LA's climate sucks... (San Diego, Santa Ana: 2014, places to live, cost of living)

[JerZ]

People who get nostalgic for four seasons think they had exactly that - four seasons - but really look back with a critical eye. When were seasons ever "normal" per the calendar in the northeast or midwest?

Spring might be warm. Or it might be freezing-cold. You might wear short sleeves. Or you might get dumped on with snow in April...out of nowhere. It might rain cats and dogs, or it might be overcast for days and days on end...or it might be suddenly sunny and "too hot for spring!" on a freak 70-degree day...with people complaining about THAT. LOL.

Summer - usually...warm. Then all of a sudden it's "too hot" for a number of days and all the newscasts are warning people not to stay outside without water or they might just drop dead. Then all of a sudden a rainy "freezing" day, or two, or seven.

Autumn...GORGEOUS for...a few days. Or a couple weeks. Or no days or weeks at all. "It's too hot - it's Indian summer." Then, "My God, yesterday was 65F and today it's 45! What on earth is happening, this weather is so weird!" No it's not, be honest, it's probably normal. Meanwhile, the trees are turning color "too early - what's going on?" or "too late - what's going on?" And then of course everything plunges in late autumn to frigidville.

Winter...a freak "early" snowstorm..."It's too early for this!" Or there's too much snow overall. "This is a killer winter!" Or the opposite - "When on earth are we going to get snow? I wanted a white Christmas."

I love the northeast. I miss it. Don't get me wrong. But this whole vision of "four seasons" is seriously blurred when you're actually living there. And nothing ever seems to turn out picture-perfect. And yet every single year people are surprised by this, LOL. In 38 years these were the patterns...or lack of them, that I experienced. Nothing ever just like the calendar, nothing ever predictable, and nothing falling "seasonably" in place. Just a lot of unpredictability.

For those who haven't experienced "four seasons," it's just not really what you think, when you're actually living there.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by Joe_Ryder

On the east coast, summer rains are warm and quite pleasant. On this side of the Rockies, wet means cold but it's completely different on the other side of those mountains. Warm summer rain is one of the things I truly miss about the right side of the country.

On the east coast, summer rains are generally T-storms and contain torrential rain and flood basements left, right and center, LOL.

I don't mind the rain, personally...just thought I would point that out.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Revisiting this topic after such a long time, but... Think about it. I posted that in 2008. How much May gray or June gloom have you seen since then?

Yeah, sure, we have a few gloomy days in May and June (not over yet) but how many overcast days do you recall in recent Mays and Junes?

It's spooky!

Yes, this is weird. When I moved out here 9 years ago, all anybody talked about in late spring was My Gray and June Gloom. And we had that a couple of times and then...poof.

We definitely didn't have it this year, we had a few 100 degree days in April here somewhat inland, yikes!

[Steve-o]

LA's climate is amazing. I dont know how anyone could really complain about it, unless they love 4 solid seasons.

[infinitekid]

Been way too little rain the last 4-5 years.

[V8 Vega]

Workers are putting a new roof on a neighbors house. The forecast in the San Fernando Valley is 105 today and tomorrow. I feel sorry for illegal aliens sometimes.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

LA's climate is amazing. I dont know how anyone could really complain about it, unless they love 4 solid seasons.

I complain because I like 4 seasons. And the seasons don't have to be extreme, either -- but they should be noticeable and of proper duration. Summer-like weather for about 8 months out of the year is absurd.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by MordinSolus

"Pathetic winters?" I'll take sunny and cool over snow and ice ANY day.

Too often our winters are sunny and warm though, with several hot days mixed in when the Santa Ana's kick up. When it's 85 degrees on Christmas Day that's crazy. And I don't necessarily like blizzard-like weather conditions; but I do like rain and cool temps -- and some snow now and then is nice.

I think, for me, Southern Colorado/Northern New Mexico would be ideal; it does get warm and sometimes hot in the summer, but summer does know when to vacate and make room for fall and then winter. They get enough snow and cold to make it feel wintry but not so much that you feel like you are in Chicago or Bismark.

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

Best weather for people who like long, hot summers, pathetic winters, and barely noticeable spring and fall seasons.

But this place sucks for people that like actual seasons with the expected weather and temperature shifts within those seasons. But LA is basically 8 months of summer.

Pathetic winters sound wonderful to me. I live in Kansas City and there is nothing I hate more than December through February in Kansas City. Cold/snow/ice - yuck. I'd take LA weather over that any day. Long, hot summer and the rest of the time warmish and never really cold - .

I would miss wind and thunderstorms. I love Kansas City falls because the humidity is gone but it's still warm (and windy - which again, I'd miss) - which I figure LA is like a lot anyway.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

I complain because I like 4 seasons. And the seasons don't have to be extreme, either -- but they should be noticeable and of proper duration. Summer-like weather for about 8 months out of the year is absurd.

It isn't absurd for SoCal...or for a lot of the planet... :shrug: Why would it be absurd? There are all different climates across the globe.