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My initial thought would be Chicago winter since I can take cold better than I can take heat. But, there's one intriguing fact here. During Chicago, if it's too cold, you're screwed. In Phoenix, if you're too hot, drive less than 2 hrs and you're fine.
2 hours away is a quite a bit cooler, but definitely not "cool". A 2 hour drive will put you up in the Sedona area, which can still reach triple digits. Ive left PHX when it was 114 degrees, got to Sedona where it was 95. Yes, it felt better initially, but by the end of the day its still hot and you still sweat. And yes, we can get little breaks, but are you stating we have to drive 2 hours, each day, for 5 months to get relief? That, uh, isn't really feasible at all.
It's amazing how so many people become defensive or aggressive when just describing their preferences. As many have said here, there is no right or wrong, no correct answer--it's all about preferences.
I myself might slightly tilt to a hot summer like Phoenix rather than snow and cold winter like Chicago because I absolutely hate driving in snow and the northern cities are dark in winter. But fortunately we don't have to choose either to live. You can live in two places--warm in winter, and cooler in summer. Or you can live somewhere else entirely that does not have either winters or summers that are too extreme. Like Albuquerque or other places.
[quote=BIG CATS;46721207]2 hours away is a quite a bit cooler, but definitely not "cool". A 2 hour drive will put you up in the Sedona area, which can still reach triple digits. Ive left PHX when it was 114 degrees, got to Sedona where it was 95. Yes, it felt better initially, but by the end of the day its still hot and you still sweat. And yes, we can get little breaks, but are you stating we have to drive 2 hours, each day, for 5 months to get relief? That, uh, isn't really feasible at all.[/QUOT
20 degrees is a pretty nice drop but if you were looking for cooler Flag is just a little further. Why does it take you 2 hours to get to Sedona? I'm usually at 90 minutes, unless there is traffic on the 17. Flag usually takes 2 hours, and it rarely hits 90 there, even on the hottest days. Plus for a Chicagoan 2 hours each way is like a normal daily commute anyways, so what's the big deal? It's a pretty nice benefit to living somewhere with elevation changes.
And quit with the 5 months of heat nonsense.... you act like it's 114 for 22 straight weeks day and night! There's cool mornings as late as early June and as early as Mid-September.
When it gets too cold in my city, we go inside (normally heated to the optimal temperature of 98.6F) or we drive 3 hours south, get out of the car and gush about how we can escape the cold so easily, then drive back home. This is our little secret in my city, please don't tell anyone (wink), otherwise everybody will move here.
Arizona by far. Things like no street parking during heavy snow fall, power outages, traffic snarles assoicated with winter Chicago is insane.
Don't get me wrong Phx summer will keep you indoors just as much. But there is not much of a ripple effect. Like having to get a season specific wardrobe, starting your car up all night so the battery won't die, shoveling driveways and sidewalks, etc.
2 hours away is a quite a bit cooler, but definitely not "cool". A 2 hour drive will put you up in the Sedona area, which can still reach triple digits. Ive left PHX when it was 114 degrees, got to Sedona where it was 95. Yes, it felt better initially, but by the end of the day its still hot and you still sweat. And yes, we can get little breaks, but are you stating we have to drive 2 hours, each day, for 5 months to get relief? That, uh, isn't really feasible at all.[/QUOT
20 degrees is a pretty nice drop but if you were looking for cooler Flag is just a little further. Why does it take you 2 hours to get to Sedona? I'm usually at 90 minutes, unless there is traffic on the 17. Flag usually takes 2 hours, and it rarely hits 90 there, even on the hottest days. Plus for a Chicagoan 2 hours each way is like a normal daily commute anyways, so what's the big deal? It's a pretty nice benefit to living somewhere with elevation changes.
And quit with the 5 months of heat nonsense.... you act like it's 114 for 22 straight weeks day and night! There's cool mornings as late as early June and as early as Mid-September.
I never said it was 114 for 5 months, so quit putting words in my mouth. My rule is, if I have to run the a/c, its hot out. And May, June, July, August, September, and a bit of October is definitely a/c season. Now go away.
2 hours away is a quite a bit cooler, but definitely not "cool". A 2 hour drive will put you up in the Sedona area, which can still reach triple digits. Ive left PHX when it was 114 degrees, got to Sedona where it was 95. Yes, it felt better initially, but by the end of the day its still hot and you still sweat. And yes, we can get little breaks, but are you stating we have to drive 2 hours, each day, for 5 months to get relief? That, uh, isn't really feasible at all.
Thanks for saying what I thought about "feasibility".
What would the other poster have a person in Phoenix do every super hot day? Drive 2 hours 1 way each morning & night in a daily commute to escape the day time heat? Not particularly practical, imho...
What would the point be of living there in the summer then?
I never said it was 114 for 5 months, so quit putting words in my mouth. My rule is, if I have to run the a/c, its hot out. And May, June, July, August, September, and a bit of October is definitely a/c season. Now go away.
I said you "act like it", you love to exaggerate things and make it sound worse then it really is. Lots of cities have to turn their A/C in in the summer months.... WHOEEEEEPPEEE
Thanks for saying what I thought about "feasibility".
What would the other poster have a person in Phoenix do every super hot day? Drive 2 hours 1 way each morning & night in a daily commute to escape the day time heat? Not particularly practical, imho...
What would the point be of living there in the summer then?
Really??
What do a lot of people in cold climates do for winter vacations? They go somewhere warm to get a break from it.
In Phoenix, we've got the luxury of simply driving a car 140 miles and being in 30 degree cooler weather to get away from the heat a few weekends each summer. In Chicago you're not getting anywhere near that kind of temperature swing driving 140 miles in any direction, you're probably flying.
Get it now?
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What is easier to deal with..
