Winters: what to expect (Pittsburgh: schools, stats, electric)

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by Caladium

LOL there's some truth to this. I got married when I lived in southern California, and instead of honeymooning in Hawaii we chose New England in late fall. We'd been to Hawaii a bunch of times (it's not far when you live in L.A.) but the northeast to us was exotic.

I also find that people I know who have moved south and then moved back seem to tolerate the cold a little better as they realize that the grass really isn't greener in the lower half of the country...its sun scorched brown.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by Q-tip motha

Frigid winters or unbearable summers its always going to be something. I personally prefer the winter over the summer. The opportunity to wear jackets and sweatshirts. The two best holidays in terms of getting together with family and cooking. The crisp air. Playing in the snow with your kids. Much better than being out in 85-95 degree weather and sweating. I think you can just as easily say that most people actually like the winter as much as the summer by your criteria because how often do you see people out enjoying the weather for any extended period of time in either season?

It's not so much the temperatures in western Pennsylvania that get to me. It's the seemingly endless day after day after day after day after day....break for a day and a half, then day after day after day after day....break for twelve hours....then returning to day after day after day after day of light precipitation, whether it be in the form of rain or snow. Usually it's rain though.

Pittsburgh gets less precipitation than many places in the country in terms of actual amounts. However, these numbers are an illusion because in Pittsburgh, an inch of rain can be spread out over the course of three days in the form of very light rain. It gets very old after a while.

[mike02]

Originally Posted by Sealtite

It's not so much the temperatures in western Pennsylvania that get to me. It's the seemingly endless day after day after day after day after day....break for a day and a half, then day after day after day after day....break for twelve hours....then returning to day after day after day after day of light precipitation, whether it be in the form of rain or snow. Usually it's rain though.

Pittsburgh gets less precipitation than many places in the country in terms of actual amounts. However, these numbers are an illusion because in Pittsburgh, an inch of rain can be spread out over the course of three days in the form of very light rain. It gets very old after a while.

I definitely agree. You'll have a sunny day say on a Sat and then Sunday is entirely overcast with no precip. Then Mon is overcast with almost no precip until late afternoon. Then Tuesday is an on and off sprinkle (with overcast of course). And then Wednesday is a steady freezing rain. By the grace of God on Thurs morning, the clouds begin to clear (and return at noon to cloud over again). By the afternoon they clear again just in time for sunset! Yesterday the 7-day forecast had 7 days of partly sunny and mostly sunny days. I couldn't believe it. I looked again today and realized I was hallucinating . Sometimes overcast can be uninspiring to do anything outside regardless of temp.

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by Q-tip motha

Spoken by someone who doesn't have a clue.

How is living in the North and coping with the winter any different than dealing with southern summers in the South? My wife grew up in Florida and hates it. Her family revels in the opportunity to come up here and actually be outside in the summer and be somewhat comfortable. You can take a walk in Pittsburgh in July and August without any serious health consequences. You can't do that in many southern cities without getting heat stroke.

Honestly its not as if you can't go outside and do anything. Just have to put on a jacket and maybe a hat.

Frigid winters or unbearable summers its always going to be something. I personally prefer the winter over the summer. The opportunity to wear jackets and sweatshirts. The two best holidays in terms of getting together with family and cooking. The crisp air. Playing in the snow with your kids. Much better than being out in 85-95 degree weather and sweating. I think you can just as easily say that most people actually like the winter as much as the summer by your criteria because how often do you see people out enjoying the weather for any extended period of time in either season?

Really? I don't have a clue that I don't like the Winter? That doesn't even make any sense.

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

I don't have a clue because I don't like weather and have unrealistic expectations of seasonal change in other climates.

FIFY

[KingKrab]

I like seasons. They're good for the soul.

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by KingKrab

I like seasons. They're good for the soul.

I don't mind November, December, and March. It is January and February that I can't stand. I wish that I could hibernate through those 2 months

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by mike02

Yesterday the 7-day forecast had 7 days of partly sunny and mostly sunny days. I couldn't believe it. I looked again today and realized I was hallucinating .

Several times this summer, I noticed the same thing. Those forecasts always changed back to ****ty weather though. I don't think we had a single 7 day stretch of dry weather in western Pennsylvania all ****ing year in 2011.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by escilade18

I don't mind November, December, and March. It is January and February that I can't stand. I wish that I could hibernate through those 2 months

March is my favorite month in Pennsylvania. Even if the weather's crappy, you know it's gonna break soon.

[escilade18]

Yes, I remember hearing somewhere before: March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.
Weirdly in Pittsburgh there have been several years where there is a thick blanket of snow on Easter and it is warm and sunny on Christmas