Which States Have the Best of All Four Seasons

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

LOL "four seasons" is a very subjective term. So is "mild winter." For instance, some would say that Maryland has mild winters but others would say they are pretty intense because they do get some snow each year and are colder than, say, Georgia or Texas winters. I personally think of winters in northern Maine, Vermont, upstate NY, etc to be extreme and long and too much so to "qualify" for a moderate four season year.

Most of the US does not have "four distinct seasons" due to being at a very low latitude compared to most of Europe and Canada. This is pertaining to changes in daylight between summer and winter as well. I-80 is a good dividing line in the US between areas along and north of that line that have a fairly solid winter and four seasons, and areas south of that line that do not have very distinctive seasons.

[chris410]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Most of the US does not have "four distinct seasons" due to being at a very low latitude compared to most of Europe and Canada. This is pertaining to changes in daylight between summer and winter as well. I-80 is a good dividing line in the US between areas along and north of that line that have a fairly solid winter and four seasons, and areas south of that line that do not have very distinctive seasons.

This.

In my opinion a distinct winter means consistent snow pack and frozen lakes from December-march. A distinct winter that you can actually enjoy because there is enough snow and ice to get outside and go skating/skiing/ice fishing/snowmobiling/etc

For this reason I would take CT off that list. Winters there and most of the mid-altantic just suck. Too cold to enjoy the outdoors but too warm to keep ice/snow pack. its just 4-5 months of crappy driving conditions and misery.

[Magicstar1]

Originally Posted by chris410

This.

In my opinion a distinct winter means consistent snow pack and frozen lakes from December-march. A distinct winter that you can actually enjoy because there is enough snow and ice to get outside and go skating/skiing/ice fishing/snowmobiling/etc

For this reason I would take CT off that list. Winters there and most of the mid-altantic just suck. Too cold to enjoy the outdoors but too warm to keep ice/snow pack. its just 4-5 months of crappy driving conditions and misery.

This is definitely true for the middle half of the country which is probably why the OP wants to move away from it.

My family and I are looking to escape the crazy weather here in Kentucky. The summers are way too hot and the winters are just plain crazy,but we'd still like to be somewhere with all four seasons.

The beauty and open space in Oregon appeals to us, but the weather seems to still be too much like Ky...or am I wrong? Anyone who could clarify this...or let us know about weather in states other than Ky and the North East(We've lived there too.) We'd greatly appreciate any input.

I would say most areas north of Florida and away from the California coast have pretty solid seasons. It just depends which season you like most.

The areas that have an even length for all four seasons are mostly in the lower Midwest and along the Mid-Atlantic coast so that probably will not appeal to you since that is the area you want to leave.

The other regions to consider would be:

The Deep South (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, West Tennessee, Southeast North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and East Texas)

Summers: Long Hot summers with daytime temperatures ranging from the upper 80s to the mid 90s. Nighttime temperatures range from the upper 60s to the mid 70s. Rainfall is frequent in most areas. . Hot Humid weather can start as Early as Mid-April and last through October but varies by year.

Autumn and Spring: Autumn and Spring usually have warm days averaging in the 70s and mild to cool nights with temperatures averaging in the 50s and 40s. Rainfall sharply declines after September.

Winter: Winter is cool to cold but is much milder than in Kentucky. Daytime temperatures range from the low 60s the upper 40s and nighttime temperatures range from the upper 30s to the upper 20s. Rainfall moderately increases during this season and stays moderate until the summer. Snowfall ranges from a snow shower every few years on the coast to almost ten inches annually in the mountains.


The Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah)
The seasonal variation in this region would be completely dependent on your elevation. Lowland areas typically have Very Very Hot summers and Mild but sporatic Winters with rare snowfall. The higher elevations can still have fairly hot summers but the winter can be very cold with lots of snow and ice. Rainfall is less common throughout the year but is still frequent in some areas.


New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Upstate New York. Upper Midwest: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa)

Summers: Summer temperatures typically do not vary much along the East Coast and stay Hot and Humid all the way though Maine and the Upper Midwest. Rainfall is frequent but not as prominent as in Deep Southern areas.

Autumn and Spring: Autumn and Spring are chilly with lots of nightime frost. Daytime temperatures range from the mid 60s to the mid 40s. Nightime temperatures range from the low 40s to the mid 20s. Rainfall is frequent. Snowfall is common later in the season but not heavy.

Winter: Winter is very cold and snowy. Daytime highs range from the low 30s to the upper teens while nighttime lows range from the low 20s to just below zero in far northern areas. Most precipitation in this season is snow but rainfall is still possible.

Northwest

Summers: Summers are warm but rarely hot along the coast but can be very hot inland. Daytime highs along the coast are in the 70s while they are in the 90s inland. Nighttime lows are in the 50s in most areas (inland and coastal). Rainfall is infrequent but possible.

Autumn and Spring: Autumn and Spring are mild with Daytime highs ranging from the 70s to the low 50s. Nighttime lows range from the low 50s to the low 40s. Rainfall steadily increases during the fall and slowly decreases throughout spring and early summer.

Winter: Winter is cool but rarely cold along the coast but can be very cold inland. Daytime highs are in the mid 40s. Nighttime lows are in the upper 30s along the coast and range from the low 20s to the mid teens inland. Winters are much cooler the closer you get to the higher mountains. Rainfall is heaviest during the winter. Although, Inland areas get much less rain throughout the year than coastal areas.



These areas tend to have four full seasons with some variations in climate. Personally, my choice for a perfect four season climate would be New England despite the longer winters. I love snow.

[SunGrins]

New Mexico has been mentioned a few times. In my opinion it has a near perfect four season climate - mild winters and summers and no real extremes other than very low humidity. One could say that there are maybe six seasons. The usual four and then several weeks of windy days around March and April, maybe three days a week, and then the monsoon season in July and August. This is desert so the wind will kick up some dust on occasion but not anything like what people consider a haboob or dust storm. The monsoon season is more of a welcome novelty in desert country. We get maybe ten inches of rain in a full damp year so the monsoon is a sporadic series of short intense storms with lightning. More often than not you will see a storm in the distance but not get any rain. This is a high elevation terrain. Albuquerque is slightly over a mile high and Santa Fe is 7000 ft. People with heart or lung issues might have some difficulty. Given the elevation and dry climate, someone wanting a lush lawn or vibrant flower garden or a vegetable garden in the yard will be disappointed. You can't successfully transplant Virginia or Ohio into the New Mexico climate. There are plenty of native plants and drought resistant varieties for landscaping. The color green is a bit muted in the dry desert but not absent. The dense pine forests in the mountains are a deep green and fed by winter snows. There are many micro climates that might be slightly different based on terrain.

[Jdawg8181]

New York of course

[jnmsks]

If you scroll down on the web page included below and check out the map, the areas that truly experience the 4 seasons to the fullest are in light blue. I'm from the Southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and we experience sub-seasons as well, meaning we don't just experience four seasons, but there are noticeable differences between early, mid and late spring, summer, fall and winter. Those in dark blue experience the four seasons, but summers are warm rather than hot. The areas in green experience a change of seasons, but the types of winters they experience vary greatly, some are cold to cool winters in the northern green areas or more mountainous green areas, others hardly count as winter in my opinion, mostly the further South you go (but I am from a Northern state). I can't really speak for climates further West, as I've been out West very infrequently. Here is the link:
https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute...ronment-summit

[mvpsharky]

Southern New England: Conn., Rhode Island and Massachusetts