Tips for southerner moving to Pitt. (Pittsburgh, Altoona: air quality, activities, cities)

[greg42]

Agree, I've been doing this 20 years in small, light front-drivers. I did have snow tires for a few seasons a few years back, but that was only because I got some summer-only tires once. After those wore out (fast!) I got all-seasons again. I used the snows again once the all-seasons were pretty worn down, but I haven't used them in a few years. The snows themselves are pretty worn out, and I haven't replaced them.

Unless you live way out in the sticks and must get out at all times, changing out a car for AWD/4WD is not necessary. If you want peace of mind, snow tires would be a better investment IMO. You get 4 of them, not two, especially on a front drive. And if you get them on their own rims (cheap steel ones are fine) then you can put them on and take them off yourself (will save the cost of the rims after just one winter probably), not to mention you can "minus size" the tires (smaller wheel diameter, taller tire) which will work better in the snow.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

Also: If you have four going-bad tires on your car and can only afford to replace two - Put the two new on the REAR.

[mike02]

Originally Posted by Supracabra

How do you all cope with all the overcast weather?

There are people on here that downplay the overcast, and I used to be one of them until this year. Rule of Thumb: Pittsburgh weather never fails to disappoint when it comes to sunshine for about 6 months/year. Outside of summer, don't expect it to be a daily occurrence and don't expect it to last for hours on end in a single day. Be pleasantly surprised when it happens. While there are people on here downplaying the overcast for "sensitivity towards sunlight BS," they fail to recognize some health issues with that too -- SAD, vitamin-d deficiency, etc. My advice is to take advantage of the limited sunlight we receive here as much as possible. On overcast days, my coffee consumption goes through the roof and I try getting outside or exercising as much as possible. It really makes you lazy especially when you wake up to a dreary sky day after day after day.

[BrianTH]

I don't personally mind the relatively scarce sunlight in winter, but I agree if you have SAD it could be a serious issue.

[mike02]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I don't personally mind the relatively scarce sunlight in winter, but I agree if you have SAD it could be a serious issue.

You are a lucky one. I think this year has been the worst yet. I honestly don't remember it being this dismal especially in the fall. Even today, check out weather.com and you'll find that every city in PA is sunny or partly cloudy BUT not Pittsburgh and southwestern PA. Pretty much all of Ohio and WV are enjoying sunshine today. We definitely got it bad this year and I can't seem to figure out why? It's like we're a magnet for gloom

[bradjl2009]

I don't mind the cloudy weather at all too but I can see how it would bother someone with SAD. I like it in the winter actually because the snow will not melt as fast. (I like snow in the ground during the winter; not on the roads though).

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by MeinGlanzendMotorrad

Ignore this fear monger.

You're calling me a fear monger for suggesting that someone from the south consider an AWD vehicle for driving in Pittsburgh winter weather? Next thing you'll be telling this guy he can transplant his Palmettos from his old backyard to his new one in Pittsburgh.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by MeinGlanzendMotorrad

Honestly I prefer overcast.

You could have fooled me. From your picture, I had you pegged as a sun worshiping beach junkie.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

That picture was taken in March of '06, it's hard to have a tan in March.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

I don't think I have SAD, but like all humans I do affected by the lack of sunlight (we all need some good ol' vitamin D). I start feeling lethargic and lazy on a physical level and wiped on a mental level. When the some sun does actually appear, I feel better especially since I get tired of looking at gray all the damn time.

I also hypothesize that building a city in the middle of a place that lacks sunlight influences the social behavior over its citizens over time. Ever wonder why Yinzers are so "it is what it is" over everything? Why so women seem to be hardened smokers and drinkers? Why we don't care about fashion and other "flashy" things? You have to wonder what generations of vitamin D deficient people could do to a culture, someone should do a study on it (or BrianTH could just search the depths of the internet for one).