Somewhere in Australia (Sydney, I THINK) had their highest ever temp yesterday, 45 degrees (?).
To me that would be hell. One of the reasons I live where I do (Auck, NZ) is the climate. 8 is FUCKING freezing HERE but there is no snow and you don’t have to own a heavy duty winter coat (nor will you find or need central heating).
Now it is summer 26/28 is about as hot as it gets (ok 28 may be an exageration).
I don’t know how to translate that (ok I looked, it seems Auckland is 48-80-ish). To me that is the perfect temp, never too cold or too hot…yet frequently too wet (I didn’t mention rain!).
In my young and carefree days I travelled to the hot places. I left Israel when the temp got to be over 40 everyday (104 apparently). I was soooo not keen on London when it was reallllllllllllly cold.
75-85 and white fluffy clouds in a blue sky daily, with a once a month full on thunderstorm. The rare tropical afternoon drizzle is also allowed. No heavy wind, only cool breezes. A touch of humity is required. All evenings must be warm enough to sit out on the patio without a sweater.
One weekend a month should be set aside for “seasonal weather” (assuming it doesn’t get too cold…maybe mid fifties for winter and mid nineties for summer.) Snow on Christmas just for fun.
Broome, Australia, in the dry season (winter) is my perfect climate. 28 C every day, sometimes down to 10 C at night but usually around 15 C and dry, forever dry, no rain, no clouds, for about 4 months.
I’d like to live someplace where the weather extremes aren’t dangerous, especially for children and the elderly.
Lately I’ve been thinking about disasters, especially after watching what’s going on in Pakistan after the earthquake. I wouldn’t want to live someplace where lack of shelter can be fatal. That probably eliminates much of the world.
I hated Summers in L.A. Too hot in my sweltering apartment. I now live in the PNW, and I love the Summer. August is good, with high temperatures in the mid-80s (say 30° or so). That’s quite comfortable. Spring is nice, with brisk temperatures, wind and rain. But Winter is a bit on the cool side, and a little too wet even for me.
I lived my teen and young adult years in the desert. 105° in the high desert isn’t bad. And I really like the blue skies and the open space. My mom lived in Phoenix, and it was pleasant to get out of the literally freezing weather here and to sit on a 70° (21°) patio and the open landscapes.
My perfect climate? PNW Summers and L.A. Winters, with green trees and grass and mountains and water all around, and arid tan wide-open desert.
I love the four seasons. That is, I like four seasons that are all about the same. 75 - 90F during the day and about 70F at night. In other words, a tropical island. I grew up in the Deep South and that was just too freakin’ hot during the summer. Now I live in New England where people always swear that they cherish the four seasons. That is just a coping mechanism. Large parts of 3 of the seasons just plain suck and they know it deep down too.
One month a year where it’s ~90F during the day and ~70F at night. A good summer month, mostly for the beach. Heck, if I could make it so there were half a dozen specific days a year that were designated as “beach days” with that weather, the hell with the rest of the summer. I just don’t enjoy anything over 75F or so.
Three months a year where it’s ~35F during the day and ~25F at night. A good, full winter, where you sip hot chocolate, cuddle under blankets, and play and watch football in the snow the way god meant the game to be played. Plus, there is absolutely no better feeling than waking up in the morning and unexpectedly being able to sleep in because school/work is cancelled on account of a foot of snow.
For the other eight months, East Coast spring/fall is perfect. 60F during the day, 45F at night, with rain 2-3 days a week. Leaves that change color and recognize the seasons. Good weather for outdoor physical activity of all kinds, and no need for either AC or heat in the house. Just comfortable weather to live in.
So, really, I want to end up living back in New England and finding somewhere nice up in Alaska to hide for half the summer. If I lived in the climates that most of you find ideal, I’d never want to leave climate controlled environments, and really, what fun would that be.
I like having the 4 seasons-- it’s the extremes I don’t like. If the summer never got hotter than about 82 degrees F, and winter never colder than about 30, I’d be loving all of it. I could also do with more sunshine than we get in Central NY. Two cloudy days a week would be the most, in my ideal climate. Low humidity overall, except on the days it rained. No snow unless it’s a blizzard, because snow is annoying and overrated unless it gives me a snow day.
I suspect my ideal climate does not exist anywhere but my imagination. Sigh.
