What are Triangle winters REALLY like?? (to live in, move to, relocation)

[doctorjef]

OK, I started this same thread essentially on the NC forum, but one of the posters there who responded to me told me twice that I ought to post instead on the Triangle subforum because I'd get a lot more responses, and also it's to the Triangle specifically that I'm considering an eventual relocation.

Here's the deal: I live presently in northern Delaware, where I find the winters too long and too unremittingly cold (I used to live in Austin, TX where the winters were about right for me, although the summers way too long and hot). I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have lived in this part of the Mid-Atlantic -- DE, SE PA, the Baltimore area -- about how they have found winter there and winter in the Triangle area to compare. I'm interested in hearing qualitative impressions and more anecdotal type things, rather than being referred to the objective summary weather data that I can readily find on various websites. Can anyone share?

[kesco]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

OK, I started this same thread essentially on the NC forum, but one of the posters there who responded to me told me twice that I ought to post instead on the Triangle subforum because I'd get a lot more responses, and also it's to the Triangle specifically that I'm considering an eventual relocation.

Here's the deal: I live presently in northern Delaware, where I find the winters too long and too unremittingly cold (I used to live in Austin, TX where the winters were about right for me, although the summers way too long and hot). I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have lived in this part of the Mid-Atlantic -- DE, SE PA, the Baltimore area -- about how they have found winter there and winter in the Triangle area to compare. I'm interested in hearing qualitative impressions and more anecdotal type things, rather than being referred to the objective summary weather data that I can readily find on various websites. Can anyone share?

So I'm from a bit further north (NYC area) .. and what I'll tell you is take the NYC weather, add about 15 degrees to it on average, and you'll have NC weather. Very little snow. Sometimes ice. Sometimes 75+ degree weather in January/February. All in all, it's much milder

[southern country redneck]

Cold if you are from the south.
Warm if you are from the north.

[Francois]

The problem is, it's hard to say what "Triangle winters" are "really like", because there is SO much variation year to year. This past year was more of a "typical" winter (we got two snows, one about 3-4" and one about 6", I think) while the 4 winters prior to that were much milder than usual.

I've lived here over 40 years and the "two snows of a few inches each" model is the most "standard", I think. You can go to a weather website such as weather.com or NOAA and look up the highs and lows, but it does get below freezing quite a bit, though single-digit temperatures are quite rare, and you can count on one hand how many times it's been below 0 (F) here. Even getting below 20 is considered pretty darn cold; mostly in January you'll need a standard "winter coat" and gloves but not "Eskimo" garb.

And yes, we do get surprisingly warm snaps starting in February where it gets into the 60s--before going back below freezing before winter's over. And some of the deepest snows of the past few decades have been in mid-March.

[doctorjef]

Thanks, Francois -- you're a goldmine of useful info, as usual. I know I've asked you about this matter before. It's just that I'm trying to get reassurance that there would be enough of a difference in winter temps that I would feel like "this is really a lot better" if I were to make the move to NC.

Still like to hear from anyone else whose lived both in the Mid-Atlantic and in NC-Triangle.

Thanks also to the poster from NYC, even though it tends to be a little colder there than in DE.

I'll have one more question about the Triangle soon -- not related to the weather!

[ljd1010]

I'm from RI but lived on the Eastern Shore of MD (Easton) for 7 years. Winters are a lot more mild down here. It's not unusual to have days in the 50's - 60's and it may even go into the 70's. That being said, it can snow here AND it can get cold. We had one good storm this past winter, about 4-5 inches but the snow was completely gone in 2 days. We also had some days that were in the 20's - 30's. Overall, the weather here is pleasant in winter but summer is long, very warm and can be very humid.

[doctorjef]

Thanks -- I don't like winter, but I'm a bit afraid of hotter summers as well (just less so). After coming back Stateside from England, I found the DE summer quite hot. We've been having an unusually cool summer this year and I love it. My ideal would be for the temp never to get above the 80s, although I can manage low 90s. Well, really, in an ideal world it would never get above the 70s, but I realise that ain't gonna happen anywhere that doesn't have other weather that I can't tolerate.

[Claire_F]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

Thanks -- I don't like winter, but I'm a bit afraid of hotter summers as well (just less so). After coming back Stateside from England, I found the DE summer quite hot. We've been having an unusually cool summer this year and I love it. My ideal would be for the temp never to get above the 80s, although I can manage low 90s. Well, really, in an ideal world it would never get above the 70s, but I realise that ain't gonna happen anywhere that doesn't have other weather that I can't tolerate.

You're not going to like our summer much, then.

[doctorjef]

It's gotta be better than Texas!

[Claire_F]

Oh, definitely better than Texas! (I spent most of my life in Houston.) However, it does stay in the 80s and 90s throughout the summer, with the occasional spell of high 90s, and even 100+ every now and then.