re: Olds who left heat of the south to live in the cold winter of the north? Was it worth it?

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Yeah I’m not talking about Colorado I’m talking about up north, where August is 80-85 tops

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I don't understand much about this thread.

I don't know many places in the US where August is 80-85 tops.

We spend most summers in NW Montana, which is about as far north in the US as you can get. And yes there are many August days where the highs are in the 70s and lows in 40s. But it also gets into the 100s sometimes.

You seem to be describing more San Francisco weather.

Not the point of your thread but we spend 3-5 weeks every year in Wyoming. Spring, Fall, and usually go up for 4-5 days for Christmas there. Have been looking at property up there around Jackson for 4 years. Last year I made a trip up there at the end of January. That was an eye opener because of the extreme cold and wind.

It may change seasons and get cold in October and it may snow 2 feet before Christmas. But... winter does not start until January and it is a cooooold mutha. Going to the store or out to dinner is not easy in Jan, Feb and even March. Talking about sustained nut chilling weather. Been rethinking Wyoming a bit.

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I've been in the northeast six years, and I've never known a single person that has done this, wants to do this, or even knows where to go if they did. It's a thing way up in Canada and maybe a couple states, but not the entire north.

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The northeast may be different but cabin fever is real for me in ND. Being from the south, I’ve never experienced it before. Downright miserable to be that cold and not much to do in the city. Pretty sure they ice fish in most of the northern states (Montana to Indiana maybe).

My daughter was just born this past April (mid April) and it was -2 that morning and we had 6in of snow that day.

Now they do have positives about living up here. Crime is non-existent, people are generally nicer, schools seem to be modern/nice, and spring/summers are really nice. A lot more places to hike and sight-see. In my opinion, it just doesn’t outweigh the negatives (winters, food, lack of things to do, etc).

The northeast is different I’m sure. Much more things to do and milder winters.

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Sitting on a block of ice in subfreezing temperatures because you're desperate to get out of your own home.

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It usually involves, chairs, beer, music, and a fire.

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The northeast may be different but cabin fever is real for me in ND.

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Went to North Dakota about 6 years ago to hunt Canadas and Pheasant. Was there for 5 days. The warmest it got while we were there was -12F.

That was the high. Didn't realize that even the tractor barns had to be heated. Hunting was awesome but damn that was cold.

Cold weather fricking HURTS and no amount of layers has ever been able to fix that for me. Heat never felt physically painful to me or even all that uncomfortable but I have thin Florida blood. I don’t mind heat at all.

I’ll also add that most of the South gets cold as hell for at least a couple months a year and could only really be considered HOT for around 3 months so I don’t really grasp the idea of running away up north.

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Sounds awesome, tell me more. What do you do for work?

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Right now I am working for the ferry system. Usually work about 37 hours a week for 9 months a year.

Flagstaff

I lived in Minnesota for 14 months. Too cold. It would take 4 X my salary to go back. frick that place.

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I didn’t know cold that got into your bones and soul until I moved here. You don’t forget standing on a train platform when it’s 15 below with 35 or 40 below wind chill and the moisture inside your nose and on your eyeballs is freezing.


Chicago probably has cold spells that are colder than we get here. It's pretty mild on the coast.

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I used to live in Seattle, so I know the PNW climate pretty well. As I understand it, Juneau is basically Seattle and Vancouver but about five to eight degrees cooler - similar precipitation, similar vegetation, similar weather patterns. I don't think the PNW is all that bad generally - if you get on the other side of the mountains away from the coast, it can get pretty bad (get on the other side of the mountains in Washington into the Columbia River Valley near Ellensburg and Yakima, and you'll start seeing some real cold) - but near the coast is mild-ish pretty much all year.

It's why "the north" is just as varied as "the south" - I wouldn't compare Virginia to Louisiana to New Mexico just as I wouldn't really compare the PNW to the Upper Midwest to New England.

The Upper Midwest/Great Lakes Basin is absolutely bone-chilling in the winter in a way that the PNW and New England are not. You get into Michigan, Chicagoland, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana, and central Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, etc.), and it's the closest thing North America has to the Russian winter. Just absurdly cold at times.