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Hi all, I currently live in DC but may have to leave due to the terrible job market up here.
How bizarre, because almost universally, everything I read says the DC area has one of the stronger job markets in the country right now--certainly more so than NC. Like J_Lurk said, tons of people are moving out of Raleigh to DC because of jobs! What industry is your husband in that this is a better market than up there?
Re: snow--One reason you're getting different answers is that the past 5 years or so have had atypical winters, and many who post on C-D have only lived in the area that long. So when people talk of a "typical" Raleigh winter, they get a mental average of the years they've lived here. Someone who's only been here 5 years will think there is less snow than there is, because we had 4 years in a row of practically none at all. Also, people who've moved from up North think of NC snows as more "nothing" than those from the South do, since Northerners have "real winters" to compare them to.
I grew up here, and my image of "typical" is 2 snows "to speak of" (meaning it sticks and the ground is white) per winter, of between 2-6 inches, sometimes a little more. Yes, you could sled, but only the first day or two, usually. It's not too unusualy to get more, even a foot, and in 2000, we got over 20 inches, but that was a "once in a lifetime" thing. Then, as I say, for 4 years in a row we had essentially no snow at all.
My sister used to live in DC and I would say DC gets substantially more snow than NC overall, in both frequency and amount. If you were particulary looking for someone with snow, I can't imagine choosing NC--this is usually a state people move to to get AWAY from the snow. If you're looking for a good job market and a lot of snow, I keep seeing that the Plains states (Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas) have the best job market in the US right now, and of course they get snow in spades.
I guess the best way to put it is that we get a little bit of snow every now and then Every 7 or 8 years we get a big one. I bought my first real snow shovel after the big one in 2000 or whenever that was. I got tired of the bulky thing falling on my head every time I open the shed door, so I took it to the Goodwill Store last haul I made over there. I never used it, and it looked like a back breaker anyway
[quote=zinner;15917783
If you really want to experience snow move to Rochester NY, cool town and lots of winter.[/quote]
In the times I was there, Syracuse and Buffalo were the ones that got all the snow.
For around here, because most of the weather comes in from the west, those areas (Roxboro, Durham, etc) seem to get more than Raleigh, Apex, etc. Even Charlotte will get snow when nothing happens here. I grew up in Atlanta and the winter weather here is about the same, despite being further north.
When it snows in the Triangle, everything closes down and life as we know it stops. It's a rare event.
I, too, have heard DC has jobs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by don6170
In the times I was there, Syracuse and Buffalo were the ones that got all the snow.
For around here, because most of the weather comes in from the west, those areas (Roxboro, Durham, etc) seem to get more than Raleigh, Apex, etc. Even Charlotte will get snow when nothing happens here. I grew up in Atlanta and the winter weather here is about the same, despite being further north.
In the times I was there, Syracuse and Buffalo were the ones that got all the snow.
For around here, because most of the weather comes in from the west, those areas (Roxboro, Durham, etc) seem to get more than Raleigh, Apex, etc. Even Charlotte will get snow when nothing happens here. I grew up in Atlanta and the winter weather here is about the same, despite being further north.
Upstate NY has the "snow derby" between Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse every year. Syracuse usually wins because they get affected by both lake effect and Nor'easters, while the other two are usually not affected by nor'easters. But I would not say there is really a big difference between the three....they all average over 90 inches of snow a year and have been known to get more than double that every once in a while. There's nobody in Upstate NY who thinks there is ever a winter "without enough snow".
Raleigh is not a place to move if you want a guaranteed significant snow every year (but also, not a place to move if you never want to see snow again). 6+ inches happens every few years, and "most" years you'll probably get a couple of systems that will bring 2-4 inches. The 2 footer in January 2000 was probably a once in a lifetime thing (being from DC, it cold be considered the triangle area's "snowmaggedon")...but it was really cool.
If you think there is winter and snow in DC, you will think there is winter and snow here.
I Disagree.
There is a BIG difference between the frequency and severity of snow in metro DC and Raleigh.
DC gets almost as much as metro NY and sometimes gets storms that don't affect areas to the North. Raleigh is borderline snowless IMO. I have lived thru 7 winters here after living in metro NY all my life and there have only been a couple of snow events that were more than a dusting. People make a big deal about it here because we are less prepared for snow management/removal but in reality we see very little snow that allows for snow-style recreation (sledding, snowballs, and the like).
Last year we got enough that I lost a set of keys in it and it took almost a week for the snow to melt enough to get them back
I love it, because it's just enough to enjoy the pretty snowflakes - then they go away. I think it's like grandchildren or nieces/nephews. You see them long enough to enjoy them and then they leave.
People went sledding last year but I think it may be rare? Gotta be quick.
Thanks everyone! Yes, I know, if I love snow to stay put in DC or head further north. Unfortunately, the hubby can't find a job in DC, and our family is in the South, as are cheaper land and housing prices. What a conundrum!
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Like J_Lurk said, tons of people are moving out of Raleigh to DC because of jobs! What industry is your husband in that this is a better market than up there? 
Every 7 or 8 years we get a big one. I bought my first real snow shovel after the big one in 2000 or whenever that was. I got tired of the bulky thing falling on my head every time I open the shed door, so I took it to the Goodwill Store last haul I made over there. I never used it, and it looked like a back breaker anyway
