Thinking from moving from Florida to Maine? (Bangor, Norway: crime, house)

[matt1syd]

Hey guys, I'm currently an RN here in south Florida and I want to try and find a job up in Maine. I hate Florida's year-round hot and muggy weather... I really love cold climates. I have been to Maine during winter for a couple of weeks at a time (loved it), and I've visited during summer as well, but what is it like to actually live there? What areas are safer than others (safety isn't a major concern, but I am a single female)? Is there anything I should be aware of before making the move? I've done a lot of research on Maine and other northern states, but I feel like tips from people who actually live there would be much more helpful.

Also, for those of you who have been through a blizzard, how do you prepare for them? I think it could be similar to preparing for a hurricane (1 gallon of water per person per day, canned/dried food, batteries, flashlights, generator, etc.), but instead of stocking up on fans I'd need blankets and other things to keep warm in case of a power outage. I have a large dog, so how do you deal with them while you're snowed in?

Thank you in advance!!

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by matt1syd

Hey guys, I'm currently an RN here in south Florida and I want to try and find a job up in Maine. I hate Florida's year-round hot and muggy weather... I really love cold climates. I have been to Maine during winter for a couple of weeks at a time (loved it), and I've visited during summer as well, but what is it like to actually live there? What areas are safer than others (safety isn't a major concern, but I am a single female)? Is there anything I should be aware of before making the move? I've done a lot of research on Maine and other northern states, but I feel like tips from people who actually live there would be much more helpful.

Also, for those of you who have been through a blizzard, how do you prepare for them? I think it could be similar to preparing for a hurricane (1 gallon of water per person per day, canned/dried food, batteries, flashlights, generator, etc.), but instead of stocking up on fans I'd need blankets and other things to keep warm in case of a power outage. I have a large dog, so how do you deal with them while you're snowed in?

Thank you in advance!!

There's a lot of info already posted in threads on this forum about moving to Maine, crime, winter, etc. You might want to try the search feature. Three Wolves in Snow moved from FL to Maine about a year ago and seems to like it. Also, I recently read on the forum about an RN who moved to Bangor and is working at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Blizzards? Listen to the weather reports or check weather.com If you have a house with a wood stove or a fire place, you'll be warm and toasty even IF the electric goes out. I would be more concerned about any potential ice storms where power could be out for several days, but this doesn't happen alot. It always cracks me up when I hear the notion of being "snowed in." I rented a bunch of movies during my last blizzard, watched the snow come down, and counted the number of times the snow plow went by my house (plowing) in one day (ten), bake some bread, make a fish chowder, cuddle up with your dog hopefully in front of your fireplace--enjoy! Take your dog outside and let him/her play in the snow--he/she will love it. btw, couldn't hurt to own a 4WD vehicle. This past winter, not much snow. If you lose electricity (refrigerator) for more than 8 hours and it's cold outside, you can put your food (no glass containers with liquids) in a cooler and set it outside depending on whether you have a heat source heating the house....maybe put a big rock on the top to keep the critters out of it.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Maine is the safest state. It is one of the coldest states in the lower 48 and we do have four real seasons. Most of us thoroughly enjoy all four seasons. Most nurses have rigid work schedules and you'll need reliable transportation. That means 4 wheel drive. A mid-size all wheel drive vehicle will serve you well. It does not need to be a rugged pickup with a winch. A Subaru sedan or wagon is the most popular choice, but there are about 40 similar vehicles available.

The only time I was ever snowed in was Christmas of 62. That's half a century ago now and half the state was snowed in. We're due.

[retiredtinbender]

NMLM is right; we're a very safe state. Not crime free but less than others. It seems a lot of folks have concerns about blizzards and misinfo on frequency and severity. We might get one a year. The key wordd is "might". The biggest thing to remember during a blizzard is to stey the heck home. Don't go riding around seeing how bad it is, just look out the windows in the house. You'll have food in the pantry, most likely candles layng around. We have an old camping stoveand a sterno stove in the cellar. I've heated water with those when the power goes out, even in a summer thunderstorm. Don't worry too much about the weather; although it will get cold. I get a kick when folks in town here get on FB and post in a panic and there's a rush on milk and water at the IGA. People overstate how bad and how long the winters are up here. Don't fall into the trap. It ain't Norway.

But, remember 4WD on a vehicle helps to get you moving in slippery conditions. It does nothing to help you stop.

Hope you have a good move to Maine in your future. Come on up; we have cake.

[mainegrl2011]

NMLM has a good point about an RN being expected to show up for work even in bad weather and the need for reliable transportation (4WD, excellent battery, etc.) Compared to living in FL, a Maine winter could seem long and bad (it's all relative ya know). Last winter was a piece of cake compared to most. Winter storms can start arriving at the end of October and I experienced 18 inches of snow one time on April 20. Sometimes the snow stays on the ground quite awhile and sometimes it melts off within a few days. You need several winters under your belt for comparison purposes. btw, You'll have fun shopping for winter duds. When retiredtinbender says it will get cold, he's right and that often means below zero. You'll need a winter emergency kit in your vehicle....jumper cables, food, blankets, shovel, kitty litter for traction if needed, etc. Be sure to have your antifreeze checked before the below freezing temperatures arrive.

[michael_atw]

I drove a rear-wheel drive in the snowbelt of NY for 3 years. Never had a problem.
Drove a mid-size sedan for 5. Never had a problem.
Now I drive a 4WD SUV. Don't expect to have a problem.


It's not the vehicle so much as the driver. You learn as you go. If you don't know how to drive in the snow, you could have a Sherman Tank and not fare much better than anything else. Quick advice on driving in snow: avoid doing it at night, test it with brakes when you can (meaning drive a straight stretch or a parking lot or something and pump the brake hard and see how you slide - it will show you the condition), don't speed, take turns slower, know how to discern the different types of snow (wet snow, packed powder, recently salted roads, black ice conditions, etc.), avoid driving through high or slushy snow.

I've noticed most people have over-exaggerated ideas of Maine winters. I'd expect it to vary north to south, coast to mountains though of course.

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by michael_atw

I drove a rear-wheel drive in the snowbelt of NY for 3 years. Never had a problem.
Drove a mid-size sedan for 5. Never had a problem.
Now I drive a 4WD SUV. Don't expect to have a problem.


It's not the vehicle so much as the driver. You learn as you go. If you don't know how to drive in the snow, you could have a Sherman Tank and not fare much better than anything else. Quick advice on driving in snow: avoid doing it at night, test it with brakes when you can (meaning drive a straight stretch or a parking lot or something and pump the brake hard and see how you slide - it will show you the condition), don't speed, take turns slower, know how to discern the different types of snow (wet snow, packed powder, recently salted roads, black ice conditions, etc.), avoid driving through high or slushy snow.

I've noticed most people have over-exaggerated ideas of Maine winters. I'd expect it to vary north to south, coast to mountains though of course.

How many Maine winters have you experienced? Are you referring to people planning to move to Maine from the South or people who already live in Maine? Just curious on what you base your next to last sentence.

[michael_atw]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

How many Maine winters have you experienced? Are you referring to people planning to move to Maine from the South or people who already live in Maine? Just curious on what you base your next to last sentence.

Half of one. But the only difference between a Maine winter and a Great Lakes winter is 1.) colder at night (generally not during the day) and more windy (but I lived on the coast). Anything within 10-20 miles of the coast will have the ocean to regulate the winter. The temps of Deer Isle (where I'm moving to next) are equal to the temps of Western NY (except at night it seems). Snow is about 40-50 inches less a season. Northern Maine and the mountains west would have the worst winters, not any worse snow-wise than the snowbelt of NY though. Just the cold snaps and the general isolation. Ice storms on the coast are more prevalent than the Great Lakes snowbelt but I'd say not by leaps and bounds.

People from outside Maine (see: south) like to exaggerate the winters because they don't know better. They think those "Yankees" have horrid winters. People in Maine like to exaggerate them to make themselves look like hardy Yetis. When I moved to Lubec last year I was told it was the worst winter in decades. Three weeks after I moved in the snow began to melt, and by mid-March it was in the 50's. This year, I moved in early March and found bare ground - saw one short storm and that was it. Meanwhile, the whole month of April was on and off pelting of lake effect back in the hinterland.

[TheFarmingWife]

"People in Maine like to exaggerate them to make themselves look like hardy Yetis."
OMG this made me choke on my ice coffee here..I am trying to be quiet while the kids sleep, and you throw this one in here, Michael_atw...not fair!

Amy J

[michael_atw]

Originally Posted by TheFarmingWife

"People in Maine like to exaggerate them to make themselves look like hardy Yetis."
OMG this made me choke on my ice coffee here..I am trying to be quiet while the kids sleep, and you throw this one in here, Michael_atw...not fair!

Amy J

I know how it works! We did the same down in NY when talking to out-of-towners:

"Yeah, the snow was up to my neck!! Power was out for 2 weeks!!! Couldn't find the dog, he ended up burrowing in the snow and making a tunnel to the neighbors!"

When in reality somewhere in the north county had a few feet come down and we were jealous that it only came up to our ankles. Had to think up something to corroborate the big news reports and make it sound like we were dealing with the same thing.

Made us feel like we owned something substantial, haha. "Yeah, we're the snowbelt! 11 foot snowdrifts in '77!" As if that happens every year or something.