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Hi, Restless! I apologize for jumping in at this point, but I just thought I'd mention that Shellybug does not post all that often and may not see your post for a couple of weeks. So far, it hasn't been particularly cold here, but yes, it does get cold in the winter and if you don't like cold, the winters can seem long. For those who enjoy having four seasons, Salt Lake City definitely does get all four. Because of the low humidity, though, neither the summers nor the winters feel as extreme as they would in an area with more humidity. For your information:
Average daytime summer high 90 degrees F.
Average nighttime summer low 60 degrees F.
Average daytime winter high 40 degrees F.
Average nighttime winter low 20 degrees F.
I hope Shellybug pops in soon and can give you her own perspective, as she would know what you're used to more than we native Utahns would.
No apology necessary - I like to hear different people's perspectives. And thank you for those average temps- that's very helpful!
I have heard that the lack of humidity makes a difference in how harsh the weather feels. We're really not fond of cold weather, but we're also tired of sweating every time we walk outside. I would think we'd eventually adjust to the cooler climate, especially if a "dry" cold doesn't get down to your bones like the cold does here. But as someone who bundles up when it's 40 degrees out, I can only guess what a shock it would be to experience 20 degree highs.
My husband has been looking into St. George, since it's got a much warmer climate. The only thing about that is we won't experience much greenery, or leaves changing with seasons (which I think would make the colder weather worth it).
The mountains in Iron and Washington County have aspens and other trees that do change with the season. We take a "leaf peeping" drive or two every fall. The color change starts at high altitude and drops over a period of weeks to the lower elevations. https://www.visitcedarcity.com/fall-color-report/
St. George is in the Mojave desert. There are things to love about desert plants, the tenacity, the subtle changes after it rains, the smell of them when they're wet, the fragile flowers. It's a whole different ecosystem and takes some time and effort to start to appreciate. You can buy drought tolerant plants that bloom at various times of year, attract birds and butterflies, etc. They're just going to be very different from what you're used to.
I have heard that the lack of humidity makes a difference in how harsh the weather feels. We're really not fond of cold weather, but we're also tired of sweating every time we walk outside. I would think we'd eventually adjust to the cooler climate, especially if a "dry" cold doesn't get down to your bones like the cold does here. But as someone who bundles up when it's 40 degrees out, I can only guess what a shock it would be to experience 20 degree highs.
Trust me, I bundle up when it's 50 degrees out! 20 degree highs are pretty much unheard of. If you'll check my post again, you'll see that the 20 degree temperatures are nighttime lows, not daytime highs. So unless you plan on being outside at 3:00 or 4:00 A.M., you wouldn't have to deal with anything like that.
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My husband has been looking into St. George, since it's got a much warmer climate. The only thing about that is we won't experience much greenery, or leaves changing with seasons (which I think would make the colder weather worth it).
St. George is nice, but as you know, it's in much more of a desert environment. If you're looking for greenery, you'd probably be pretty dissatisfied with it. By the way, here's the same information on temperatures for St. George as I previously posted for Salt Lake City.
Average daytime summer high 102 degrees F.
Average nighttime summer low 76 degrees F.
Average daytime winter high 51 degrees F.
Average nighttime winter low 30 degrees F.
Trust me, I bundle up when it's 50 degrees out! 20 degree highs are pretty much unheard of. If you'll check my post again, you'll see that the 20 degree temperatures are nighttime lows, not daytime highs. So unless you plan on being outside at 3:00 or 4:00 A.M., you wouldn't have to deal with anything like that.
St. George is nice, but as you know, it's in much more of a desert environment. If you're looking for greenery, you'd probably be pretty dissatisfied with it. By the way, here's the same information on temperatures for St. George as I previously posted for Salt Lake City.
Average daytime summer high 102 degrees F.
Average nighttime summer low 76 degrees F.
Average daytime winter high 51 degrees F.
Average nighttime winter low 30 degrees F.
There's only a 10 degree difference between St. George and SLC? I thought the differences were more extreme, especially because as I understand it SLC gets close to 60 inches of snow per year and St. George gets very little. And yes, I see now that you said 20 was a low, not a high. Either way, it's pretty chilly, but I am usually fast asleep during those most frigid hours, so I guess as long as the heat didn't go out it wouldn't be too bad.
There's only a 10 degree difference between St. George and SLC? I thought the differences were more extreme, especially because as I understand it SLC gets close to 60 inches of snow per year and St. George gets very little. And yes, I see now that you said 20 was a low, not a high. Either way, it's pretty chilly, but I am usually fast asleep during those most frigid hours, so I guess as long as the heat didn't go out it wouldn't be too bad.
There is a 1,400 foot change in elevation between St. George and Salt Lake City, which helps explain the difference in the amount of snow. Of course, the temperatures I provided you are averages, and there is often more than a 10 degree difference. We had considered, for a while, looking for a small condo in St. George where we could go for the winter (maybe December through March), but when we started to think about the relatively small difference in temperatures, we realized that in order to really get out of the winter weather, we'd have to go somewhere in Arizona instead. In the end, we decided not to do it.
I'm someone who absolutely hates cold weather, and I'm miserable outside once the temperature drops below 55 or 60. I know so many people, though, who say, "Just dress for it and you'll be fine." There are a lot of winter-lovers here in Salt Lake, so I guess that "just dressing for it" must work for them.
Speaking of UT greenery, I was surprised and amazed that St. George has palm trees! (among other interesting plants like Cedar trees and others.) Interesting climate there.
I'm someone who absolutely hates cold weather, and I'm miserable outside once the temperature drops below 55 or 60. I know so many people, though, who say, "Just dress for it and you'll be fine." There are a lot of winter-lovers here in Salt Lake, so I guess that "just dressing for it" must work for them.
How long have you lived there? Considering that periods of very cold weather are a matter of life in Salt Lake a few months out of the year, do you ever find it unbearable? That's one of my major concerns- I've experienced the brutally hot & humid Florida summers that seem to never end, so I know how well I can handle them. But as much as I'd like to experience changes of seasons, I don't know how well any of us would tolerate a true winter.
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Originally Posted by DougStark
Speaking of UT greenery, I was surprised and amazed that St. George has palm trees! (among other interesting plants like Cedar trees and others.) Interesting climate there.
That is surprising. I'd imagine they're not native. I know that even in desert climates some people manage to have thriving grass yards and other foliage, but it's my understanding that it's unnatural and uses a lot of water resources that are already in short supply in such dry areas.
How long have you lived there? Considering that periods of very cold weather are a matter of life in Salt Lake a few months out of the year, do you ever find it unbearable? That's one of my major concerns- I've experienced the brutally hot & humid Florida summers that seem to never end, so I know how well I can handle them. But as much as I'd like to experience changes of seasons, I don't know how well any of us would tolerate a true winter.
I was born and raised here, and I'm now 69. I guess if I actually found the winters "unbearable," I'd probably move, so no, they're not unbearable. For me, they do seem to last a long time, but that's probably just my perspective. I do love the idea of four real seasons, an I think that's why I continue to deal with the winters. There have been many times when the summer has started to wind down and I find myself thinking that I wish the warm weather would go on forever, but there is absolutely nothing like a beautiful spring day after a long winter. When I stop to think about it, I find myself realizing that I would probably start to take the good weather for granted if I never had anything else to compare it to.
December through February is cold, there's no question about it. And June, July and August are hot. The lack of humidity makes both extremes bearable, though. You have not mentioned your age, health or activity level, but those things could be a factor in your decision to move. In all honesty, should you decide to make the move, you really ought to consider taking up a winter sport. It could be downhill skiing, cross-country skiing or even snowshoeing. If you could afford it, you might want to even invest in a snowmobile! People who take advantage of the winter weather instead of just feeling sorry for themselves all winter (like I do), often discover that the cold doesn't bother them all that much. They look forward to spending time doing things you can only do somewhere where you do have a real winter.
I was born and raised here, and I'm now 69. I guess if I actually found the winters "unbearable," I'd probably move, so no, they're not unbearable. For me, they do seem to last a long time, but that's probably just my perspective. I do love the idea of four real seasons, an I think that's why I continue to deal with the winters. There have been many times when the summer has started to wind down and I find myself thinking that I wish the warm weather would go on forever, but there is absolutely nothing like a beautiful spring day after a long winter. When I stop to think about it, I find myself realizing that I would probably start to take the good weather for granted if I never had anything else to compare it to.
December through February is cold, there's no question about it. And June, July and August are hot. The lack of humidity makes both extremes bearable, though. You have not mentioned your age, health or activity level, but those things could be a factor in your decision to move. In all honesty, should you decide to make the move, you really ought to consider taking up a winter sport. It could be downhill skiing, cross-country skiing or even snowshoeing. If you could afford it, you might want to even invest in a snowmobile! People who take advantage of the winter weather instead of just feeling sorry for themselves all winter (like I do), often discover that the cold doesn't bother them all that much. They look forward to spending time doing things you can only do somewhere where you do have a real winter.
^^^This. And remember - hundreds of millions of people live in 4-season climates with a real winter and get by just fine. You get proper clothes and deal with it. And you'll also appreciate the summer in a way that would have never been previously possible for you.
You have not mentioned your age, health or activity level, but those things could be a factor in your decision to move. In all honesty, should you decide to make the move, you really ought to consider taking up a winter sport. It could be downhill skiing, cross-country skiing or even snowshoeing. If you could afford it, you might want to even invest in a snowmobile! People who take advantage of the winter weather instead of just feeling sorry for themselves all winter (like I do), often discover that the cold doesn't bother them all that much. They look forward to spending time doing things you can only do somewhere where you do have a real winter.
My husband and I are 36, and our boys are 13, 11 and 11 (twins). We're all in good health and fairly active, though I'd like for us to be much more active. In our subdivision we can walk / jog / bike around safely, which we do when the weather is nice. Or we can head to the community pool. We love to be on the water, to kayak and swim. But around here, if you're on a lake you've got gators to eat you when you're in the water and mosquitoes to eat you when you get out. We can drive an hour to a nice beach where we can kayak, park and play in the water, which is nice when we can.
We loved hiking in Utah- we hiked through Kolob Canyon, Bryce and The Narrows. Our sons climbed on every boulder they could reach. There was such a variety of terrain to explore! And we kayaked and swam in Sand Hollow without having to worry about man-eating creatures in the water (that was nice).
I've definitely considered what it could be like to try out a winter sport, and to get the most out of that season, but I know sometimes reality can be much different from fantasy, and I worry that we might be so uncomfortable in the cold weather that we just huddle inside and don't enjoy it. But if you hate the cold and can tolerate it (and still love the seasons), that gives me hope!
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Originally Posted by kletter1mann
[/b]^^^This. And remember - hundreds of millions of people live in 4-season climates with a real winter and get by just fine. You get proper clothes and deal with it. And you'll also appreciate the summer in a way that would have never been previously possible for you.
Yes, and I think that would be wonderful! I keep telling myself people can obviously handle colder climates, but as someone who's grown up learning a tolerance for long periods of heat and humidity, I wonder how long it would take to reverse that and learn to tolerate the cold. But as you both mentioned, I do think fun new winter activities would make it much more bearable!
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