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Am curious if you have ever spent a winter where temps struggle to get out of the 30's in January. Day in and day out with those temps wears you down. Not to mention the bleak landscape with all the leafless trees. Maybe as a kid it is fun with snow, but not when you have to trudge to work thru it. Then you get hit with a two week period almost every winter where temps struggle to get above freezing. By the end of February personally I've had it, and I then crave sun and warmth. But when you get lucky enough to hop on a plane and land in a place like Miami in January I find it amazing. You hear the wind thru the palm trees, the sun, the air feels so warm even though it might only be 75F. I don't think winter is overrated in S. Florida after you've put up with our winter.
I live two hours north of you, so I've experienced what you're talking about. I'm willing to put up with the inconveniences winter throws at us. I have no problem clearing ice and snow off my car, shoveling, etc. It's totally worth it to me. I enjoy a bleak winter landscape. I wouldn't say sunshine is lacking here during the winter, at least not compared to places like the UK and the PNW.
Like I said earlier in the thread, I have family that lived in South FL for twenty years. They think the weather is overrated down there and truly appreciate the fresh air and seasonal changes up north. I personally don't know why you would want to experience 75 F in January. It could be that warm anytime from April to October. More than enough of the year is mild to warm.
I live two hours north of you, so I've experienced what you're talking about. I'm willing to put up with the inconveniences winter throws at us. I have no problem clearing ice and snow off my car, shoveling, etc. It's totally worth it to me. I enjoy a bleak winter landscape. I wouldn't say sunshine is lacking here during the winter, at least not compared to places like the UK and the PNW.
Like I said earlier in the thread, I have family that lived in South FL for twenty years. They think the weather is overrated down there and truly appreciate the fresh air and seasonal changes up north. I personally don't know why you would want to experience 75 F in January. It could be that warm anytime from April to October. More than enough of the year is mild to warm.
You know the deal with this topic…there is no right answer. Everyone has different tastes in food, fashion, entertainment…..and even climate. Also, I agree, places in your neck of the woods (NW –NJ) have a long season of warmth/mild temps, so I’m sure many folks welcome a seasonal change and cold temps for afew months.
However, to be fair to the other side of the coin….I also know people who moved from cold/snowy/cloudy winter climates like Boston, Chicago, and Seattle - and fled to Florida and love the weather/climate every day. I knew one college friend who grew to hate the winter season in Chicago so much - that one day he quit his job, cleaned out his apartment in two days, and got in his car a drove south to Melbourne, FL never to return. In fact, he’ll only visit his family Chicago between April and October. So there are just as many people who enjoy winterless climate like Florida, and could care less that it’s often 80 F in the middle of January.
We are very lucky in the states we have so many climates to choose from.
Though one week of cloudy weather doesn't feel all that bad, and being able to have a break from the cold felt like a novelty. If I had stayed in the UK the whole winter, perhaps I would have been more bothered by the cloudiness. Plus, both the time I visited London in the winter I experienced a completely clear "dome blue" sky. And I remember a mostly cloudy, but not completely cloudy day around 50°F. And ther was lots of green. Green is uplifting, too.
We've been having a stretch of mostly cloudy weather in the mid 50s to mid 60s. I've enjoyed it, and the clouds seem to go well with cool weather. As long as i see some blue sky as opposed to a blank gray sky I think I'm ok with mostly cloudy weather it's just for winter (and not that cold).
Clouds in the summer usually annoy; they don't feel right. Plus, our cloudy days in the summer are often accompanied by high dew points that are often not that pleasant. Just an ugly haze.
Exactly. I'll never forget looking out the plane window and seeing the greenest grass I can remember. This was in January btw. England (not sure about Scotland), was really mild feeling to me. I didn't need a hat or heavy duty coats. My hands did get really cold a lot though from the damp chill. All in all I would say an easy winter to get thru temp wise. An oceanic climate in winter, say 45F, with lows not much lower, feels great after morning lows in the teens and high's in the 30F range.
When did you go to England? I was there this past December thru January and came back shortly after New Year's and the temps were mostly mid to high 40s and a few low 50s days towards the latter half of my visit. You know what I saw what was amazing? Me and OH were in London and we were walking by the Thames and we saw a huge Canary Date Palm in a park near the Thames
When did you go to England? I was there this past December thru January and came back shortly after New Year's and the temps were mostly mid to high 40s and a few low 50s days towards the latter half of my visit. You know what I saw what was amazing? Me and OH were in London and we were walking by the Thames and we saw a huge Canary Date Palm in a park near the Thames
It's amazing what the Gulf Stream will do... London at 51N is in the same hardiness zone as Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9).
It's amazing what the Gulf Stream will do... London at 51N is in the same hardiness zone as Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9).
Oh yes. Look at coastal Norway, it's FAR warmer than the rest of Scandinavia due to the Gulf Stream, with mild to cool winters at subarctic and arctic latitudes. And, of course, as people have brought up before, Bermuda. Bermuda is the only place in the world where coconut palm trees thrive at that latitude 32°N and that's due to the Gulf Stream. I think also that the Gulf Stream allows coconut palms to grow up to central coastal Florida, I believe, since zone 10 extends all the way up to the Space Coast
When did you go to England? I was there this past December thru January and came back shortly after New Year's and the temps were mostly mid to high 40s and a few low 50s days towards the latter half of my visit. You know what I saw what was amazing? Me and OH were in London and we were walking by the Thames and we saw a huge Canary Date Palm in a park near the Thames
I was not there this past January, but in January 1997, lol. Leaving here it was cold and the grass was like the usual brown-light green. There it was deep green and temps in the 40's. I went again the next year in Feb for a long weekend, and I saw flowers popping up. Warmer winter than here and you could feel it.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed
Same here. I love oceanic climates. I was amazed to see green grass when I visited England last winter. I'm not a big fan of snow and ice, but I appreciate cooler, but not cold, winters
Winter is the season when everything is greenest here (our vegetation is exclusively evergreen too). In summer everything is brown/yellow.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Originally Posted by Joe90
The ideal winter for me is green grass , sunny skies, temps in the 10-16C/50-60F range, frequent heavy rain and snowcapped mountains close by. I find winter uplifting for that reason. After 3-4 overcast days, I count my lucky stars it doesn't happen that often.
Sunny skies and frequent heavy rain? Lol. Actually for the amount of rain to sunshine ratio, somewhere like Geraldton, WA is good. There are more raindays than there are cloudy days! They call the south coast of WA the 'rainbow coast' for that reason, because the sun often comes out after a heavy rain and sun-showers are pretty common.
It's amazing what the Gulf Stream will do... London at 51N is in the same hardiness zone as Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9).
True enough, amazing for the latitude. But since looking into all stuff related to hardiness zones and plants, it is really not the full picture.
The American Horticultural Society has zones of heat:
These zones reflect the number of days per year over 86F. London is in zone 2, while Jacksonville is in zone 9 (150 days above 86F). So while they may be in the same hardiness zone, London cannot grow plants that need tropical like warmth. Take cotton for example. Ideal growing conditions for cotton are daytime highs of 90F to 95F (the US South in summer). Cotton has no chance anywhere in England. Certain plants may grow in both climates, but if it needs warmth to really flourish, it will remain stunted in the UK. Same for things like peaches. Last time I checked the UK wasn't known for the cultivation of peaches. Peaches need at least one month with a mean temp over 70F. Point is, hardiness zone, like std deviation for temps, is only half the picture.
Knowing you are a heat lover, take a look at the five day for two locations. And one is in a higher hardiness zone than the other. The first two days are below normal for Charleston, and since London avg high around 50F I think, then London is above normal the first couple of days. But where would you rather be (temp wise of course):
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