Moving with the weather

[kayell]

Hi all, I'm still in the planning stages due to family obligations (my mother needs some one in the house with her), but I'll be hitting the road in 2.5 years. One of my big issues is weather, especially avoiding excessive heat. While hunting for info for good snowbirding movement I found 2 really great vids on YouTube that show average daily temperature by location across the year.

Where is the Normal High Temperature 70°? 

80°F Normal High Temperatures 

 

[highdesertranger]

there is no such thing as "normal temperatures" that is a term coined by the global warming crowd. you can have an average over a certain number or years but to say that this number is normal is misleading. highdesertranger

 

[kayell]

Quite true, but the average shows where you are likely to have temperatures in a range that is acceptable. Taking into account things like humidity on the east coast of course. While it appears that I could plan travel routes that would keep me on the east coast where most family is, a circuit through AZ, NM and CO looks ideal for interesting locations and lower gas use.

(I didn't create the titles. That is from YouTube. I would have used the word average.)

 

[cyndi]

There are a couple of travel maps that have been passed around facebook with regard to a constand optimal temperature. Sure looks like a lot of driving, to me.

I winter in the southwest and spend the summers in New England. We grew up here without AC and don't have it now. A fan is enough if you're not too active. it helps if you know where the swimming holes are.

 

[kayell]

I've seen some of those maps. In fact, one showed up today with a 13,500 mile route. No way that works on my budget, or desire not to drive like a madwoman. What seems neat about these maps is you can spot more practical possibilities to set up a yearly route through interesting areas, while staying comfortable.

 

[SUV_RVing]

Those are interesting videos. Thanks for sharing. I don't think a 13000-mile route like you mentioned is necessary; just go north in the summer and south in the winter.

A much easier way to move with the weather without doing a ton of driving is to move up and down in elevation. In places like New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, you can stay within the state for the entire year and find comfortable temps by simply going to the low deserts or high mountains.

 

[goodbye2themachine]

That's exactly right. What people seem to forget is that it's also not just about how far north you go, as even some places in Canada are still unbearably hot in the summer if you're living in a van. What I have found is that it's more about going up in elevation than it is about going north. However, a nice mixture of both should be helpful. I also want to escape the humidity more than the heat because the heat can be managed whereas the humidity cannot.

For every 1,000 feet you go up in elevation, the outside temperature comes down 2-3 degrees. That may not sound like much, but if it's 100 degrees in Dallas, and you're at 550 feet above sea level, if you go up to 3,000 feet elevation, you will have brought the temperature down to a bearable 92(ish) degrees. Still a bit warm but here's where you can get crafty :idea: . If you park in the shade, you can bring down the temperature by a possible 10 degrees. So now you've got it down to a near 82 degrees. Couple that with a solar panel on a leash, and put in the direct sun, a 50 watt fan to bring you air circulation, you should be comfortable as long as you be still.

I learned this trick by staying in the Cheyenne mountains in Colorado Springs while it was 95 degrees in the city. I drove up the mountain for about 4 minutes (roughly 3500 feet higher where I parked than down in the city), parked in the shade, deployed the panel, ran a fan, and BOY what a difference it made. My inside temperature gauge red 76 degrees and the humidity was only 31%. Plus, the view was amazing.

 

[ACagedTraveller]

I have to agree about the elevation and the distance from large bodies of water having a huge impact on the temperature of a location. The mountains, for example, in my area have significantly cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas (approximately 3000 - 6000 feet in the mountains and near sea level everywhere else). The mountains also have the same level, or absence, of humidity that can make the external environment feel like a sweltering nightmare.

 

[goodbye2themachine]

Helpful tip if your destination is flexible: Google Earth allows you to "show elevation". From there, find the temperature of the nearest town or city to the place you wish to go, then just do the math of the relative temperature (-2 or -3 degrees per each 1,000 feet in elevation) and you'll know what the temperature is before you get up there. I'll see you in the clouds.

 

[eroshan]

If you dislike feeling hot, do not go by average daily temps.  Certain times of the year Quartzite can swing 60 degrees in a day to night period.  So you may get up to 90 during the day but 30's at night.  Coastal areas usually have the least daily swing in temps, but then you deal with humidity.   After living in Wyoming for 20 years I can say that we never used AC and were always comfortable even when the temp. was nearing a 100.  Low humidity and the cool nights made it tolerable all summer.  If you find yourself in a hot zone, do as others have said and seek out the mountains.  Unless there is an air inversion going on the mountains in Wyoming will see temp. reductions of about 10 degrees for every 1500 feet or so.  Just don't get caught late in the season in the mountains or you might wake up to a foot of snow.