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Greetings New Hampshire residents! I am enjoying your posts. This is my second try at a new thread, so if the first thread shows up sometime, please forgive the repeat.
My husband and I are considering moving from the Chicago suburbs to New Hampshire. I know you are protective of your state and I assure you we would be good neighbors. We plan to visit NH this spring and in the meantime we are reading about it.
Regarding weather, I see New Hampshire is generally 10 degrees cooler than Chicago through the year, with more rain and snow. Knowing the numbers is one thing, but I wonder how this change will "feel", with differences in the seasons, the cold, heat, humidity and all the rest of it. Have any of you experienced the seasons in both New Hampshire and the Midwest, and if so, may I get your take?
Also, how well do your local governments - both rural and urban - plow snow off the roads?
Finally, are the lake regions of New Hampshire mostly for summertime living, or are there enough full time residents and all-season houses to keep these places lively year round?
I cannot answer your specific questions, since I'm not a resident yet ...many here should be able to help you. Also, if you don't already know this ~ there is a search feature in the upper right hand corner, you might find answers to questions already asked. I do know that snow plowing varies from city to city based on past posts.
I was in Milwaukee one winter and it was far worse than NH. It got so cold. Went below zero for three weeks at a time and never got about zero. The wind was unreal probably because the land is as flat as a pancake.... NH has the ocean to keep it less cold in the winter and to make the temps go up and down a little. We also have skiiing which makes the winter fun.
BooShutterBug, thank you very much for getting things straight for me. How could I have missed my first thread?! Yes, I've seen some snow postings and it's been very helpful. All you New Hampshire-ites are helpful (what do you call yourselves?)
Seamusnh, thank you for excellent comments. Didn't think about the flat land effect but you are absolutely right, the wind whips around in Chicago and Milwaukee and makes things particularly unpleasant.
Southern eastern New Hampshire will have a climate that is about the same as Chicago- but only the part of the city very close to Lake Michigan- with the coast of New Hampshire milder.
Nashua and extreme south eastern New Hampshire near the Massachusetts border will be about the same as Chicago- though just slightly milder. Manchester & Concord and west to Keene and the Vermont border will resemble Rockford, though Manchester and Concord again slightly milder. Keene and the area near the mid to southern Vermont border will more resemble Rockford.
Precipitation year round will be more-with snow fall amounts varying from record amounts last year- to below average two years ago.
Far upstate NH, near the Canadian border will resemble central Wisconsin.
Last edited by skytrekker; 08-18-2008 at 06:32 PM..
Gee, I would think with the wind you get in Chicago, you'd be used to cold!
NH may not be as windy as you're used to, but cold is cold whether the air is moving or still. I think you'd probably be fine.
oh, don't worry about goofing on starting threads! There have been a couple of times I started a thread for someone, only to find someone else had already started the very same thing.. and I hadn't seen it! We all goof a little now and then.
Roads are kept quite clear, Town + state crews do a great job in as timely as possible Massachusetts people often comment on the great jobs our crews do at clearing the roads. And they typically rest until the snow comes to a stop. You will know if you need to allow extra time for your commute to work because the snow plows will pass by your house + rumble you out of bed early. A good snow cover on the ground dampens the sounds outside which serves as a guide to gauge the amount of snow without getting out of bed!
As for the weather, Just get yourself the red+ black wool hunting jacket+ the matching Opey cap ALA, Walter Matthau Grumpy old men.You'll fit right in at the Grange hall ham + bean supper!Polypropylene stockings are better at keeping your feet the right temperature without sweating + wicking moisture away, even better than wool.Chances are if you get cold or hypothermic it will start with the feet.
A pair of L.L.Bean boots will serve you well, even when its well below zero. I just retired a 28 year old pair since the tread became too worn to grip in icy weather.[ the leather uppers are even still waterproof!] I thought about spraying the tread with urethane + sprinkling them with sand to retain traction. I was too cheap to drop the $100.00 it would for an equivalent replacement. mostly because I expect to be moving where I won't need them.
Generally we have 2 solid weeks of below freezing weather sometime in January + February. We have not had that in 3 years running.
Bear in mind the red wool jacket is not of sufficient brightness to go tromping around in the woods in November + early December during hunting season and expect hunters to easily identify you as a non target. Hunting accidents do happen(thankfully rarely) So outfit the kids with safety orange. Don't let the threat of hunters keep you out of the woods in the beautiful fall/ winter season. Put a "space blanket" in everyone's pocket it's cheap insurance, ~$2.00, should you get lost or delayed on your return. they don't weigh anything or take up any space and can be re-folded easily. Plus they're waterproof and make you highly visible ! It's so to have refuge during a freezing rainstorm!Every year somebody gets lost in the woods + the call for rescue volunteers to go search for a lost kid somewhere.[ often overnight] A cheap plastic is whistle is also a great piece of insurance, as it can be blown all night without exhausting yourself like yelling. Remember should such a thing happen, it will be the fish + game people and money from and hunters that will show up for you to bring you to safety. get your kid in scouts so they know how to take care themselves in the cold.
Hi There! I haven't spent a winter in NH yet, but we did talk to a lot of people about it. I also grew up in Chicago (Rogers Park) so I remember the winters.
One big difference is snow quality. In Chicago the snow tends to be wet, so it gets slushy and then freezes over. In NH it's more like powder. We were also told that plowing is done quite promptly around these parts (at least in the South, where we are).
As far as wind chill goes I thought nothing would beat Chicago, but it does appear as though the temps can really drop at times. So I would say if you don't expect any warmer you may be pleasantly surprised.
Winter sports are big here. As our kids get older I'm hoping to get into skiing, esp. cross country skiing. One of my husband's coworkers is a runner, and in the winter when he can't run, he goes cross country skiing. Right near the office in Manchester! We're used to driving miles and miles for skiing, so hopefully we have more opportunities here. There are also a lot of hiking and rock climbing opportunities here, although obviously you can be limited by the weather. But all in all we are pretty excited about what's available.
Having lived in So Wisc for many years before moving to NH I can tell you that the winters in NH will be much milder than WI or Chicago. Generally no zero degree days for weeks on end. 20's to 40 is very common. Depending on the cycles you may or may not have more snow. There were years in WI that gave us a ton of snow and years where there was non to very little. That would be true here though snow is a bit more likely here. Many winter activities here as snowshoeing, XC and downhill skiing are popular. Many state parks to utilize. Roads are well taken care of for the most part. We are in a rural area and never had to worry about the roads. That being said if we get a whopper of a storm no matter where you live it will be a while before being plowed.
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roads in winter + general N.H.weather
