[LexusNexus]

Originally Posted by Vermonr

November- all the leaves are gone, it's the first time it really gets cold so nobody is used to it yet, everything is ugly and brown.
January- freezing cold, so cold your body actually hurts, BUT usually the cold means there are more clear sunny days.
February- still cold, people are starting to get sick of winter, but not quite as cold as January.
March- mud season, still cold, dirt roads get soft, everything gets covered in dirt. If you want to really get the Vermont experience drive a sports car down Texas Hill Road in Hinesburg right after a thaw.
April- still cold, the cities get filthy because all the snow melts, leaving garbage everywhere. Nothing green sprouts until the end of April.

As a disclaimer, I love VT in spite of all this.

Sounds pretty bleak, unless you're being deeply stimulated by the college experience, in serious love with a woman and enjoying her every day, very happy with what you do for a living, deriving immense joy from your kids and family, and/or physically able to derive an immense amount of inner gratification from exercising and the camaraderie with others.

Never had the pleasure yet, but I imagine VT to be an enchanting place.

[Sporin]

So much gets written on these forums about our winters up here... the cold, the dark, they drag on and on. I supposed that's true but as someone who has lived their whole life in northern New England, I don't really think it's that big of a deal. I suppose it might be because I have nothing else to compare it to, but I don't find it oppressive or life-killing. It's just "winter." If you live here you don't let it control your life. You put on snow tires so that weather doesn't keep you home bound. You get some indoor hobbies and activities to do when it's dark out. You enjoy the majestic, snowy outdoors when you can.

It's like the bad rap we get up here for being "unfriendly" or mean to outsiders. I've moved around a bunch up here and have always found folks to be warm and welcoming. I don't think I've ever heard a person under 60 even mention "flatlanders" much less ostracize them.

Northern New England isn't perfect, but it's a great place to live and raise a family imo. NH & VT routinely top the national "Quality of Life" surveys for a reason. Are other place more prosperous, have better weather, or boast more attractions and amenities? Sure, but all those things aren't necessarily necessary for everyone, nor do they always offset an areas other negatives.

/rant

[Cackalassie]

Originally Posted by Sporin

It's just "winter." If you live here you don't let it control your life. You put on snow tires so that weather doesn't keep you home bound. You get some indoor hobbies and activities to do when it's dark out. You enjoy the majestic, snowy outdoors when you can.

Thanks for this. This has basically been our gut feeling about winters up there, but folks do talk about it quite a bit. We lived in Norway and loved the snow, I figure we can handle Vermont, but folks keep telling us that it is somehow different in VT, not as clear, blue, whatever. I think I may get a little twitchy during the mud season, but it is a relatively small period of time that is wholly worth it for a glorious winter and supreme summer.

[joe moving]

If you sit inside waiting for summer, I don't think it will go well.
March/April can be cold and dismal or blue and beautiful:

April 10, 2014


April 26, 2014

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Cackalassie

Down here, winter has become fall, and some Novembers find us in short-sleeves. Makes me want to weep. I can't even talk about s***er. By June I'm done with the crushing heat

Sounds like me. Beauty about New England is you truly get 4 seasons so if you cant stand one, just wait a couple months. unlike the south where it's still in the torching 80s now.

I agree with November or April. Transition months although you can sometimes get some big interesting storms which wouldn't make it "bleak" at that time.

[chris410]

For me the two bleakest worst months of the year are BY Far November and April.

In November its dark in the 4 oclock hour and everything is dead, its cold, its often cloudy and rainy. straight up miserable, no snow on the ground to brighten things up or to enjoy winter activities yet, plus nothing is frozen yet (no ice skating/fishing/etc) by far the boringest time of the year. Maybe hunters like it?

April is almost as bad, the snow is either almost all gone, or is brown and frozen lakes are no unsafe, the ground is soft as quicksand.. mud! again its not really warm enough to do anything outside, but its not cold enough either. you get teased with a few semi decent days followed by weeks of cold rain and mud.

Summer is obviously great in New England and Winter is pretty good to (at least in northern new England where there is an abundance of wintertime activities to enjoy) I agree with the other poster who said winters in the city are awful.

[cloven]

I'd agree with what many others have said in this thread.

It's the "in-betweeny" times that are the least pleasant (for me):
when it's neither cold enough to be snowy/snow-covered
nor warm enough to leave one's windows open all night.

Once the leaves have dried up and blown off the trees (late fall), I become impatient for snow already.
Once the snow has gone (early spring), I get impatient for it to be warm & for vegetation to return already.

The whole time change thing (meaning it's suddenly an hour darker an hour earlier) annoys me to no end, but that's a separate rant...

[John13]

Originally Posted by cloven

I'd agree with what many others have said in this thread.

It's the "in-betweeny" times that are the least pleasant (for me):
when it's neither cold enough to be snowy/snow-covered
nor warm enough to leave one's windows open all night.

Once the leaves have dried up and blown off the trees (late fall), I become impatient for snow already.
Once the snow has gone (early spring), I get impatient for it to be warm & for vegetation to return already.

The whole time change thing (meaning it's suddenly an hour darker an hour earlier) annoys me to no end, but that's a separate rant...

Outsider here that caught this topic on the front page. I agree with you on the time change, cloven, I'm not looking forward to that at all.

Glad I had the chance to visit your great state. Took back soime nice memories. Wonderful area with friendly and considerate people.

[Hopes]

I'll find out how dreary November is in two weeks. I can't imagine it being worse than mud season.

[sovertennis]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I'll find out how dreary November is in two weeks. I can't imagine it being worse than mud season.

It is. Come mud season, winter is just about behind us. In November, it's all in front of us.

Hoping for an early snow, and xc skiing before Christmas, to end the dreariness.