How Do You Tolerate the Summers in the Southeast (states, family, best)
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I am from TN and am hating the weather here in IN so far. It's far too cold for me.
I grew up in heat/humidity (though nowhere nearly as hot as the deep South) and it's something I'm just used to. I've also spent a childhood summer and some summers in college in SC. If you're older or in poor condition, you generally stay inside in the AC during the heat of the day. If you work inside, same thing. The worst of the heat is generally between 10 AM - 4/5 PM during the summer. Beyond that, it's warm, but completely tolerable.
Here in Indiana, this summer generally didn't even feel like a summer. There were several weekends where I wanted to go swimming, but the temperature never got above 75 degrees. The hot days were not hot enough to make it feel like summer to me - it felt like spring.
You don't have to shovel or blow heat. You're not going to lose power or have a wreck due to heat. It's far, far easier to put up with than snow until May
I grew up in SE Virginia and never liked the heat and humidity. It was torture to go to amusement parks and outdoor events because I would just wilt. I found that I tolerate cold much better than heat and now live in Colorado where the climate suits me perfectly. For me, it's the humidity that's the problem. Dry heat is fine. It gets cold here, but it's usually not the bone-chilling cold that you have in more humid climates. Also, everyone I know back in Va has those cave spiders in their crawl spaces. Ewww. I love Va and it will always be home, but I prefer to live elsewhere.
SOME people acclimate to the heat. I grew up in MI and lived in different areas of the deep south as an adult. After twenty some years I am still not able to tolerate the humidity of summers. So when people shrug off the heat and tell you that you'll get used to it, that may or may not turn out to be true.
It does help to be near water and being able to wear clothing appropriate to the weather. Having to dress up and be outside can be absolute torture, makeup melts, hairs wilts, ughhh.
You mention edible plants so be aware that if you garden the weeds and the bugs are year round. They don't disappear in the winter like they do in colder areas.
TBH I coped with the summers by either staying at the beach or staying indoors most of the time, then I finally moved to east TN mountains where it is much more pleasant and I can actually enjoy my time outdoors.
[quote=in_newengland;38638322 So how do you cope? Stay inside in a/c all day long? Or go from a/c to a/c to a/c? Anyone in the southeast, how are the summers? Do they limit your activities? Do you get used to it?[/QUOTE]
I grew up in the SE. This is absolutely what people do - stay inside. Spells of extremely hot days unwind into suffocating nights during which it never really cools down. You are trapped.
When was the last time you heard of a heat bird? Those moving from the South to the North in the Winter to avoid the heat.
Many here in TX escape to the mountains and other cool spots for all or part of the summer, to get away from the heat. Colorado and Northern NM are popular spots for 2nd homes or summer rentals.
When we moved from NJ to SC I suffered the first couple of summers we were here, but by the third summer I had adapted and now I don't mind summer that much. Sure, there might be a couple days where I walk outside and hit a wall of humidity that is tough to get through, but I do get through it and find ways to cool off (the neighborhood pool helps).
Many here in TX escape to the mountains and other cool spots for all or part of the summer, to get away from the heat. Colorado and Northern NM are popular spots for 2nd homes or summer rentals.
Nothing wrong with that but how many travel to North Dakota in the Winter. Most people try to escape the extremes not experience them.
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