Temp in Jan-Feb? (Orlando, Port Charlotte, Naples: apartments, rent, home)

[justNancy]

Trout started this thread to ask about the temperature. So one of us is going to get cut, but to add to the above comment, not everyone with $100 million wants to live in Florida or even a place that's warm & sunny all the time.

What I'm trying to say is that many people enjoy living in the mountains and a lot of wealthy people live in small homes or stay in the communities where they were raised. Not everyone wants to "keep up with the Joneses" as the expression goes. When I lived on Sanibel, most of the residents were very casual and didn't drive fancy cars. They lived there to enjoy its natural beauty and to get away from the crime and noise of the big cities.

[tiddles]

We were in SWF about 4 years ago in February. We had hot weather for a few days, then it got cold - 50's for a few days. At the same time Maine was having some kind of freakish warm weather in the 60's, so it was actually warmer in Maine than we were, shivering on the beach in Naples. Bizarre!

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by tiddles

We were in SWF about 4 years ago in February. We had hot weather for a few days, then it got cold - 50's for a few days. At the same time Maine was having some kind of freakish warm weather in the 60's, so it was actually warmer in Maine than we were, shivering on the beach in Naples. Bizarre!

My husband was already living in Naples and I came from NY to go on his company cruise. NY was having a warm front. It was 65 degrees in NY. Naples was having a cold front. The high that day was 60 degrees, colder than NY. Actually, when we were in the Bahamas the next day, their high was only 70 degrees, windy, and raining. We spent the entire cruise inside the ship wearing long pants and sleeves.

PS. Even when the daytime temps are in the 70s, the water temps are going to be colder (60s) because the winter nights are in the 50s or sometimes 40s. Contrast that to air temps in the 90s in summer with water temps approaching 90 degrees.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by tiddles

We were in SWF about 4 years ago in February. We had hot weather for a few days, then it got cold - 50's for a few days. At the same time Maine was having some kind of freakish warm weather in the 60's, so it was actually warmer in Maine than we were, shivering on the beach in Naples. Bizarre!

Sorry to hear that, tiddles. This is why I posted some of my earlier comments. I'm often accused of being negative, but I just feel it's important to tell people from other areas the whole truth. Florida usually has great weather in the winter, and 50 is better than minus 10 & heavy snow. But you can also get cold, damp weather in Feb as you know, and that stinks if you're on vacation for a week. Give Florida another chance, and maybe try visiting in April or early May. (it's a lot cheaper too!)

[tiddles]

Oh don't get me wrong - we still loved it, in fact we're moving there in 6 months!

[kroeran]

If anyone really wants reliable pool/beach weather Dec.-Feb in SWF, you have to have a flexible ticket or book last minute and watch the 15 day forecast closely, to catch the upper range of the temp cycle. Otherwise, its good driving around and golf weather.

Based on our limited experience, Oct-Nov and March-April seem to be the most reliable for cool enough to be comfortable without AC, at least at night, and warm enough for shorts pool/beach weather, which for us is perfection. Of course, its dangerous to generalize.

Be mindful that early Sept is peak of hurricane season, which you still have to keep an eye on in October, November storms are very rare, check in with Hurricane Centre website to check out storm tracks, if any, especially August/Sept.

For us, we can handle fairly high temps without AC, especially with an overhead fan, which is installed in most rooms.

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by kroeran

If anyone really wants reliable pool/beach weather Dec.-Feb in SWF, you have to have a flexible ticket or book last minute and watch the 15 day forecast closely, to catch the upper range of the temp cycle. Otherwise, its good driving around and golf weather.

Based on our limited experience, Oct-Nov and March-April seem to be the most reliable for cool enough to be comfortable without AC, at least at night, and warm enough for shorts pool/beach weather, which for us is perfection. Of course, its dangerous to generalize.

Be mindful that early Sept is peak of hurricane season, which you still have to keep an eye on in October, November storms are very rare, check in with Hurricane Centre website to check out storm tracks, if any, especially August/Sept.

For us, we can handle fairly high temps without AC, especially with an overhead fan, which is installed in most rooms.

I have never found extended forecasts to be accurate. Every time I've had a trip planned I look at the ten day extended forecast and during the summer it said thunder storms chance of precipatation 40% every day. it ended up being sunny and 91 degrees every day.

During this week the outlook was saying high of only 56 degrees a couple of the days now it is saying mid 70's most days.

I for one would rather have it high 80's to 92 and warm water of about 85 When I come down for vacation. So April and October are my favorite months to come down and I would rather come down in July than December through March.

[kroeran]

I agree with preferring too hot to too cold. I get enough of too cold up north. At least with too hot, especially on vacation, there is the beach and sitting in the pool, and its nice to look at from inside under AC.

as far as summer, I believe the typical pattern is building heat during the afternoon and a brief late afternoon storm, so the forecasts are pretty meaningless, or maybe I just don't know how to interpret them

maybe someone will let us in on the secret

two or three years back (can't remember) when there were many hurricanes in the Pipeline lined up across the Atlantic in early september, we switched around flights to grab a week in the middle of two hurricanes which had florida in the cone.

as far as the winter 15 day, I agree its just a tool, and for sure 15 days out is iffy, but 3 days out is a bit more reliable. My BIL headed out by car last winter without talking to me first, with the 3-6 day forecast showing record cold. If he had waited a week or two, he could have switched his odds from likely to be cold, to likely to be nice. No guarantees of course.

for persons driving, you also have to pay attention to forecasts in each zone you are driving through and building in flexibility to move your departure date forward or back, in order to avoid bad driving conditions. Maybe I am stating the obvious, but for most, I think they end up learning this the hard way.

Some of my relatives had the pleasure of flying down to FM yesterday, Canada via Newark, on Boxing day, in the middle of an orange alert. Got in 4 hours late, at 3:30 am. What we do for winter flights is ensure we are flying out of our home town, and non-stop into Florida, anywhere, which usually ends up being Orlando. This avoids winter driving up north, and the 4 hour drive from Orlando is pleasant. Better that than a layover in Toronto or Philidelphia.

Its also usually MUCH cheaper to rent a car in Orlando than SWF airport, sometimes as much as one third the price. More competition I guess. This season I am finding Dollar is the cheapest. off topic as usual!

[Samiamnh]

Hahaha....we LOVE 60 degree weather in Fla......beaches aren't crowded and it suits us just fine.All the locals are bundled up and we're in our bathing suits.We're used to cooler lake water from up north.......Floridians are a bunch of wuss' when it comes to the cold.

[kroeran]

yeah, if the ice does not melt by July, we just cut a hole in it

http://www.bayfieldreccenter.com/images/swim_to_madeline__06_037.jpg (broken link)