spring.

Denver also gets quite a bit of snow, around 50" a year. March is the snowiest month.

Snowfall over the course of a winter ranges from 21" to 118". The last snowfall in Denver was June 12th.

Over the last decade, snowfall has ranged from 22" to 78" per year.

This link has the snow data for Denver

https://www.weather.gov/bou/snowstat

[Gorges]

I moved here from Maryland and I much prefer the Denver winters. It helps a great deal if your driveway gets direct sun during the day.

[WesternSkyliner]

Winters are long in Denver, and generally cold. Some nice, warm days sprinkled in here and there does not a mild winter make. While it is less severe than the NE or Midwest, it is NOT mild. Mostly sunny does not equal mild either.

Read lovecrowds post again. That's how it is. Not mild.

Did I mention that Denver winters are not mild?

End.

[emm74]

Read through this thread.

//www.city-data.com/forum/denve...s-climate.html

Most of us who have experience living in the Northeast will say that the winters here are far more pleasant. But it's relative and if you really hate snow and winter, this might not be the fit for you. IMO, the snow isn't that bad but be aware that it's a LONG snow season, typically running through October into April, even May. That doesn't mean constant snow all that time, but reasonable chance of it during all of those months.

[Timmyy]

Another "mild" winter discussion. I am ready.

[mrbrightside03]

Thanks for the honest feedback guys. I've been reading too many posts where people say "the winters are very mild, you'll love it!" and the data that I'm seeing just doesn't match up. These must be people who have only lived there for 2 years and haven't seen any "bad" winters yet I'm guessing lol.

[MN_Ski]

People have different definitions of a bad winter.

To me, it's not about the handful of low temp days, but the overall weather experience. Experiencing a day of 1' snow fall, followed by a week of 60s and sun (with all the snow gone by day 2), is a mild winter. To others, ANY amount of cold days rule out the definition of "mild" winter.

So yes, October - April will be cold(er), and it will snow, but you are going to have endless days of warmth and sun in between, unlike the northeast.