NEW ENGLAND SUMMERS..THE PURSUIT OF COOL

I’ve heard people laugh about New England summers joking they are the first two weeks of July!  Well, they should have been here this summer!!!

Growing up  Connecticut summers were hot.  I remember there not being a significant temperature difference between night and day.  I remember sleeping on the screened porch looking for a breath of air and when my Dad had the swimming pool installed in the backyard, heading down to the pool in the morning and floating all day!

Temperatures would soar into the hundreds and humidity was high in the Connecticut Valley.

My memories of living in the Berkshires, just south of Vermont, were of pleasant summers with a few periods of heat waves lasting only a few days; cool nights and mostly wearing jeans versus shorts and not spending a great deal of time in the water swimming.

So, among my expectations of the summer, one of them was that it would be cool.  I am forever in pursuit of cool weather.   I also expected that it would be cooler than Brevard, NC in the WNC Mountains. 

Since I didn’t have any TV from June to now, I had to find other ways to amuse myself.  I started to track temperatures throughout the US at possible future locations to spend summers.  By doing this, I have scratched a few off the “maybe” list because they are too hot in the summer.  Dry heat they say …. but hot!

My favorite comparison, because I know the area so well, is between Vermont and Western North Carolina.  The first time I went to WNC I remarked, “This reminds me of Vermont!”, and when we arrived in Vermont I remarked, “This reminds me of WNC.” 

Both are “nestled in the mountains”; both have similar cultures and both are beautiful.  Elevations are different; Brevard NC is at 2200’ above sea level and Windsor VT is 331’. 

So my temperature comparisons began.  The findings are very interesting.

 During June, Vermont was winning in the “Betsy Comfort Zone” (too bad I wasn’ t here to enjoy it!).  Out of 34 days, (May 27-June 30), Vermont was cooler for 26 days.  However, Vermont had 4 90+ days vs Brevard’s 3 days at 90+, mostly happening at the end of the month (upon our arrival in the state)!

During July, Vermont was getting warmer (of course, we were here) and closing in on Brevard, NC.  In the 90+ degree days, Vermont had 14 and Brevard at 9.  (Remember every one of those 14 days).  However, overall Vermont had 20 cooler days than Brevard with some pretty significant temperature differences.  It must have been a roaster of a JULY!

August was a real clincher and Vermont won the hottest!  In the 90+ degrees,  Vermont suffered through five days whereas Brevard didn’t have any.  As a matter of fact, during those 90+ degree days, Brevard’s temperatures were in the mid to low 80’s.  Out of 29 days, Vermont was warmer 21 of those days.

In summary, from May 27^th to September 1^st;  Vermont was slightly cooler than Brevard NC.  It beat WNC in the 90 degree category….Vermont had 23 days of 90 and above whereas Brevard NC had only 12 days.  Other than that….. Brevard and Vermont were about the same.    

The trend is looking the same for September, both places are within a few degrees of each other.

The big swing is the night time temperatures.  All through the summer, Vermont’s evenings have been cooler than WNC.  Now that fall has arrived, our nights are a good ten degrees colder than WNC. 

So, what have I drawn from all of this??

 I killed half a day in research and analysis! 

What I thought was true is….it was a hot summer and not that far off from the mid-South (in the mountains, that is). 

Will I come back … you betcha!

 I LOVE VERMONT!!!!