Moving to New England

[nzucker]

Last summer at my girlfriend's in burlington we would roast all night long. i would've killed for AC in that girl's apartment.

Need I alter? Need you say more?

[mahk_webstah]

The Boston accent is not really tied to SW NH, or really any part of NH except maybe Nashua or SE NH. SW NH folk talk with a country-NE accent. Some of the kids and transplant city slickers might have a more "ah" accent, but it's not really that popular.

That is how the native NH country people up here talk...not as extreme as Boston but the same general idea and a little slower.

Phl = Mork

NY = Mawk

Bos = Mahk

up here is pretty close to Mahk

[powderfreak]

Having lived in both locations now, I absolutely agree, although for me it was never the daytime temperatures that were an issue, it was whether it cooled down at night for sleeping. I’ve noticed, and I think Powderfreak would agree, that the overnight lows seem to be the big difference between the Champlain Valley and the valley bottoms out here in the mountains to the east. Both our locations are pretty good examples of what Will is talking about because we’re at 500’ here in Waterbury, and Powderfreak is probably close to 800’ in Stowe. I can recall suffering through some pretty horrendous nights when we lived at our place on South Union Street in Burlington (for reference, we were at 230’ elevation in the hill section of town). How well one’s residence ventilates is of course a huge factor in evening comfort as well, but in the five years we’ve lived here in Waterbury I only know of one night that we haven’t dropped into the 60s F or lower, so with fans bringing in outside air, sleeping has never really been an issue here. Evening/overnight temperatures often seem to be 5 to 10 F lower out here than in the CPV, and even if the differential is smaller for daytime highs, the lower minima let one cool the house off at night, and if you have decent insulation you can just close it up and keep it cool on the few steamy days. Tonight looks like a typical example in progress, since as of 10:00 P.M. it’s 62 F here, and according to the data at the NWS web page, 62 F in MPV, and 62 F in MVL, but 67 F in BTV.

Haha as my post above says, I definitely agree with you. The other real important thing is that although our elevations aren't all that significant (still under 1K at our homes), we are elevated enough and surrounded by significantly higher terrain, allowing for perfect radiational cooling.

Those numbers must not have been updated because at 10pm yesterday it was 59F at both MVL and MPV while BTV was 65F. The usual 5F difference on calm nights, but it can be as high as 10-15F difference if BTV is seeing a southerly flow channel up the CPV while the interior is calm and protected by the mtns.

Left is BTV's numbers so far in August, right is Morrisville-Stowe Airport (MVL). Elevation difference between the two is 400ft, so not overly significant but enough to cause a 2.5F difference in highs this month and almost 5F difference in lows.

[powderfreak]

Need I alter? Need you say more?

haha... good catch. I have a picture somewhere of a digital clock/thermometer inside her apartment that shows the indoor temp as 90F at like midnight. Last summer was sickeningly hot and surrounded by pavement (BTV is small, but it definitely has a heat island effect) in the North End was just brutal.

[powderfreak]

I think Middlebury averages a bit over 60" per year, although we had above average snowfall in my four years in college. So it's a significant upgrade in snowfall average, but as you say the most significant change will be the snowpack retention...The Champlain Valley can really torch on S/SW winds as warm air is advected up from the Hudson Valley, and enhanced by the downsloping component when you have any westerly flow off the Adirondacks. It's also easier to lose your snowpack on SW flow events because the Valley can change to rain if the easterly surface winds become too powerful with the downsloping from the nearby 4000' spine of the Green Mtns.

I'm getting a decent package to move there and am ready to start my career, so the snowfall is a great bonus feeling but of course not my primary motivation. But close, of course.

Haha, snowfall has been pretty much my primary motivation for the past 10 years... from Albany to Burlington and then to Richmond on the western slope, and now to the eastern drainage of Mansfield where retention is much better.

And I love BTV and the valley, they do clean up in certain patterns particularly if synoptic moisture meets NNW funneling wind flow, but its a rollercoaster up and down there most winters. You can go from 18" snowpack to bare ground back to 18" while the interior is just slowly building to 3 feet as the Greens block any warm air intrusion. Particularly SWFE it can be raining at 38F in Burlington and 28F with +SN at both MVL and MPV. Same deal between ALB and ORH or points east of the Berks. if we get into a SWFE winter, you definitely want to be east of the mountain crests.

With that said, BTV is a nice introduction to NNE weather because it still feels really cold and snowy coming from a place like ALB and especially Philly like "adk." An average of 82" is a nice bump up from anything in the Hudson Valley or coastal plain.

Anyway, I'm bringing this thread off-topic...

Best of luck, Nate, and I look forward to your observations. I honestly would be excited to live in that area. Its a perfect spot to catch those big deformation bands and some big totals if the storm track is right.

[OKpowdah]

haha... good catch. I have a picture somewhere of a digital clock/thermometer inside her apartment that shows the indoor temp as 90F at like midnight. Last summer was sickeningly hot and surrounded by pavement (BTV is small, but it definitely has a heat island effect) in the North End was just brutal.

The beginning of fall semester last year was brutal in Plymouth. Highs in the 90's, and the rooms held onto the heat through the night. I don't think we dropped below 85 for the first week.

[OKpowdah]

Still have that at home. Modem (exterior: the in-machine one couldn't handle the voltage variations, apparently) says 56K but signal comes in at half that. We had dsl for about 2 months early in 2009, on a borrowed computer (ours too kludgy to work it), until Fairpoint took full control in Maine, at which point the connection died. Even our tech-savvy son could not revive it, and he's now back in Japan - be an expensive service call. We love our end-of-the-line location, woodsy and quiet, but there are some disadvantages.

Same story. Live in the woods on the edge of Keene. 56K modem, but couldn't come in any faster than 26.4K. We sometimes got "lucky" with 28.8K on rare occasions.

A few months ago, Fairpoint finally came up the road with high speed.

[BethesdaWX]

Congrats Nate, expecting to see good snow pics on FB

[Organizing Low]

no more dobbs ferry boooo

i always thought it was cool that you lived on a boat.

[Professional Lurker]

btw, don't know if you're going to be up there this weekend, but if so, the Jaffrey fireworks are spectacular.

[nzucker]

btw, don't know if you're going to be up there this weekend, but if so, the Jaffrey fireworks are spectacular.

Nope, not moving until September 1st or so. Too bad, I like fireworks.

[HoarfrostHubb]

btw, don't know if you're going to be up there this weekend, but if so, the Jaffrey fireworks are spectacular.

They are seriosuly superb. What an experience.

[WeatherX]

So you'll have microwave connectivity beamed into campus for your juice?

[nzucker]

So you'll have microwave connectivity beamed into campus for your juice?

Yeah, it's a crappy connection beamed from Mt Monadnock. It's only 1.5mbps shared among like 15 full-time staff members/teachers. Not a great situation, and no Internet/computers in the classroom.

[WeatherX]

Yeah, it's a crappy connection beamed from Mt Monadnock. It's only 1.5mbps shared among like 15 full-time staff members/teachers. Not a great situation, and no Internet/computers in the classroom.

My hat is off to you, Zuck. Good luck

[nzucker]

My hat is off to you, Zuck. Good luck

Thanks, I'm really excited to teach. It's been my dream for years. My mom has been a French teacher since she graduated college, and I've always wanted to follow in her footsteps.

I'm also being offered a nice package....20k salary plus an apartment with all the amenities paid plus 3 meals/day with access to vegetable gardens. I'm essentially getting 20k for 7 months' work as we are off from early June-mid September for summer break, have a month off for XMAS, and over 2 weeks off for February break. I will find other work for those times to raise my income, as well as relaxing a bunch as I'm sure I'll work tenaciously when I'm in the classroom and need a rest.

[nzucker]

Now getting close to the move, about to put Rindge into my signature. Will be driving up Thursday afternoon.

Getting very nervous.

[Mr Torchey]

Now getting close to the move, about to put Rindge into my signature. Will be driving up Thursday afternoon.

Getting very nervous.

Thats normal brother! You will meet so many new friends, and make a home of your own:) Enjoy the experience, life is a journey and this is a good trip!

[nzucker]

Just arrived in Rindge NH....will put it in my signature immediately!

Cool, cloudy, and breezy here.

[moneypitmike]

Just arrived in Rindge NH....will put it in my signature immediately!

Cool, cloudy, and breezy here.

Welcome to New England!

[powderfreak]

Just arrived in Rindge NH....will put it in my signature immediately!

Cool, cloudy, and breezy here.

Congrats... you just moved to the top of the weenie class in any SNE threads, lol. No more peasant from the Hudson Valley, you are now king in SNE winter weather. So much so you may have to join us in the NNE threads for some events.

[ORH_wxman]

Congrats... you just moved to the top of the weenie class in any SNE threads, lol. No more peasant from the Hudson Valley, you are now king in SNE winter weather. So much so you may have to join us in the NNE threads for some events.

His area destroys his former NNE spot at Middlebury.

[HoarfrostHubb]

When are you meeting up with MRG to go sledding?

[HoarfrostHubb]

Congrats... you just moved to the top of the weenie class in any SNE threads, lol. No more peasant from the Hudson Valley, you are now king in SNE winter weather. So much so you may have to join us in the NNE threads for some events.

He is now CNE

[powderfreak]

His area destroys his former NNE spot at Middlebury.

Yeah not even close... his elevation beats the latitude of Middlebury. He may average about the same as the northern half of the Champlain Valley (BTV up towards Canada) but Rindge will still destroy those areas in snowpack retention.

There is a decent difference between Middlebury and BTV (the latter averages a decent bit more from nickle and dime stuff) but overall the Champlain Valley, while technically NNE, is more like an extension of the Hudson Valley, but with more severe downsloping at times due to 4,000ft+ terrain on either side.

[ORH_wxman]

Yeah not even close... his elevation beats the latitude of Middlebury. He may average about the same as the northern half of the Champlain Valley (BTV up towards Canada) but Rindge will still destroy those areas in snowpack retention.

There is a decent difference between Middlebury and BTV (the latter averages a decent bit more from nickle and dime stuff) but overall the Champlain Valley, while technically NNE, is more like an extension of the Hudson Valley, but with more severe downsloping at times due to 4,000ft+ terrain on either side.

Yeah, the southern Champlain Valley really isn't good at all relative to its surroundings. Northern Champlain valley near BTV can get those nickle/dime events from the lake itself enhancing it and of course your are still getting extra latitude the further north you go. But ovbiously there still suffers relative to the surroundings. The CT River valley in MA and N CT is the same way...with the Berkshires on one side and ORH hills on the other, though they don't get nearly as a severe a downslope as Champlain in nor easters but its certainly still there and really shows up in snow totals.

[powderfreak]

Yeah, the southern Champlain Valley really isn't good at all relative to its surroundings. Northern Champlain valley near BTV can get those nickle/dime events from the lake itself enhancing it and of course your are still getting extra latitude the further north you go. But ovbiously there still suffers relative to the surroundings. The CT River valley in MA and N CT is the same way...with the Berkshires on one side and ORH hills on the other, though they don't get nearly as a severe a downslope as Champlain in nor easters but its certainly still there and really shows up in snow totals.

Definitely... though I'd bet even the CT Valley holds cold air better than the Champlain Valley. With deep southerly flow there's really nothing stopping the air from ALB to blast all the way up the valley to Montreal. The only time the Champlain Valley wins in icing events is with a strong surface northerly drainage... but in 99% of the SW flow events you're toast pretty quickly. Those were the most frustrating for me when I lived there... seeing 33F moderate rain along the lake shore in Burlington while literally everyone east of the cordillera from Chesterfield to ORH and northward is ripping +SN in the upper 20s.

[nzucker]

Yeah not even close... his elevation beats the latitude of Middlebury. He may average about the same as the northern half of the Champlain Valley (BTV up towards Canada) but Rindge will still destroy those areas in snowpack retention.

There is a decent difference between Middlebury and BTV (the latter averages a decent bit more from nickle and dime stuff) but overall the Champlain Valley, while technically NNE, is more like an extension of the Hudson Valley, but with more severe downsloping at times due to 4,000ft+ terrain on either side.

Yeah Midd averages 60-65" and Rindge a little over 80" so it's a good bit snowier. The elevation of the Monadnocks compensates even in latitude winters like 07-08, when Ashburnham got over 100"...you can really see the elevation of the area with the white pine and birches, the trees already changing in some areas, the cool nights, etc. Amazing place.

[HoarfrostHubb]

Yeah Midd averages 60-65" and Rindge a little over 80" so it's a good bit snowier. The elevation of the Monadnocks compensates even in latitude winters like 07-08, when Ashburnham got over 100"...you can really see the elevation of the area with the white pine and birches, the trees already changing in some areas, the cool nights, etc. Amazing place.

No... full on torch...

[powderfreak]

Yeah Midd averages 60-65" and Rindge a little over 80" so it's a good bit snowier. The elevation of the Monadnocks compensates even in latitude winters like 07-08, when Ashburnham got over 100"...you can really see the elevation of the area with the white pine and birches, the trees already changing in some areas, the cool nights, etc. Amazing place.

Cornwall, VT (about as Champlain Valley as you can get in Addison County) averages 69" at the co-op... I bet Middlebury's average is closer to 70" than 60". However, there is a pretty decent difference between Middlebury and Burlington as BTV averages 81" only one county north, closer to the lake, and at the same elevation. Latitude in the Champlain Valley makes a huge difference as the northern end of the lake might as well be southern Canada...similar totals to Montreal and adjacent Quebec flat farmlands.

So if Rindge is a little over 80" and BTV is 81"... you're pretty similar except that BTV's are generally a lot fluffier (low snow water ratio) and the snow retention in Rindge is a lot better. I'll take 81" at 10:1 ratio instead of 20:1 ratio any day... your snowpack will be that much better. Also, there's a psychological element to averaging more than your surrounding area that will likely make Rindge feel extremely snowy compared to other SNE/CNE spots. Just like how when I lived in BTV, 81" a year seemed quite low because every other spot on the evening newscast (western slopes and ski resorts/towns) were getting substantially more, even if they were only 20 miles away. You want to throw something at the TV when the weatherman is there saying, well the good news is here in Burlington we will only get 4-6" while the ski towns should pick up 8-12".

Now I get a bit of that feeling because here in Stowe we do quite well for the region...we don't jackpot all that often but we are at the higher end a lot of the times thanks to the proximity to Mansfield. As you'll find in Rindge, its a nice change of pace to not always expect lower snowfall than areas around you (such as living in the Hudson or Champlain Valleys, as we both have). Its nice to know that if you get screwed in an event, most other areas have also gotten screwed, haha.