NC Ladies: Questions about NC weather

[ejs]

DH and I are talking about moving out of California, sob! DH's family is in the Northeast and he'd like to be closer to them. One place we're considering is NC. We have some good friends in Chapel Hill who are pushing their area really hard.

A big concern of mine is weather because I'm so spoiled by the CA weather. Is the humidity really awful? How much time of the year is humid? How are the winters? I've been told that the ice storms are more of a fluke than a common thing. We want to visit when the weather is at its worst; what are those months? Anything else I should know about North Carolina weather?

Thanks!

[Regina Phalange]

Honestly, NC weather can't really be defined. It has changed so much over the past 15 years. Some winters we get snow but not much to speak of. I don't think weather is something to be concerned about in NC but that is coming from someone who has always lived in NC. There are a couple girls who have moved from Cali to NC so they might be better able to help you. :p

[ejs]

So you don't really notice the humidity?

[Scoutesina]

OK, I live in SC, but I'll admit I notice the humidity, and I've lived here for 25 years! The mountains and coast have slightly different climates, but the middle of the state/Research Triangle Area is pretty similar to where I am in the middle of SC. We've already had some humid, 80 degree days, but so far nothing bad. To me, July and August are the worst.

I remember coming home one summer after I'd moved away for a year and lived in CO. Although the temp in CO was about the same as it was in NC, stepping off the plane in NC felt like stepping into an oven after my year in the dry West. When it's at its worst, the humidity makes it hard to breathe and gives me heat headaches if I overexert myself (but I'm kind of a wimp :o ). But...everything is air conditioned, and most people just kind of hole up during the code red ozone/high humidity days. The nice thing about the RTA is you can make quick weekend trips to the mountains to cool off or the beach to just wallow in the sun. Also, the RTA has a lot of nice cultural advantages and a population that's very well-educated and diverse, with a lot of people transplanted in from other regions.

My other least favorite thing about our climate: huuuuge, exotic bugs. I have gotten more mysterious bug bites in our backyard than I think I would've from traveling to Africa. But if you bring your bugspray and your sunscreen, you will find it isn't so bad down here. We have polite people who'll hold the door for you and call you ma'am and give you all the sweet tea you can drink!

[Myra]

A big concern of mine is weather because I'm so spoiled by the CA weather. Is the humidity really awful? How much time of the year is humid? How are the winters? I've been told that the ice storms are more of a fluke than a common thing. We want to visit when the weather is at its worst; what are those months? Anything else I should know about North Carolina weather?

I lived in Chapel Hill for almost 2 years, and it is definitely humid, especially if you're not from the East Coast and not used to it. Summer can be a killer.

It also seemed like it was always raining, or raining every two days, and it was always a downpour.

It snows at least once a year but somehow they do not understand the concept of snow removal, so expect at least of treacherous roads for every 1.5 inches of snow. ;)

[Regina Phalange]

It snows at least once a year but somehow they do not understand the concept of snow removal.
Not to be nit-picky but NC does not have tax dollars for snow removal. Not the we don't understand that concept, the state just chooses not to waste the money on snow plows since it snows *maybe* once a year.

Off my soapbox now.:)

[bookworm]

EJS, my friends moved from Boston to coastal NC a few years ago, and they love it. I believe the ocean breezes keep the humidity from being too bad (but in July/August, it can be brutal in MA, so the standard may be different).

[Camdynlyn]

I guess I don't notice the humidity because it's all I've ever known. I don't know anything different! :p I love it here and we have perfect weather, I think. Nice summers, chilly winters and maybe one snow per year that worth mentioning.

[ejs]

Thanks, everyone!

Camdynlyn, I've never been to NC, but I might have to say that CA has perfect weather. That's why we're all crazy enough to pay an arm and a leg for houses. :-)

[mb1197]

DH and I moved from MA to NC in 2002. Best move we ever made.:D Don't get me wrong, I love my home state, stick by my sports teams up there, but I really do love it down here and we have adjusted very well over the past few years. People are different, climate is different, that's what change is all about. It reminds me of back home in MA sometimes because there is a distinction with seasons and the scenery is similar (less gray of course and a lot more green!) so it's been a comfortable change for us. The humidity really doesn't bother either of us. Maybe it's because we were already used to the humidity back home.

[heather 8^)]

I'm from Chicago originally, and yes the humidity is stifling, IMO. I disagree about the bugs, but I have done field work in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Venezuela so maybe my idea of huuuuge exotic bugs is a little different. :)

The ice storms are definitely more of a fluke than a typical thing, but I'd say we have had at least one a winter for the last several years. They're not all the bad, knock-your-power-out-for-weeks kind, but they do make the commute a bear. More common is snow that doesn't get plowed in time, making the roads incredibly slippery. That said, we don't get much snow, so that's not an everyday issue, either.

Don't forget that NC gets its fair share of hurricanes/named storms. Two years ago, I think we got almost as many named storms as Florida; but of course they didn't have the same intensity as FL got. And obviously the coast gets 'em more, but it also seems like a lot of storms from the Gulf come up straight through the Western part of the state, so go fig!

So IMO, the worst weather months would be January and August. All that said, I LOVE it in Central NC and never want to leave!! :D

[mb1197]

Oh, I forgot to chime in on the bugs and the ice storms...

Ice storms first - We moved down during that horrible ice storm in December of 2002. Most of the power was out down here the day we arrived with all our belongings in the Penske moving truck. Needless to say we were a bit surprised considering we thought we wer moving away from bad weather.:rolleyes: Thankfully we haven't seen anything nearly as bad since.

HUUUUUGE Bugs - Um, yeah, scary Sh!T the first time this northern girl had to deal with them.:eek: Picture this...DH and I sitting on the deck of our new home the first spring. HUUUUGE June bug flies in hair. Screaming girl runs in circles. DH screams louder than screaming girl as one hits him in the forehead and runs in identicle circles. Neighbors poke head out of doors. Realize it's just a couple of not-quite-yet-adjusted-Yankees, knowingly shake their heads and retreat back into their houses.

Anyway, been here for a few years and it seems the bugs have gotten smaller - or, we've just gotten used to them. Oh, and we went to Costa Rica on our honeymoon so you'd think I would've been more prepared.:rolleyes:

[ejs]

HUUUUUGE Bugs - Um, yeah, scary Sh!T the first time this northern girl had to deal with them.:eek: Picture this...DH and I sitting on the deck of our new home the first spring. HUUUUGE June bug flies in hair. Screaming girl runs in circles. DH screams louder than screaming girl as one hits him in the forehead and runs in identicle circles. Neighbors poke head out of doors. Realize it's just a couple of not-quite-yet-adjusted-Yankees, knowingly shake their heads and retreat back into their houses.

This is hysterical!! I'm a bug wimp. I can't even smoosh spiders with a Kleenex. My ILs actually gave me a bug vacuum so I don't have to get closer than 2 feet to a bug.

[mb1197]

This is hysterical!! I'm a bug wimp. I can't even smoosh spiders with a Kleenex. My ILs actually gave me a bug vacuum so I don't have to get closer than 2 feet to a bug.
Ok, I definitely need a bug vacuum. I had no idea such a thing even existed, but since it does I'm putting it on my wish list for my birthday!

[tbell]

I need a bug vacuum too! I've lived in NC for 17 years and I still hate the bugs. I usually keep a can of Raid near me during the summer, whether I'm outside or inside. We may be contaminated with pesticides, but we're bug free!:D

[kam]

I moved from the northeast so I'm used to humidity, but the one thing I noticed is that things change within a day. In the winter, I had winter and summer clothes out - one day it could be 30 degrees, the next day it could be 60! Yes, humidity is definitely here like anywhere else in the east, so I'd come out here in June to see if you can take it.