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I moved from southern California to Boston while my (at the time) gf when to BC law.
I had never seen it snow before in my life, only snow on the ground. I grew up in Santa Maria, one of the most temperate places in the US. I definitely had a love / hate relationship w/ the snow and cold.
The first few weeks of the snow it was magic, I loved it so much. But then Late January - March rolls around and the snow turns to exhaust fume colored mush (or worse it is too cold to snow ), I had no car, so running errands became 2x the chore they normally would be.
But all in all it was a great experience and I would do it again 100 times over. I still find my self missing the cold weather (we were there for three years) and fall doesn't quite feel like fall here in LA.
I think all this is true. The greys of winter do get a bit depressing but man Spring is special after a winter, you can feel it in the air and in the vitality of the people even. I do like four seasons and there is an aspect of each season that I find nice, these days though I must say that one of the best things about winter (especially when you get that grey mush) is the appreciation for spring.
Also Fall has a special feel, that cool crisp air, a smell even which is hard to desrcibe unless you live it.
I grew up mostly in Southern California, then moved to Boston for college. I've now lived here more than half my life, and I would say there really was no adjustment. It gets colder, you put on more clothing. It snows, you play in it, get some exercise by shoveling it, then go skiing in it. The temperature change was never an issue. It did take a bit of getting used to the general concept of weather. Having lived where the weather change is very gradual, very seasonal, and very predictable, the idea of Mark Twain's famous "wait 20 minutes" for a new weather pattern takes a bit of time to fully comprehend. But even that is something I quickly came to genuinely like.
Philadelphia generally does not have the kind of winters it's been getting the past few years. Normally, it's quite mild by comparison to cities further west and north of it. The same thing goes for NYC. The eastern Mid-Atlantic generally doesn't have 100% guaranteed severe winters...the same thing goes for the lower Midwest states (generally Kansas, most of Missouri and the central and southern halves of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio). However, what is 100% guaranteed about this area is that winters will get very cold, but will not always have as frequent or unmanageable amounts of snow or long periods without thaws). The places I've always felt have 100% guaranteed severe winters both temperature-wise and in terms of snowfall are the northern half of Colorado on up, Nebraska and Iowa on up, northern illinois, northern indiana, northern ohio, and western and north central pennsylvania on up, and connecticut on up. Also any parts of Washington and Oregon that aren't along the pacific generally have very bad winters too. I wish had a map to describe this. In any case, any states south of the areas I just described generally are what I would call truly mild in the winter....not that cold temperature-wise, and little to no snowfall.
Not sure what this has to do with the OP? Have you moved from "sun" to "snow"? If so, what has been your experience?
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Originally Posted by jm02
Not sure what this has to do with the OP? Have you moved from "sun" to "snow"? If so, what has been your experience?
What it has to do with is that Philadelphia isn't exactly what I'd consider "sun" to "snow." It generally does not see a whole lot of snowfall in the winter.
What it has to do with is that Philadelphia isn't exactly what I'd consider "sun" to "snow." It generally does not see a whole lot of snowfall in the winter.
Oh. I spent the first 22 yeas of my life in the Delaware Valley, so I'm aware of the climate here. The average snowfall here is 20 inches or so per year - some years more, some less naturally. I've lived in places as diverse as the mountains of SW Virginia, New England, Missouri and Texas so I do know that climate varies. As for which places have "bad" winters, it's all relative. To a Texan, NC can feel downright frigid. To an Edmonton native, Chicago can feel balmy.
As someone who moved from Houston to Philly (i.e., 0 to 20 inches on average), I feel I've moved from sun to snow. Your mileage may of course vary.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jm02
Oh. I spent the first 22 yeas of my life in the Delaware Valley, so I'm aware of the climate here. The average snowfall here is 20 inches or so per year - some years more, some less naturally. I've lived in places as diverse as the mountains of SW Virginia, New England, Missouri and Texas so I do know that climate varies. As for which places have "bad" winters, it's all relative. To Texan, NC can feel downright frigid. To a Edmonton native, Chicago can feel balmy.
As someone who moved from Houston to Philly (i.e., 0 to 20 inches on average), I feel I've moved from sun to snow. Your mileage may of course vary.
My point is that Philly and snowfall are not typically associated. I guess living in houston i can see why you'd reach that conclusion. 20 inches on average per year is about what most of Missouri gets, at least around St. Louis and KC...north of there it's more. In any case, what I am trying to communicate is that when I think of sun to snow, my perspective is moving from a city in the far south to the far north..."snow" by my definition includes cities along and on the latitude of the Great Lakes. I guess it is all perspective. Just about anyone from the U.S. would probably consider Chicago's winter severe is my point.
My point is that Philly and snowfall are not typically associated. I guess living in houston i can see why you'd reach that conclusion. 20 inches on average per year is about what most of Missouri gets, at least around St. Louis and KC...north of there it's more. In any case, what I am trying to communicate is that when I think of sun to snow, my perspective is moving from a city in the far south to the far north..."snow" by my definition includes cities along and on the latitude of the Great Lakes. I guess it is all perspective. Just about anyone from the U.S. would probably consider Chicago's winter severe is my point.
One oddity about Philly is among major cities is among the 2 or 3 most likely to get hit with major (meaning 20+ inch events)
The last two years both had three single events of greater than 15 inches each actually. Snowfall varies in Philly from year to year but there are never years with none
My point is that Philly and snowfall are not typically associated. I guess living in houston i can see why you'd reach that conclusion. 20 inches on average per year is about what most of Missouri gets, at least around St. Louis and KC...north of there it's more. In any case, what I am trying to communicate is that when I think of sun to snow, my perspective is moving from a city in the far south to the far north..."snow" by my definition includes cities along and on the latitude of the Great Lakes. I guess it is all perspective. Just about anyone from the U.S. would probably consider Chicago's winter severe is my point.
I get your point. And it seems you get my point is that it's all relative. I used to go to Calgary quite a bit on business. The natives there felt anyplace south for the border was mild. Having spent part of January there one year, I agree.
If the OP had asked: "Has anyone moved from "sun" to Chicago?" or "Has anyone moved from "sun" to a place that stloiuisan think is "snow"? I probably wouldn't have posted.
I think all this is true. The greys of winter do get a bit depressing but man Spring is special after a winter, you can feel it in the air and in the vitality of the people even. I do like four seasons and there is an aspect of each season that I find nice, these days though I must say that one of the best things about winter (especially when you get that grey mush) is the appreciation for spring.
Also Fall has a special feel, that cool crisp air, a smell even which is hard to desrcibe unless you live it.
I'm sure it's less depressing to a person that has grown up with it too. I am completely spoiled from growing up in a place that is basically 65-75 degrees year round. My wife is from the Bay Area.
Also, when moving from sun - snow - sun, like I have, you lose your cold weather hardnest FAST. It's been a year and a half and already I get cold at 50 degrees
My point is that Philly and snowfall are not typically associated. I guess living in houston i can see why you'd reach that conclusion. 20 inches on average per year is about what most of Missouri gets, at least around St. Louis and KC...north of there it's more. In any case, what I am trying to communicate is that when I think of sun to snow, my perspective is moving from a city in the far south to the far north..."snow" by my definition includes cities along and on the latitude of the Great Lakes. I guess it is all perspective. Just about anyone from the U.S. would probably consider Chicago's winter severe is my point.
You're basically correct; the Mid-Atlantic generally has mild winters, esp in comparison with the Great Lakes and New England..
Some time ago, a poster was wondering about the transition from Miami to NYC, and I responded that it wouldn't be all that bad, as NYC has many winter days thatt get into the 40s; now if this poster had migrated to Minneapolis, then I would have responded differently..
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), I had no car, so running errands became 2x the chore they normally would be. 
Have you moved from "sun" to "snow"? If so, what has been your experience?
