What is easier to deal with; the Phoenix Summer or the Chicago Winter? (rates, people)
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One aspect of a cold climate that is easy to overlook is that in northern latitudes, the amount of winter daylight is very short, dwindling to zero at the Arctic Circle. And in Chicago, it is not unusual to go two weeks without ever seeing the sun. Midwestern cities , with high humidity, can feel as hot as Arizona for days at a time, but with no air conditioning to escape to. In northern Michigan cities, the number of houses with central AC is maybe 2%.
I live in Wisconsin, and it can get very hot here. Almost everyone I know has central air (myself included). This isn't something that's rare by any stretch of the imagination. In my neighborhood, there might be one or two houses without central air. I know in more urban areas, low-rent apartments probably do not have air conditioning, and lower income areas would more likely have window units. When my daughter was in her college apartments in Milwaukee, all but one had air conditioning. It's not at all uncommon.
That's a great question and it is tough to answer but I can say this: Chicago winters are horrible. Most people will say that and you know what? All you have to do is watch the news regularly and check the 10 day forecasts. It is obvious and I'll say it again: Chicago winters are HORRIBLE!
I do admit its tough to stay cool if its hot but at least you don't have to clean the garage or the driveway when its 90+ and you don't have to worry about crashing into other cars or having to warm up the car battery.
It is just a matter of picking your poison cause both temperature extremes have their pluses and minuses.
Sorry Steve-O I know how much you love Chicago but their winters suck really bad!!
It's all opinion and preference. This is one of the most extreme winters in a long time, but I certainly wouldn't say i'm unhappy right now. I really don't mind the cold that much. Honestly the only time this winter when everyone really started talking weather and being upset was that 2 days where it was below zero. After that people moved on and just go about their business.
Warm weather is definitely much better than the cold; from a historical point of view and from almost any other view. Man has always opted for warm weather hands-down throughout its history. Almost all civilizations started on warm-weather lands.
Why don’t vacationers switch their vacations to winter instead of the summer? Heck everyone can tour Europe during the winter blizzards months.
Why do most people go to hot summer regions such as the Mediterranean, Bahamas, Hawaii, Rio, Cozumel for their vacations and do not opt for subzero winter vacations in Chicago, New York and other rust belt cities?
There is a difference between warm, and suck-ass HOT like Houston. NOONE in their right mind vacations in Houston in summer. Or Phoenix. Or Death Valley.
Places like WI, MI, etc, are JAM PACKED with vacationers in summer because, well, noone wants to visit southern states in summer time, thats just awful.
Cold weather is easier to deal with: ITS CALLED PUT ON SOME CLOTHES and deal with it for a few months. Then when its over, bust out the shorts and enjoy the outdoors while all those down South suffer and get stinky/irritable/etc and burn to death.
There is a difference between warm, and suck-ass HOT like Houston. NOONE in their right mind vacations in Houston in summer. Or Phoenix. Or Death Valley.
Orlando and New Orleans get millions of tourists each year. Their weather is similar to Houston’s. Houston is not a tourist destination because its economy relies on better paying industries. But if Houston were to build a Disneyworld type amusement park and legalize gambling. I am sure it would also get tourists. But like I said Houston doesn’t need tourists.
I think this thread isn't extreme enough. If you're looking to compare the 48, then you need a better extreme.
From what I heard, Yuma, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City are hotter than Phoenix in the summer.
Also, Duluth, MN, Minneapolis, MN, Fargo, ND, Grand Forks, ND, International Falls, MN, Superior, WI, etc etc etc are much colder in the winter than Chicago.
Chicago's winters are more bearable than the winters here. Down there in Chicago, people get less harsh cold snaps than we do.
Only difference is, I believe they get more snow, because of the warmer temperatures. We haven't gotten true snow for a long time, up here in Duluth.
Let's just say this: I'd rather walk around in extreme heat for ten minutes, and not in extreme cold in ten minutes. If someone has never experienced the double digit below zero temperatures with double digit below zero windchills with the double digit MPH winds, then you don't know true bone chilling ungodly cold.
One aspect of a cold climate that is easy to overlook is that in northern latitudes, the amount of winter daylight is very short, dwindling to zero at the Arctic Circle. And in Chicago, it is not unusual to go two weeks without ever seeing the sun. Midwestern cities , with high humidity, can feel as hot as Arizona for days at a time, but with no air conditioning to escape to. In northern Michigan cities, the number of houses with central AC is maybe 2%.
Hmm......what?
First of all, I just looked it up and 83% of houses in the Midwest have air conditioning. Your 2% in northern Michigan is still a huge stretch. It's well into the 80's in northern Michigan during the summer. They certainly have air conditioning. Most units in the Midwest are dual air/heat. You have to have heat, why wouldn't you get the dual unit?
Chicago sees an average of 9 hours and 7 minutes of daylight during it's shortest day. Phoenix sees 9 hours and 56 minutes, or around 8% more. It's not really that much more extreme.
In Chicago it is unusual to go 2 weeks without seeing the sun. The month with the least sunshine in Chicago is January, where we see 46% of our average sunshine. DC also sees 46%, and Portland sees 23%. 46% isn't really unusual for January outside the southwest. That's still an average of about 1 out of every 2 days. We have had streaks of no sun for well over a week, but it's not common. This winter we've actually seen much more sun than an average January. Most days in January were completely clear.
Chicago has a 12.2% chance of seeing 1/2 inch or more of snow on any given day between November 15th and March 31st, when our snow falls. There is a 2.3% chance on any given day during that time to see 3 inches or more snow fall.
It's very random though. Some winters we see less than 10 inches of snow total, others more than 50. People this winter will look at those %'s and probably say they're way off. That's because this winter we had a lot of snow. Think back just a few years ago though and we didn't see any snow until the very end of January.
The average first freeze in Chicago downtown is November 6th. Some people act like it's September 15th.
Some of the talk was getting to sound like it snows in the midwest like 3 times a week or something. While that CAN happen, it certainly isn't average.
@ Chicago60614 - My house was built about four years ago, and we don't have air conditioning. We have no need for it. Our house is very well insulated, as well as we put on darker shades in the summer time. It very seldom gets so hot we need AC. Maybe between five to seven days total for the whole summer. We've never had anyone complain about it being hot in the house, because really, it never gets that hot in the house during the summer.
There is a difference between warm, and suck-ass HOT like Houston. NOONE in their right mind vacations in Houston in summer. Or Phoenix. Or Death Valley.
Places like WI, MI, etc, are JAM PACKED with vacationers in summer because, well, noone wants to visit southern states in summer time, thats just awful.
Cold weather is easier to deal with: ITS CALLED PUT ON SOME CLOTHES and deal with it for a few months. Then when its over, bust out the shorts and enjoy the outdoors while all those down South suffer and get stinky/irritable/etc and burn to death.
Or Miami or Tampa, or Atlanta, or Charlotte, or Las Vegas, or Orlando, or Wash DC, or St Louis, or Dallas, or Memphis etc.
On the topic, Phoenix has easily the most unbearable summers (2nd is Vegas) and is a lot harder to deal with than Northern winter.
Or Miami or Tampa, or Atlanta, or Charlotte, or Las Vegas, or Orlando, or Wash DC, or St Louis, or Dallas, or Memphis etc.
On the topic, Phoenix has easily the most unbearable summers (2nd is Vegas) and is a lot harder to deal with than Northern winter.
Not sure about the other cities, but a lot of people vacation in Vegas, Orlando, and DC during the summer. I've been to all three in summer only and I've never thought any were unbearable, Vegas isn't even that bad if its under 110.
There is a difference between warm, and suck-ass HOT like Houston. NOONE in their right mind vacations in Houston in summer. Or Phoenix. Or Death Valley.
Places like WI, MI, etc, are JAM PACKED with vacationers in summer because, well, noone wants to visit southern states in summer time, thats just awful.
Cold weather is easier to deal with: ITS CALLED PUT ON SOME CLOTHES and deal with it for a few months. Then when its over, bust out the shorts and enjoy the outdoors while all those down South suffer and get stinky/irritable/etc and burn to death.
You're right in saying that you can put on some clothes and deal with the cold. But then, there are other things to look out for. As I mentioned in a previous post, when it is 90-100+ degrees, you don't have to think about warming up the car in the morning or risking the chance of crashing into some other cars in the street due to snow and ice conditions.
On the flip side of that, when it is hot, you constantly have to worry about hydration, risk of sunburns, weakness and sometimes being lethargic.
Both extremes are bad in their own way it is just a matter of choosing what you want to deal with.
Now Steve-O I've been reading your posts on these forums since 2007 and must say you have helped me increase my knowledge about various subjects and you analyze things very well, even if I don't agree with some of the things you say. But that's natural. Thanks for the help Steve!!
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