Hot cities or cold cities; 4 seasons or no seasons; desert cities or green cities?

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

That’s not true, I spent a few weeks in southern France, Cannes and a few other cities in that area during the month of October several years ago. It is my understanding this region is considered a Mediterranean climate. It was definitely warmer and very uncomfortable than what I’m used to in much of the Los Angeles basin.

Also much of the vegetation I seen all around that region as we drove into Italy looks like a lot of Southern California.

I totally agree. I was expecting Barcelona to be like LA weather-wise but it was hot and humid in the summer, like being in New Jersey or Chicago in the summer. Really sticky. Rome was like that too. I was actually surprised.

But the vegetation did indeed remind me of SoCal, the landscapes around the small towns gave me this weird, familiar "I'm home" feeling, even though I obviously wasn't, hehe... varying shades of tan, gold, brown, olive-green hillsides...

I mean look at this; this could be a gas station outside Ojai, or Castaic: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9404...4!8i8192?hl=en

[BG918]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

"Hot humid lowlands are the worst". Curious that New Orleans and Miami are regarded as fun places. Only with constant air conditioning.

I don't mind this climate when it's cloudy. Humid, cloudy days where it's not too hot (because of the clouds) are my favorite. I love slow-moving, tropical downpours and all of the lush vegetation too. When the sun comes out though it can definitely be uncomfortable.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I've actually been very surprised how hot (reading climate data) Rome and particularly Athens gets in the summer.

Athens has average daily means close to 85 in July/August, and average highs of 94 degrees. I wouldn't call that pleasant at all.

Depends on the humidity, but I've lived in Arizona for too long. 85F is not bad if its not humid.

We used to be able to get through a couple weeks of 90+ degree temperatures in Flagstaff without AC but that's changing. The monsoons aren't as frequent and the highs are getting higher and lasting longer.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Indeed. There are several different micro climates in the LA area considering you go from beach up valley to foothills to mountains then high and low desert within 60 miles. For example, it's common to have the following Temps at the same time.. In summer, you can have 70 at Malibu, 80 in Westwood, 85 in downtown LA, 100 in woodland hills, 75 in big bear, 105 in Palmdale and 120 in palm springs.

In winter, it's common for it to be 60 at the beach, 65 inland, 55 in the foothills 20's in the mountains and deserts

Rainfall varies greatly in the L.A. area. Places near the coast can have as little as 10-12 inches of rain per year, while foothill suburbs like Glendale and Sierra Madre average well over 20 inches (Sierra Madre has 24). So, most so of the coast under 20 and downtown at 14" are technically Koppen B (semiarid steppe) climates, while the areas over 20 inches are type C Med. climates. But that us true in the Med as well. Athens only gets about 15 inches, so it is technically Koppen B. Even in the Bay Area, some cities in the rain shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains or Oakland Hills get less than 20 inches per year. San Jose gets about the same rainfall as downtown L.A., about 14-15 inches. A Koppen B climate. Downtown SF averages 23".

[austlar1]

I'm 76 years old and have lived all over the US at different points in my life. California has the nicest overall climate, but it is possible to find aspects of it objectionable. SF is just too chilly and windy in the summertime unless you live in one of the micro-climates sheltered from the wind and fog. LA is just too damn sunny. Day after day of monotonous sunshine. On the other hand, the weather can be so mild and pleasant that it almost feels like floating in the air. Phoenix was just too much for me. The summer heat cancelled everything else out. Atlanta was agreeable for the most part. Mild winters. Spring and Fall rather beautiful. Summer kind of a humid slog. DC was a lot like Atlanta, except the winters were a bit more rugged and tended to linger into March and early April. I always seemed to have a nasty chest cold by late March or early April in DC. NYC was a slightly colder version of DC. I did not like winters in NY. Summers, especially weekends, were not so bad. BTW, I much prefer east coast beaches (North Carolina all the way up to Provincetown) to California beaches. I grew up in Texas, and now I am back living in Austin. I often regret my decision to return here. The summers are brutal in every way. The allergy season is almost year round, but it is at its worst (Cedar/Mountain Juniper) in the winter when the weather is otherwise usually highly agreeable. I think I might like living in coastal North Carolina for some reason, maybe a nice little city like Wilmington. Oh, well. That's not going to happen. I am beached (and there are no beaches) here in Austin for the duration.

[ChrisLA]

I used to think I would like cold snowy winters but the older I get the less I seem to like it. Some of it was the novelty of it not experiencing snow growing up in Los Angeles. The first time I actually seen snow was when I was 12 years old when our church took us to the local mountains.

I do like four seasons and green scenery, and would like more but also at the same time we have enough here in LA, during winter and spring that it keeps me satisfied. I wouldn’t want to live in the desert at all, way too dry and hot. It’s okay to visit during winter but that’s it.

[James Bond Agent 007]

I think my favorite climate would be ... Cleveland.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding is there are even microclimates within San Francisco. Like The Mission is almost always warmer/sunnier than Outer Sunset.

I think a lot of that is due to the topography. The 925 ft tall Twin Peaks serves as a physical barrier. The west side of Twin Peaks, where the Sunset is, gets most of the fog and wind, whereas the east, where Noe Valley and the Mission are, is more protected from the Pacific Ocean and gets more sun and warmth.

Fun fact, before it was renamed Twin Peaks, it was called "Los Pechos de la Chola" or "Breasts of the Indian Maiden".

This is a very common sight up and down the Peninsula.
San Francisco Morning Fog by David Yu, on Flickr

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Yuri

But people in the actual Mediterranean do need AC right? I've never been there during summers but I hear it gets very hot on most places.

It depends. A/C is not very common in Lisbon, but is very common in much of Spain. Even in places where it always gets hot, like Greece, the need for A/C depends on the material that the homes are made from. The stone houses that are common on the islands don't need A/C because they're built like caves. But the houses built in the 20th/21st century tend to use materials that are more prone to heating.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

We used to be able to get through a couple weeks of 90+ degree temperatures in Flagstaff without AC but that's changing. The monsoons aren't as frequent and the highs are getting higher and lasting longer.

[Steely Dan]

I've never really give much thought to the "what climate would I like to live in" question.

I was born in Chicago. I've always lived in Chicago. And I will one day die in Chicago.

So whether or not this is a "good" climate is pretty much irrelevant to me. It just is what it is. Little more than background noise.

I sure as shit ain't ever moving somewhere else for something as mundane as the weather.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Yuri

But people in the actual Mediterranean do need AC right? I've never been there during summers but I hear it gets very hot on most places.

I've spend one whole summer in Cape Town, and it could get hot during the day, specially in the vineyards. In the evenings, temps used to fall considerably to 14C-16C or so. I guess it's more similar to California than with the actual Mediterranean.

The temperature difference between central Cape Town and further inland (Stellenbosch/Paarl) definitely reminds me a bit of California. Last time I was there the Western Cape was experiencing a heat wave - it was about 27C in the City Bowl but got up to 37C when we stayed overnight with a friend in Stellenbosch. Also been there when it was foggy and hovering around 15C for what seemed like several days on end. Of course this past summer they got some record breaking heat in the city where it hit high 30s - I believe there were a number of deaths.

I prefer Johannesburg's climate which rarely gets above 30, drops at night due to the dryness/altitude and doesn't have the cool moisture you can get in CT. Also truly spectacular summer afternoon storms.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Its not humid and the temperature usually drops to the mid to low 60s overnight. Swamp coolers and open windows after sundown help.

[ChiSoxRox]

I'm the oddball that likes cold weather (note my location). I would far rather layer up and enjoy the clarity of a brisk winter day, than deal with weeks of "step outside and start sweating."

[WhipperSnapper]

Toronto can be stifling hot and frigidly cold and both yellow desert and lush green. It's not unique either

[bossabreezes]

Originally Posted by 10023

LA isn’t really a Mediterranean climate though. It is classified as such, but it’s different. Nowhere in the actual Mediterranean is quite that warm and dry in the winter.

It’s really a cross between a Mediterranean and a hot arid climate.

LA definitely is not hot, and it is still too wet to be considered arid. Are you even familiar with the Coastal Southern California Climate? It is indeed much more Mediterranean (probably cooler than the Med in summer, actually) than it is 'hot arid.' To be frank, LA has an even more mild (and better) climate than the Mediterranean. Hot arid exists in California obviously but it's not in Los Angeles.

It's a misconception that LA is hot. It's not, especially not for American standards. It's close to 100 degrees in New York right now and in Coastal Los Angeles it's not even 65.

Anybody that says New York has a good climate is a liar, is disingenuous, or is just a glutton for misery. It truly has a horrible climate, disgusting humidity in the Summer, rain all the time. Winter is miserable and is absolutely not worth being in the city for more than a few days around Christmas. Constant rain, slush, mix. Not much pretty snow, usually it's a nasty mix. Disgusting. You will get about two weeks of actual nice weather in the mid fall and late Spring. The other 50 are misery.

[edale]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

LA definitely is not hot, and it is still too wet to be considered arid. Are you even familiar with the Coastal Southern California Climate? It is indeed much more Mediterranean (probably cooler than the Med in summer, actually) than it is 'hot arid.' To be frank, LA has an even more mild (and better) climate than the Mediterranean. Hot arid exists in California obviously but it's not in Los Angeles.

It's a misconception that LA is hot. It's not, especially not for American standards. It's close to 100 degrees in New York right now and in Coastal Los Angeles it's not even 65.

LA's summer doesn't really begin until July. The hot part of the year is basically July- late October/early November.

[L41A]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

I second this and I don't live there. I like having all the seasons but I don't like harsh winters.

To me, Atlanta's weather is pretty spot on for me. Yes, it gets hot as hell in summer but where doesn't it? I find that its location inland and slightly higher in altitude makes the other seasons there near perfect. I assume it's very similar in Greenville SC and Asheville NC, but those places are too small for me.

I do love the Ocean though, so it would be hard for me to live anywhere further than and hour or two from an Ocean (or the gulf).

Mid-Atlantic cities (Richmond, VA, DC, etc) are closer to the ocean and similar to Atlanta although slightly cooler winters and little more snowy.

I like cold weather (not too much snow though). For me, up to NYC, winters are not too harsh. It's not until New England the winters start getting too harsh for me.

[10023]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Plenty of places in the Mediterranean have similar winter weather to L.A.

Name one. Seville is known as having the mildest winters among European cities and it’s about 10 degrees colder than LA in the winter on average. Valencia is similar, as is Palermo or Messina. Naples and Barcelona are maybe 15 degrees colder on average. Athens can get snow flurries.

[CaliNative]

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