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The OP mentioned Oregon.
I've lived on the west side and east side of Oregon, and am currently in Tennessee.
The weather in Oregon and Kentucky aren't really comparable--not across the board.
First, humidity. Compared to Kentucky, Oregon is not humid. Sure, some areas of Oregon are humid relative to other west coast places, but compared to Kentucky? Not even the same game much less in the same ballpark.
Secondly, the weather in Oregon itself is very diverse. It's really different depending upon whether or not you're on the east side or west side of the Cascades and how close you are to the Pacific and how far north or south you are. This is a generalization, but, west side=wet; east side=dry. Many people are surprised to find out that much of Oregon is desert or semi-arid. I don't mean a little dry, but, I mean 6-9 inches total precip a year.
Another determining factor for the weather in Oregon is elevation. You can be within just few miles of another person and you may be getting rain, while they are buried in snow, or you may be socked in by fog and they are in the bright sunlight--all due to differences in elevation. A good rule of thumb is that temperature drops roughly 5 degress for every 1000 feet of elevation gain, all other factors being equal.
Finally, in western Oregon, you typically have milder, much wetter weather than eastern Oregon. In eastern Oregon, it is typically drier with wider temperature swings. Usually hotter summers and colder winters. But, the sun can sure shine a lot and you do get spoiled by not having the moss grow on your back!
Thanks so much for the breakdown...that'll make my research much easier. We live so far away that it's going to be hard to visit, so at least when we finally get to go we'll have a specific area in mind.
Silver City, New Mexico. Their motto is "four gentle seasons."
But it depends what you mean by the best of all four seasons. My idea of the best of all four seasons is a definite, but mild winter with not much snow.
That pretty much nails it...except I'm a sucker for fall foliage. Dumb question...but does New Mexico have changing leaves?
Actually I was born and raised(first 27yrs) in Northern N.Y...Fort Drum Area. So cold's not so much an issue as Lake Effect Snow...don't like that stuff one bit. What parts of Michigan are exempt from the lake's wrath?
Well... the western half can all get some lake effect in theory, but in reality it isn't too bad. This winter in the area I am in was in the top 5 snowiest on record, but we never had more than 24" on the ground at any one time, even with 160+ inches total snowfall. A few miles to the west of me Ludington, which is right on Lake Michigan, got less snow than we did. I am only 6 or 7 miles from the Lake, but it blows over Ludington and hits us. After living in the Northeast for decades as well as here, I can tell you that this winter, while snowy was quite easy. Warm spells in between the cold snaps kept the ground cover low, and didn't just drive the cold into you. We only were below 0 at most 3 or 4 times the entire winter and then only overnight, never once did we stay below 0 an entire day.
Short answer: Anyplace can get Lake effect, but it isn't like upstate NY where you get dumped on and it doesn't go away until Spring.
That pretty much nails it...except I'm a sucker for fall foliage. Dumb question...but does New Mexico have changing leaves?
here is a pic down by the Rio Grande here in Albuqueruqe, the leaves do change colors here but its not anything thats all that noticable when compared to the Northeast. Not comparable at all and we definetely dont have the colors as well.
You could just come next door to Virginia. The mountains break up most of the heavy snowfall. Autumns here are beautiful, winters have become increasingly mild over the past decade or so, but it can get very cold. It doesn't last very long. It does snow, but not the extreme snow that places farther north get. Springtime is beautiful, and summer can get very hot and humid. 100 degree days are rare but not unheard of. July 6 it only made it to 70 where I was in Roanoke and Staunton. Thats an anomoly though. I always say that by time you're tired of one season the next one is just starting.
That pretty much nails it...except I'm a sucker for fall foliage. Dumb question...but does New Mexico have changing leaves?
Yes. Las Cruces, one of the warmest places in the state, has changing leaves. Even if the foliage doesn't compare to New England, at least you would get foliage. And you will be happy come winter when you're not digging yourself out of the snow.
Missouri I would say. Cold winters with a reasonable amount of snow, hot and humid summers, beautiful springs and falls. Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio are all pretty good contenders.
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