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Thanks guys, been through ice storms, too (in ATL). To me, the only concern I have regarding the weather is how I'll feel going into that 4th month of winter. Like I said, I'm reserved to proactively having a positive attitude about it, because I know as a lifetime southerner, I WILL have a "what the heck was I thinking" moment; probably many.
Reasons for moving are to be closer to family - but not too close ifyouknowhatimean. Weather is actually one of the things making me think about it now - this has been one of the worst summers for heat here (45 days+ with temps not going below 70 at night!), and while I realize that's also true for NE, I'm willing to trade the 5 months of summer here for the 5 months of winter there. I guess I like winter clothing!
Schools are a biggie. Have a 7yr old, so just elementary schools right now, but want to have an eye for the where the best high schools are. For college, is out-of-state tuition real bad in NE? Is here, but the states are bigger here. Would think the in-state pools would be smaller, and therefore out-of-state not so bad as a result.
Thanks guys, been through ice storms, too (in ATL). To me, the only concern I have regarding the weather is how I'll feel going into that 4th month of winter. Like I said, I'm reserved to proactively having a positive attitude about it, because I know as a lifetime southerner, I WILL have a "what the heck was I thinking" moment; probably many.
. Weather is actually one of the things making me think about it now - this has been one of the worst summers for heat here (45 days+ with temps not going below 70 at night!), and while I realize that's also true for NE, I'm willing to trade the 5 months of summer here for the 5 months of winter there. I guess I like winter clothing!
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I guess really only you will be able to determine how ur going to feel about winter. It will be MUCH colder than ATL and much much longer.
We've had at least 2 months down here of heat index over 100 degrees every day and our average night time low is 93-ish. Infact I've had my A/C on since March and won't turn it off till after Christmas (it was 86 here on christmas last year)..So it a hard transition to go from 9 months of summer to 6-7 months of freezing winter. You'll trade the 45 days of not going below 70 to 45 days of not going above 30. Its all what u think u can handle and we can all warn you, give you pointers etc but until u experience it you'll never know for sure.
I'm from Southern California, and have been here six years. Winter is long here, that's just a fact of life. I think a lot of people here probably get antsy that last month or so, it does seem never-ending by then. But each year varies. This last winter lasted forever, but the one before it was over by the beginning of March - it didn't snow after March 1st, or if it did, it was negligible.
As Sweetbottoms said, we can warn you, or tell you it's no big deal, but it's really something that you will have to discover for yourself. If you do move, you need to give it a full year of seasons here, and I would suggest really at least two before you know how you will deal with it.
The other thing I'm thinking if you are in Atlanta is that it is really rural up here. If you are a city boy you may miss the bright lights and cosmopolitan atmosphere. A lot of NH is pretty rednecky - maybe with snow tires and ice fishing, and a twang instead of a drawl, but rednecky just the same.
My Dixie hubby wants us to move south and after our last winter I'm on board. His saying is that in the south you get two New England summers and a couple of months when it is hotter than ****. The summers here are spectacular (no haze), fall is a treat, and the first couple of months of winter are fun. It's when you start running out of places to put the white "stuff," or have been without power for more than three days (I know I know, we keep meaning to get a generator) that it wears thin. Stick season can be pretty gray but if you're a hunter it probably won't bother you. Mud season isn't a lot of fun - it's when black flies come out. Then again the bugs up here are probaby nothing compared to what you're used to.
If you are into outdoor activities, you can enjoy the winter, even as it drags on into April. Snowshoeing, ice fishing, cross country skiiing will get you outdoors and moving and with the right clothing (underarmour!) you can be out for hours and get exercise, sunlight and most importantly out of the house.
Thx for the link C2, good info. I'll definitely reference back to this if/when I go through with this move.
Frugal, you get one NE summer split in two here. Spring is typically short, although it starts rearing its head in February. There are some winter days in late Jan and Feb that can be absolutely glorious. Thing is that temps move around so much, you can't really call it spring until April, and its gone by mid May. Fall is longer, but doesn't start until October and is over after Thanksgiving, although you might consider the time after that more like a northern fall.
I guess I'm drawn to more "spectacular" days, and mostly for me now, summer doesn't have any here. Guess I'm willing to deal with a 5-mo winter to have a 3-4 month period of bliss, as opposed to similar good days scattered throughout the year. The recent summers have been that bad. Perhaps its just the weather pattern we've been in more recently, which might return some day. We used to get some nice fronts through here where we would get some solid rain, and then some really nice dry days after. Seems like for the last few years, its been all "dog days" all the time, not just August. The rain we've been getting has been very sporadic with multiple inches in half a day instead of over a few days, with much longer periods of dryness. We're in an extended drought as a result, even though we had record rainfall for 5 straight months in 2009.
Yes, the winter is long and everyone's ready for it to be over by mid-March and into April. IMO, suffering through that winter makes the spring and summer all that much better. It's like seeing your first TV show in Technicolor when you were a kid. The greens are greener, the smells are richer, etc. because you went through that winter and came out the other side into a beautiful spring and summer. Winter is a month too long, and it's that last month that makes you appreciate everything that comes after it all the more. Sounds like I'm blowing sunshine up your ..., but that's how I feel. I don't think people in Hawaii or southern California (where the weather is constant) appreciate their weather.
Maybe it's just that New England Puritan-style entitlement to suffering that makes me say these things. I was born and raised in Maine/New Hampshire...
"...blowing sunshine..." - hehe, that's a good one!
Spent a year in Puerto Rico - absolutely no change in season, and my body began to ache for it. That's when I realized I could probably go for more cold in my life.
The other thing I'm thinking if you are in Atlanta is that it is really rural up here. If you are a city boy you may miss the bright lights and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Yes I had a hard time with this. What a city is in NH is considered a large town in other places. Places like Manchester, Concord and Keene are considered cities in NH. Where I'm from just my town alone is larger in population than all of the city of Concord, same with Manchester. We have neighborhoods bigger than the entire city of Keene. So know that when they say city, coming from a larger place as we do they don't actually mean a city like we think of more than likely. Its more spread out urban than city. If you live closer to the coast though this isn't an issue u'll be closer to Boston if you feel u need a highrise type city.
Beginning to think rural might be an issue. Was thinking maybe not because distances to larger towns are relatively short compared to what I'm used to. But my wife thinks it will be an issue. So, what are the areas to look at that are a little more urban/suburban, where you might find malls and retail chains? I don't think I'm interested in an urban downtown area as much as suburban.
Did you say malls as in plural? Like you want more than one nearby?
Hmmmmmmmm. Malls and retail chains are things that most northern New Englanders detest. But ok, there is Fox Run in Newington (near Portsmouth) which boasts that it is the only mall within a 40 mile radius. And it may not meet your standards of what you consider a mall. Maybe you could get your mall fix on the weekend? By driving to a place like the Burlington mall in Mass? I think that mall is probably more what you're used to.
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Malls and retail chains are things that most northern New Englanders detest. But ok, there is Fox Run in Newington (near Portsmouth) which boasts that it is the only mall within a 40 mile radius. And it may not meet your standards of what you consider a mall. Maybe you could get your mall fix on the weekend? By driving to a place like the Burlington mall in Mass? I think that mall is probably more what you're used to.
