Wondering — Best Place to Live for 4 Season Weather

[John Goodin]

I wonder if Santa Fe or Albuquerque would be a place in the west that would fit the bill.

[Paul F Franklin]

We often have 4 season weather here in NE Ohio...

We even get in all in the same week!
Sometimes even in the same day!
Just this year - we went from over 50*F on Jan 1st to zero*F on the 23rd - and 2 feet of snow on the ground.


& so - no - I am not joking....
Weather here is so terrible I often wonder why in the world people ever decided to live here in the first place.

Then I realize - historically, they didn't!
NE Ohio, down through history, has always been a place people were passing through on their way to somewhere else. Even centuries before Columbus..

I've lived in NE Ohio my entire life, but have traveled extensively and have no interest in living anywhere but here. I love the change of seasons, (and don't even mind when it's all in one day!). We have the occasional tornado, but no hurricanes, and only very rare and mild earthquakes. Wild fires are pretty much unheard of. Winters any more are pretty mild; we get snow every winter, but usually only get a lot a couple of times a winter. Summers are moderate as well, and although mid-summer humidity is higher than many would like, it's usually only a couple of weeks that are uncomfortable. Fall and spring are wonderful and my favorite seasons. We have abundant clean water that won't run out until long after the rest of the country has dried up. Housing is very affordable compared to many areas.

[Scott Clausen]

I wonder if Santa Fe or Albuquerque would be a place in the west that would fit the bill.

Just came back from there, My son lives in Albuquerque and we went up to Taos to ski for the weekend. I would pick Santa Fe if you can swing it financially. Me I am upstate South Carolina and like it but Asheville NC is usually about ten degrees cooler in summer. Just keep in mind that out west is more desert and the east is more green but also humid.

[Michael Drew]

I wonder if Santa Fe or Albuquerque would be a place in the west that would fit the bill.

I bought a piece of land in Southern Colorado (Pagosa Springs), about an hours drive north of Santa Fe / Albuquerque (depending on your route). The primary driver was climate. Unfortunately, real estate and home building costs have gone nutz. I'm now looking for other options. Eastern Tenn / Kentucky / Missouri are on my list of places to check out next. I'm a bit concerned the humidity will be too much for me to handle in this area though.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I wonder if Santa Fe or Albuquerque would be a place in the west that would fit the bill.

You need to look really hard at crime and education systems in ABQ (BTDT); run. Grass lawn is extreme rarity.
Santa Fe :: great town to visit, but $$$ and VERY restrictive building codes AFAIK - I hope you love adobe/stucco w/ >7000' high desert :: very dry.

Edit: We discussed Santa Fe as retirement destination for about 3 sentences. Maybe 2.5? YMMV.

...But, we lingered on talk of Red River, NM!

[Lee Schierer]

Folks lets keep the political comments/references out of our posts.

[Bill Dufour]

I am looking at retiring to horticultural climate zone 6 or 7. I am currently in zone 1, I think you are in 8 or maybe 9. Pretty predictable east of the Mississippi, but kinda swirly out west.

to me zone 6 is far enough south to grow excellent tomato without needing a greenhouse, but far enough north to minimize summer misery. Zone seven looks a bit on the warm side.

Be careful about climate zones those are USDA numbers. In the West you often see Sunset Magazine climate charts. The numbers are not the same.
Bill D.

[Bill Dufour]

I understand people moving west are shocked by Spanish water laws. From the Rockies west most of the continetal USA is under Spanish water laws. That means you may have no rights to the water on your land. including what comes out of your downspouts. Pump water out of your pond and there may be huge fines if you get caught. Dam up a small trickle of a creek and likewise. If anyone downstream has ever used that water downstream for anything before you did it i not yours to take. People have been killed over water rights. Make sure any property you buy includes water rights. oil and mineral rights do make much difference in price.
Bill D

[ChrisA Edwards]

Lived in IL, CT, MD, NJ, FL, TN and TX in that order over 35 years. Retired back to TN.

[Kris Cook]

I often wonder… Where is the best place to live in the US to experience a four season climate. Specifically, a location where the winters are not long and brutal, but still has some snow, and the summers can get hot but are usually tolerable.

Having always lived in a place where the summers were long and the winters green, the thought of moving to a place that has a regular changing of the season is appealing. North Georgia or North Carolina come to mind.

So where?

No comment.

[Michael Schuch]

I often wonder… Where is the best place to live in the US to experience a four season climate. Specifically, a location where the winters are not long and brutal, but still has some snow, and the summers can get hot but are usually tolerable.

Having always lived in a place where the summers were long and the winters green, the thought of moving to a place that has a regular changing of the season is appealing. North Georgia or North Carolina come to mind.

So where?

I have to ask you why you think that a different climate will be better than the one you are currently in? Austin was the nicest part of Texas I have ever been in as far as climate. N Carolina or S. Carolina are two locations where I think a Texan could get a bit more of the seasons without being overwhelmed.

[Mike Henderson]

Minnesota might be nice this time of year.
OK, TOTALLY joking - I've never been there.

Minnesota has four seasons: (1) Almost winter, (2) winter, (3) still winter and (4) construction.

Mike

[Richard Hart]

We often have 4 season weather here in NE Ohio...

We even get in all in the same week!
Sometimes even in the same day!
Just this year - we went from over 50*F on Jan 1st to zero*F on the 23rd - and 2 feet of snow on the ground.


& so - no - I am not joking....
Weather here is so terrible I often wonder why in the world people ever decided to live here in the first place.

Then I realize - historically, they didn't!
NE Ohio, down through history, has always been a place people were passing through on their way to somewhere else. Even centuries before Columbus..

Same with central Pa. The weather here is... maybe... 2 months of sunny days out of the year. Doesn't help the suicidal winter depressions I get into, either. No money or ability to do the stress of moving,

[Kevin Jenness]

Minnesota has four seasons: (1) Almost winter, (2) winter, (3) still winter and (4) construction.

Mike

They used to say Vermont has six months of winter and another six of damn poor sledding.

What some people consider a moderate climate seems extreme to a northern boy like me. I am sure I would melt living below the Mason-Dixon line in summer.

[Kev Williams]

any place with tall mountains within sight