It was 93 degrees outside at work yesterday, when I left for the day. The temperature began to drop when I was within a quarter mile of my house. When I arrived home, it was 63 degrees.
I do truly love living on the western shore of Lake Michigan some days.
Of course, other times it’s 73 and pleasant inland, and 50 at my place. Also, I do have to cope with the aroma of fish at times but one must take the bad with the good.
Any other microclimate dwellers here?
Not sure if it counts, but I had a huge old maple at the last place. The canopy was extremely full and far reaching. On a 90° day is was under 80°. I had my hammock rigged there. It never got direct sunshine once it was in leaf. So all summer long with was a respite against the heat and the sun.
Any BBQ, we always set up some of the chair under the maple. Sitting on the patio even under an umbrella would be oppressive but walk 30’ or so to be under the maple and it was very comfortable, especially with an ice cold beer.
So a very microclimate indeed.
We used to live south of Telluride, in SW CO. One morning I woke up to 20" of snow on the deck and started scurrying to go ski (the ski area was about 6 miles as the crow flies, if that). I was somewhat perturbed when I arrived and the area had gotten 1".
I live about 15 miles outside of Duluth, MN which is on the shore of Lake Superior. I work in Duluth. The temps from Duluth to where I live, especially in the spring and summer, can vary 20-30 degrees depending on which way the wind is blowing. It is usually much warmer at my house. During the summer, if there’s a strong east wind, downtown Duluth can be as cold as 45-50 degrees. Drive 10 miles north and get over the hill, it will be 75 degrees. The lake can also cause it to be foggier on certain days. And the temp can change in the blink of an eye. There have been many times, we’ve been down by the lake dressed for summer, and then suddenly the wind switches. Around here, you always have a jacket in your car. BUT during the winter, the lake helps keep Duluth a bit warmer than the outlying areas. But in the winter, 10 degrees colder or warmer doesn’t make a lot of difference. It’s still cold. I estimate that living away from the lake, I have probably a month more of warm, sunny summer weather.
I live on the east side of a valley up slope near the top. When the wind blows west to east, the air is pushed up the hill turning a gentle breeze into some strong winds. I had to install some wind deflectors under a new deck we had installed to stop the wind from whistling through the spaces on the deck boards. We have friends that live on the west side of this valley and they have a similar problem except breezes go rushing down hill into the valley creating some strong winds.
In the summer, there’s typically a 20 to 30 degree F difference between my workplace (less than a mile from the Pacific) and my home (up in a valley above the L.A. basin). Besides the California Current cooling the air, the marine layer shades the land.
Our home doesn’t have central air conditioning. There are shade trees planted strategically, such that there’s really no need. But, we have a handful of nights when it gets very warm.
A few years ago my gf was ill and had trouble sleeping. I ran to a Loews and bought a window air-conditioner and installed it in the master bedroom. It makes the few really hot nights more pleasant.
When she began working from home due to COVID, the office warmed up considerably from the multiple huge monitors she uses. I bought another unit and installed it so she is comfortable working.
Our house also has a huge maple tree next to it, and although it’s also reasonably well insulated, I attribute to the tree the fact that the house stays nice and cool without much help from A/C, even on the hottest days. Testing that theory out right now since it’s going to hit 97 today. Last I checked the house is around 75 inside with no help from A/C yet. It’s going to be a bummer if that old maple ever dies.
I’m very familiar with the micro-climate phenomenon. For 20 years, I worked in San Luis Obispo and drove home to the coast. In summer, it wasn’t uncommon for SLO to reach temperatures of between 85-90. Further inland, it would be even hotter.
Happily, the hotter it was inland, the more the coastal fog got sucked in along the shoreline. Many was the afternoon that I drove west toward home into the Wall o’ Fog, with temperatures in the comfortable range of low 60s.
We used to joke that we lit more fires in the fireplace in summer than in winter there.
I loved it.
I used to have sort of a microclimate outside my living room window…a tree. Not only did it provide some privacy and shade in the afternoon, it filtered out noise and even cooking odors from the neighbors. On top of that it was a bird habitat with nests every year.
Several years ago the tree was blown down in a storm and that “microclimate” is gone. Now I get direct sunlight that really notches up the temperature in the afternoon, and no more bird watching from the comfort of my living room couch. It took more than a year for the apartment manage to plant another tree, but I’ll be long gone before it grows enough to provide the benefits of the old one.
I used to live in San Francisco (now, I’m an hour’s drive south). I commutted to work in Dublin, 40 miles to the east, on a motorcycle. On a motorcycle, you are in the climate, you’re part of the climate. My entire commute was on interstate-type highways.
In the summer in Dublin it’s 100+ °F, while in San Francisco it’s in the low 60s. To handle that 40 degree swing I’d leave work in the afternoon with all my zippered vents open on my leather jacket, and no gloves on. As I rode and as the temperature dropped I’d set my throttle lock on the bike and zip up my jacket and close the vents, and then I’d put my gloves on. All while riding at 65 MPH on the highway. By the time I got to the Bay Bridge it’s chilly, and I’m all buttoned up.
A 40 degree drop in 40 miles on a motorcycle is quite a temperature differential.
Does this count?
Here in north central Florida, we get extremely sporadic downpours. Now, yes the next neighborhood over might get one while our’s stays dry, but, I swear, more than once the back yard has been deluged while the front yard is dry as a bone.
Happy birthday, Bullitt!
We’ve measured drops of 24 degrees over an 8 foot span by us. It’s like walking thru an invisible curtain into another world. One time it remained stationary like that for over 90 minutes, on our front deck. Other times we felt that curtain drift 50 or so feet to and fro repeatedly over 2-3 hours.
Thank you @burpo_the_wonder_mutt !
I can’t believe I’m 61. 61 and still having fun!
Wow, that is pretty wild. 24 degrees in 8 feet. Hard to imagine.
Happens here in Tucson. It’ll be pouring at my apartment, for example, but not at my dad’s apartment 5 miles from me.
Today, it’s 88 degrees a quarter mile west of me and 70 degrees here on the beach.
Winters often see us ‘warmer by the lake’. When it’s -20 inland a bit, we’re only like -5 or so. Unless the damn lake is frozen over, then we feel the chill.