Friday, February 22, 2019

Winters – Florida or Arizona

Home in Holiday / Tarpon Springs area, FL

Weather Forecast for Holiday Florida

Some Snowbird RVers have to make a decision each year as to if they should go down to Florida or down to the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Southeast California deserts areas). The difference between traveling from Chicago to Phoenix or Chicago to Key West is only around 100 miles.  Of course, you don't have to go all the way down to Key West, and many want to go further than Phoenix...but it is good comparison.  If you live in Winnipeg, Phoenix is 800+ miles closer than Key West.  So for those who live in the upper mid-west, and Ontario or Manitoba areas, making a choice between Florida and the Southwest is a real one.  Some just love the desert, others hate it.  But many like both areas.  This year, if you picked the Southwest...well...you got cold and snow and rain.  Those who picked Florida, well...they don't call it the sunshine state for nothing!   Look at our weather above for the coming week...that is a repeat of the weather all last week, and the week before was a bit cooler, but not much.  No doubt about it this year, short pants each and every day for me.  Yes, it got cold for a day or two for some...down in the 30's for a few nights, but every day except one or two we got to at least 50...and only a handful more days did it not get at least into the 60's.

Welcome Sign to Joshua Tree, California with Snow

Look at this picture above of the welcome sign to the community of Joshua Tree, California, just above Joshua Tree National Park...elevation 2700 feet.  LOOK at all that snow! 

I-10 has Closures in California and Arizona

Washington Post has this picture above and reported that I-10  shutdown due to snow and ice and wrecks near Benson Arizona for awhile.  

Flagstaff has Record Snowfall

Flagstaff Arizona had a record breaking snowfall... 35.9 inches at the airport, surpassing the 31 inch record which stood for a hundred years.  Above is the public radio station parking lot...lots of digging out for those cars which you can hardly make out under all that snow.

Sunset at Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, Florida

And then there is the Florida Sunsets...like this one from Sunset Beach, Treasure Island about 30 miles south of us.  No, not my picture, but one from the Internet which is labeled as being free to use from Google Images.  Currently 87 degrees here...44 in Phoenix.  

Snow Plow near Tahoe

Above is current plowing of highway 89 near Lake Tahoe...

.1960's CHP near Donner Lake in Snow

This last picture was posted by the CHP on Facebook...an old CHP car near Donner Pass back in the early 1960's.  (What's sad is...I remember these old CHP cars...)

Currently 46 degrees in Citrus Heights where my parents, sisters and a brother are located...down to 85 degrees here (sun behind a cloud)

Well, we head out of here in five weeks!  Time to get the dogs to the vet and start getting the motorhome ready, sure hope I don't have to put a coat on to do any work on the outside.  (LOL)















10 comments:

  1. In Quartzsite right now the wind makes it feel very cold. They also say go to the Southwest for your Arthritis there is no Humidity. This year we've seen all kinds of Rain and wake up to water dripping off our Truck and Trailer.
    Florida is starting to look better all the time.
    Be Safe and Enjoy your travels.

    It's about time.

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    1. Of course, I did not touch on the costs...much harder to find free or "less expensive" places to stay in Florida unlike the Southwest.

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  2. Rub it in! :-D We're been freezing all winter here in Arizona.

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    1. Sorry...and i see you are about as south as one can go and still be in the USA right now. Stay around Yuma area for another 2-3 months and we will see you there...I need my eyes checked and another pair of glasses.

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  3. I do NOT want to hear about all your 85 degree weather! At least it's VERY pretty here, in spite of the cold!!!

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    1. And I don't think you got as much snow as some of these other areas did. I feel for you all ever time I wipe the sweat from my brow...

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  4. Yup, if you want to be warm in the winter, Fl is hard to beat:) That is why we live here:))

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    1. We have a nice little condo in the Tarpon Springs area where we winter for 3-6 months, then travel for 6-9 months. It is a nice life...I am not sure how I could handle the summers here, but one of these days down the road I am sure I will...

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  5. Being a Native of Arizona, I love, love, love the weather this year. Only happens 20 to 30 years. So, no crying and whining about the weather in AZ...water for plants, animals came in cloak of snow :-)

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    1. I lived in Utah for four years, and that is a yearly thing up there and I loved it too. But now days, I enjoy my short pants and T-shirts...but the scenery in the Southwest is beyond belief.

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