You probably read, or at least heard that the latest edition of the Farmer's Almanac had Syracuse in first place on their "Ten Worst Weather Cities" list. To be 100% technically correct, Syracuse was first for "winter weather". Thankfully Syracuse did NOT make the list for worst summer weather too.
Now I know we have more than our fair share of snow in winter, and winter weather can sometimes go from Halloween to Mother's Day, and I'll be the first to say "Don't remind me!", but, as Dr. Phil says… "Let's get real!".
First of all, let's look at the cities that came in behind Syracuse in the winter, meaning the Farmer's Almanac feels their weather is better than Syracuse in winter.
Duluth, Minnesota. Yes, they "only" average 78 inches of snow each year compared to our 120", but how about their temperatures? The average daily temperature in January in Duluth is a whopping 8 degrees! The average daily temperature for January in Syracuse is three times the Duluth temperature, it's a much milder 24 degrees! Ahh… Feel the warmth!
And do you realize the all time record low temperature for Syracuse is -26, compared to Duluth which is an arctic-like -41. In The Weather Almanac, it even states that "the Duluth temperature hits -30 or below only once every year or two!". That's fantastic!
And that's supposed to be good news?
And how about summer weather? Okay, we didn't make the top five worst for summer, but… New Orleans, Mobile, Corpus Christi. Do these places have better weather than Syracuse? For eight months a year you're running the A/C full bore! How much is that costing? You walk down the driveway to get the mail and you come back soaked in sweat. You might as well just wrap yourself in a giant sponge!
Now, I agree the above statistical weather differences are subject for debate as for which is better and which is worse. And, let's face it, each one of us is different. You might enjoy Mobile, Alabama at 90 degrees and enough humidity in the air you almost have to use your windshield wipers (well, maybe that's a little exaggeration). Others might not enjoy that type of steamy climate for six to eight months a year and don't mind a little snow shoveling.
And now, it's time to -really- Get Real!
Consider this…
Tornadoes: Yes, we typically have a couple of tornado warnings each summer somewhere in upstate, and every once in awhile, we actually get a tornado. Most of the tornadoes we've had though in this area are F0 of F1( measured on the Enhanced Fujita Scale ) with winds in the 70-90mph range and on the ground for 5-15 minutes. Compare this to more than a dozen states in the Plains, Midwest and south where tornadoes are huge with ½ mile wide paths of destruction, 150 - 250 mph winds and on the ground 45 minutes to 2 hours obliterating everything in its path. This is a whole different animal!
Severe thunderstorms: Sure, we get some big thunderstorms locally every summer, and some every produce 1" to 1 ½" diameter hail and strong winds. And, even a Labor Day Storm every 15 - 25 years, but what about the storms from the upper Midwest into the Deep South with hail the size of baseballs and softballs? Think of the damage that does. Heck, in more than 20 states south and west, golf ball sized hail happens dozens of times a summer!
Hurricanes: When's the last time we had to pack up our belongings, board up the windows and evacuate for a hurricane? Even if the hurricane changes track and misses, now you did all that hurricane preparation for nothing.
Flooding: Sure, every once in awhile. In a wet pattern in the spring, the usual flooding spots, near Oneida Lake for instance or some rivers. Or with short term, heavy rains sometimes that will sometimes cause flood issues. Generally, not often.
How about other natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes? Oh, we had a little rumbling from an earthquake a couple of months ago ( I didn't even feel it ), but when we have these small quakes, rarely do we have any damage. Volcanoes? Don't make me laugh!
Fire storms and wild fires: Everyone talks about how great the southern California weather is. I have two things to say about that. First, the horrible wild fires that plague California and many western states almost every spring and summer burning up hundreds of homes and hundreds of thousands of acres of trees. And, these wild fires typically go on and on and on…. Secondly, it's called the marine layer. Many a summer morning on the west coast begins with a low, gray overcast and fog that eventually burns off mid to late morning, and yes, the afternoons are pleasant.
We've already talked about temperatures. It "generally" doesn't get ridiculously cold in winter, nor does it get ridiculously hot in summer. Syracuse averages just 8 90 degree days each year. Dallas, Texas averages 88 90+ days. Phoenix, Arizona. 165 90+ days (No, that's not a typo, that would be one hundred and sixty five days of 90+, and by + that usually means 110 degrees!).
Here are my final thoughts…
I met a couple at the State Fair recently who had moved from upstate New York to Florida (they were tired of the snow and cold). Well, guess what? They have moved back! Three years ago they had to board up their windows, pack up and evacuate four times in one summer! On the bright side, no hurricane ever hit. On the other hand, they got tired of the packing and evacuating and back they came to central New York.
And a reminder for those of us living in central New York. Nearly 100% of the time, when winter is over, we still have our homes. That can't be said for several of the weather and natural disasters I spoke of above.
So, try to enjoy our winter season with outdoor activities. Skiing, snowmobiling, take in a Syracuse CRUNCH hockey game or an S.U. Basketball game. Enjoy some time at home with the family sitting in front of the fireplace. "Real" winter only lasts two or three months, and last winter only lasted for six weeks. Sometimes we can even play golf on New Years Day, IF you play golf, which I don't!
Wouldn't you rather be doing any of the above in winter versus boarding up your home for a hurricane or searching through the pieces of what was your home from a tornado hit?
So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Do you think we actually have the worst winter weather? How do you feel about our summers?
Enjoy.
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