Florida summers... compared to the northern winters
 

For any of you who have lived through a few Florida summers, and northern winters (e.g. Michigan), how does it compare? Is it as grueling, do you get use to it, or make every attempt to escape north during the summer month?

This is my biggest concern moving to the TV. I have owned 2 properties in the past and not something I really want to do at this point in my life. I don't mind the snow, just the gray and lack of sun.

In all honestly, I would rent in a warmer area whether it be TV's or not and break up the winter cold that way. If you find that you absolutely love a certain area after 4-5 years, then considering moving. It's surprising how the shine wears off of something you thought you'd love forever and Florida summers are ridiculously hot.

I assume the comparison is cold/snow vs. heat, not tornados vs. hurricanes.


I've lived in the North, during the winter, when I was unable to leave the house for a day or two or three (many times).

I've never been trapped in the house, during the summer, for a day or two or three in Florida.

:ho:

Dittos

Then you must leave town during the hurricane hits. We have never been housebound for three days because of snow. This is the year of 2024, not 1950 anymore.

Read the post and try to add value. :ohdear:

But the value is corrupted.:22yikes: We have friends who live full-time in Florida and they all say the summer heat in murder. At least when it is cold, people can go out during the daytime and don't have to stay housebound. I'm only suggesting the OP consider the downside of full-time Florida living when he could alter his schedule to have it all.

I'll take swamp ass over these winters any day. Full disclosure, I haven't spent a whole summer there yet. But still, I can jump in a pool or the AC in the house. I'm done with winter. Done.

What northern winter?!

You aren't alone, there is a new mindset in our country. We don't tolerate snow, day light savings time, 5 day work weeks, willingness to provide for ourselves... the list goes on and on. We are a long, long way from the generations who settled this country and I doubt we'll ever recover that stamina.

I understand you don't want any cold or snow but the OP doesn't want summers that will boil his butt. To each their own but he is entitled to choices.

Hands down I would take a northern winter over a Florida summer. It doesn't snow every day. In fact in the mountains the snow is pretty. The change of seasons is wonderful from the nature standpoint and also the activities. Florida summers are relentless. Every day in the 90's and high humidity. There is no escape. And the next frog post will be you stay inside all winter up north while we stay inside during the daytime in FL summer. Well that's not true. Very few days when we weren't enjoying winter - skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, winter festivals. Even snow blowing has a fun factor about it.

Before you all forget the subject it was do you prefer northern winters over Florida summers. The subject was not do I prefer northern winters over Florida winters.

Not a direct comparison but just summer in FL information. We have lived here year-round for several years. My wife hates the heat but loves the lifestyle.

In the summer we play golf, pickleball, softball, or do any outside activities in the morning. Usually between about 7 and 10 AM. Then we spend most of the day inside in the AC. I usually go to the pool but she doesn't. Trips in the car or cart to go shopping or whatever are easily done.

We venture back outside for other outdoor activities around 5 or 6 PM. I often play 9 holes of golf in late afternoon but she does not. The late afternoon heat does not bother me.

Hope this helps

It actually gets hotter in many parts of the mid-west and upper mid-west during summer than it does here in Florida. Yes, we'll get temps of 93* or so on a pretty regular basis during the summer, but temps above 95* or 96* are rare while in the mid-west, they often hit 97* or hotter several times during a typical summer.

Edit to add: A person quickly learns to do their outside summer activities in Florida in early morning when the temps are upper 70's or mid-morning when they are mid 80's. Don't wait til afternoon to start your pickleball or tennis game.

We have been stuck in a house for three days because of snow & ice and it was not 1950.

chilout

I lived full time in Las Vegas for 5 straight years - The summer high reached 115+ on multiple occasions. Florida summers are way more tolerable than the Southwest. (IMO).

Depends on who you talk to here. Having grown up and lived in the Upper Midwest til we moved here 15 yrs ago---it was THE best decision. The saying is (or question)---would you rather shovel sunshine or snow. The last 3 winters we were up north---there were record snow-falls. Had to shovel out first thing in the morning then again to get vehicles in the garage after work. IF you enjoy winters like that---so be it. Here, you can go inside where the "air" is on but the sun may be shining outside. We don't do activities outside during the midday in summer. As for hurricanes....the effects we experience here is wind and rain, not what you see on t.v. news. That's always on the coasts.

Interesting, what part of the upper mid-west hits temperatures that high regularly every year? Obviously, the OP knows what his summers are like now and likes them. He wants a comparison to Florida summer.

You may want to be up north now for the winter. Watching the winter this year in Michigan was not bad.

Well I work about 6 days/week if you include working late on the regular 5. I have provided for myself pretty well considering my plan is to retire in 2 years to my second home in the Villages (at 57 years old). I tolerate daylight savings time (though I wouldn't mind if it went away). But the long winters are dreary and removing feet of snow is getting tiresome even though I'm not quite "old" yet. I don't think my desire to move south turns me into a millennial.

Visit in August
 

If you like winters you may not aclimate well to florida summers. You ought to rent in August to sample the Florida summer. I left Michigan for the sunbelt because I did not like winters. It took a year to aclimate and I had to learn to sweat. I play golf though the summers at various times of the day including mid-day. I would not go back to Mi in the winter and I have no interest in going back in the summer.

I'm sure some older people can't manage conditions and a snowblower but the question is about summers in Florida. Renting is the best of both worlds, much less expensive and easier.

Yeah, the daylight savings time thing cracks me up. People must never travel to different time zones or to Europe, how do they manage?:popcorn:

The OP is considering escaping winters and can still do that by renting as I stated earlier. He will save money, extra work and can escape the miserable heat of Florida summers.

Lived most of my life in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Lived in Florida for 4 years.

I'd definitely take the FL summers over upper Midwest winters! But I LOVE the beach in May - Sept. The water is a like bathwater warm. LOVE IT!

I can't stand driving in snow anymore. Icy roads that can easily put you in the ditch. At my age it's dangerous. Walking on icy parking lots just to get into the grocery store. Always having that feeling of never being warm Sept - June. Snow starts in late September and can snow until May. Deep freeze for 6 months. No thanks!

I prefer Florida Summer to northern winter. It was a major reason for my relocation south. I have several staircases in my northern house & one of them is outdoors, from the back parking to the kitchen door. Due to icing & snow, it becomes almost unusable during the winter. Some winters are longer & snowier than others, I've been a northerner all of my life so I have seen many variants. Due to my location, my driveway must be cleared after each snowfall, & or salted when icy, or I would not be able to get out of my driveway. Additionally, it becomes harder to walk on sidewalks, or store parking lots either due to icing or wet leaves in the fall. Florida presents no such slipping hazards.

As to Florida summers, it is warm & humid. I like it. I was out each & every day last summer & it was mostly pleasant. I did keep an eye on my 'out in the heat' time & did try to return to the AC before I over did it, but I suspect that wariness will lessen. I did try to grocery shop in the mornings before it got hot, so that I could get my groceries home with out melting. But also, the stores are less crowded in the mornings so I could get in & get it done quickly. Which has nothing to do with the heat.

If you haven't bought yet, maybe try to spend some time here this coming summer & see how you react to it. For me, it was fine. More than fine, good. But everyone is different. I do disagree strongly with some posters who are always going on about the HEAT & how HOT it is. I liked it, & in my specific case, it was way better in Florida than it was up north last summer due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires which made many people miserable.

My garage gets hot & I am wondering if insulating the door would help, on the other hand, I don't spend a lot of time there. At one point I was waiting for a delivery & parked the car on the street & whoo hoo, that car got hot. What I learned from that was that even though the garage gets toasty it is way cooler than parking out in the sun. :)

I cannot compare to Michigan, but the New York City area gets hot & humid & pretty uncomfortable for some period of time every summer. Florida had nothing on an NYC heatwave. Probably due to the ubiquity of central AC.

Good luck. For me, concerns about the heat were overblown.

Minnesota and Wisconsin. Can have weeks of over 100*. Humidity comparable to FL.

Plus the last few summers we've gotten the Canadian wildfire "smog". People with asthma and similiar health issues have had to stay indoors.

Did you live in the Upper Peninsula? Most snow in those states start in November and are gone by April 1 or earlier. There may be a rare spring snow which melts immediately.

But the point here is the OP could be gone for the winter months up north and out of Florida for the steamy 6 months of April through September if he rents his getaway. And Florida isn't for everyone, he would have the opportunity to enjoy more of the country.

I've been here 4 summers now and honestly don't mind the weather at all. It often rains late afternoon in the summer, but only briefly. I get up and do my outside stuff in the mornings or else stay wet in the pool. Never feel hot driving the golf cart as there is a breeze. Not one mosquito bite.

I am done with midwest winters. Falls on the ice, power outages, frozen pipes, salt on shoes/car/coat...

Don't you read anything??? The OP: "Florida summers, and northern winters (e.g. Michigan), how does it compare?"

There are millions of people who live in rural areas and public streets are not cleared quickly. Has nothing to do with older people.

And Florida may have a bigger problem on it's borders shortly compared to one summer of wildfire smoke which is over.

There is no comparison between those mid-west states summers and Florida's, not according to the former residents that live in Florida now. They would love to get out of Florida and head north. My mother in her 90's would have loved the Florida summers since her circulation had diminished so much. Maybe the state of the OP's health would make a difference in his decision.

I think perhaps your reading comprehension is off.

I was responding to another poster regarding not be able to get out of the house for three days if it snowed. May be if you lived in the middle of 100 acres and had a very long driveway, there was a problem once or twice a winter if a storm that severe actually occurred. And no, there aren't millions of people living in Michigan on bad roads three days after a snow storm.

If you noticed, the OP said he didn't mind snow, he didn't like the dreariness of winter and I don't know if he realizes the days shorten in Florida too during the winter. He was questioning how tolerable the Florida heat was in the summer.

Upper Peninsula? Do you mean Michigan? I lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Michigan winters can be a bit different due to the lake effect.

In Minnesota we'll get snow in late Sept some years. Most definitely will have snow on the ground mid October. We can frequently have snow on the ground into late April. And will get snow some years in May.

I lived in south FL for almost 5 years. I'm very familiar with summer in FL. Midwest summers on the great plains and upper Midwest can be extremely hot and stifling.

That's crazy, there is no comparison in the heat of Florida vs an upper mid-west summer. None, nada...

If there is no discrepancy, why wouldn't you suggest the gentleman from Michigan rent one or two summers from April through September and then we could hear it from the horse's mouth.

Some years... like hardly ever.

The Lost Winter of 2023-24 | Minnesota DNR


I understand if you don't like the upper Midwest climate but the OP likes snow.

Grew up in South Dakota and lived most my adult life there to. Been full time in TV for 5 years now. Never regretted the move. Love the hot!

T'okay whatever you say! This August y'all come up to Iowa and sit outside at sunset. And wait for the "corn sweats" to hit ya. :1rotfl:

Or have the August sweats from 9:00 AM til 10:00 PM in The Villages.:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

With all due respect, you haven't a clue of what you are talking about.

Not sure what you're trying to prove with the above link. But this winter has been an El Nino year. It's cyclical ... every 7 years or so. The farmers been talking about this for the last few years that 2024 was going to be El Nino. Seriously. You haven't a clue apparently about upper Midwest summers and it shows.

Wow, this respect disappeared in a hurry and here I was going to say the same respect to you, lol.

Try 76 years of upper Midwest living and some part time living in Florida in those years. Florida is fine for many but this gentleman was asking for facts and not some skewed information stating Florida summers are far nicer than Minnesota's or Wisconsin's. Ever hear of the Great Lakes? He lives in Michigan.