<p>Blucroo, Seal Beach!!3!! I went to Huntington Beach High, just like my father, my mother, and my great-uncle (my wife, too, as it turns out). My father grew up on the Hellman Ranch in Seal Beach, right where the Rockwell/Boeing facility is across the street from the Weapons Station. Seal Beach. I'll be darned. Good to run across someone from home...</p>
<p>Weather is a criteria in calculating costs:</p>
<p>My D, a So Cal kid....non skiier did not own a winter coat, warm socks, real gloves, etc. She was very eager to visit the Northface Store in Boston during parent weekend so that we could buy her the super-duper all blizzard parka and gloves. No boots yet but I am sure that is next. She is also a first time owner of a warm robe, thick socks and flannel sheets. All for a kid whose idea of winter clothes was layering a sweatshirt over long sleeves to accompany her flip flops.</p>
<p>We had the discussion about weather but she did not want to hear about it. As of now, she thinks Boston is wonderful. I doubt she will ever admit that the weather is an issue for her. I am just glad her car is here and not there with her because driving in snow would be a terrifying thought.</p>
<p>Now, about So Cal and smog...........only on rare occasions is smog an issue for coastal areas of the state. It is definitely an issue for the Claremont schools which are up against the mountains and have polluted days when the "inversion" layer sits on us. These days are few, but kids inland So Cal do have increased issues with allergies and asthma. I would include USC in the "poorer" air quality schools. Stick to the coast schools, all the way from UCSD, UCLA, Pepperdine, UCBB, Cal Poly SLO, Stanford, Berekely and the many other small schools along the coast.</p>
<p>Ooops, posting/computer problem there...................Had to retype entry and then (horrors) both appeared!</p>
<p>Hey Rick....Los Al High here...............Go Griffins.</p>
<p>I think we will be probably looking at CA coast schools anyway- since for an OOS, there are only a couple publics that are part of the western exchange program.</p>
<p>I think for some weather can affect them alot. I know I hear people who decide to move to Seattle during a summer visit- becoming progressively more depressed as the relatively mild fall, descends into a muddy winter.
I even bought a blue light spectrum box- but I am thinking that keeping up my 4 day a week gym routine- will be enough.
Costco has them on sale though</p>
<p>Gray--the state color of Wisconsin.</p>
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I would include USC in the "poorer" air quality schools.
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<p>My son has reported substantially less problems with his allegeries at USC than at home in NoVA. None of that dreaded oak pollen? It turns the whole DC area green.</p>
<p>EK - our gal had weather as a MAJOR criteria LOL - wanted warm/south BUT still wanted to be able to snowboad!!! EEEEK - OOOOOOK not an easy mix at all - but we were able to find her a good compromise - or 2 - and mission accomplished - a mid Atlantic school - somewhat close to the ocean - but had a snowboard team - so happy camper she was/is.</p>
<p>EK: Interesting about UCSB............seems like paradise.....right on the ocean but for many months of the year, the sun does not cut thru the "gray overcast" and fog until mid afternoon. Then, of course, it can be absolutely lovely. Probably the same is true about SLO, and UCSC which get a lot of the ocean fog and overcast. </p>
<p>tsdad: I was referring to the pollution in downtown LA for USC, not pollen/allergy issues.</p>
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for many months of the year, the sun does not cut thru the "gray overcast" and fog until mid afternoon
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<p>This is how I remember SoCal weather forecasts from April through July:</p>
<p>"The weather today will be low overcast until mid-day, then burning off to hazy sunshine in the afternoon. High of 74, low of 62. Next weather forecast in six weeks."</p>
<p>My apologies to OP. My son officially doesn't care about the weather for college: "I'm an engineer. I'll never see the outdoors."</p>
<p>Of course people consider it. Weather can affect a person's enjoyment of a college in the same way that size, social life or academic expectations do. But emphasis here is on the word 'consider.' I think making a decision on that factor alone is limiting at best, foolish at worst.</p>
<p>My D cares about weather and would love it if she never has to live anywhere other than Southern Cal. It was a factor for her in the college selection. A friend of hers (San Diego native) went to college in Chicago and absolutely hates the weather there. For him, it matters. </p>
<p>Smog - I agree with Rick on the smog issue - since the winds along the west coast prevail from the west 99% of the time, the coastal areas (within a few miles) have almost no smog - it's much better than in most cities in the country. The story changes as one goes inland 5-10 miles and can be downright lousy in places like Riverside where it gets trapped.</p>
<p>There a couple of approaches to weather during college - it's only 4-5 years and especially if one is living on campus, it's not a huge factor for many. On the other hand, it's 4-5 years of one's life so weather can be significant. It affects one's activities. In places like the southwest, one can often enjoy summer activities year-round but can also enjoy winter activities within a short drive.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids wanted cold, slushy, gray weather; that ruled out Cleveland!</p>
<p>DD had a warm weather criteria. She's at Santa Clara and loves the weather (and the school too).</p>
<p>Definitely was a consideration but not a determining factor. My DD, a fair skinned redhead refused to consider a school in the south where she would need to bath in suntan lotion daily (my redheaded brother went to college in FL, chose to live there and wound up with the worst type of melanoma). My DD has always enjoyed winter and she wound up in Rochester, NY - which others consider H..L. In actuality, it's no colder in Rochester than here in NJ and we had more snow last yr than she did... </p>
<p>Now my redheaded son is looking. He prefers hot to cold so at least half his list in a warm climate. But he does have some cold schools listed as well, including URochester. Says he won't like the weather but he's considering schools for other reasons (and he has quite the list of reasons). He also considers it a plus to be near his sister and he can go to hockey games with her. </p>
<p>Weather is one factor but only one. Each of my kids has completely different criteria so you can easily tell that parental input has absolutely no influence. They like what they like.</p>
<p>For S, who dreamed of being a meteorologist as a youngster, a location with exceptional weather variety held a high priority on his list of schools. Coming from the relatively mild, same old, same old Pacific NW, he wanted thunderstorms, snow, an occasional tornado, etc. He's not that excited about summer humidity, and has only spent 3 of 7 summers in the midwest. During his freshman fall semester at Michigan, he called about 3am (his time) one night to tell us about the lightning he just saw hit the rod on the roof of his dorm. We get calls all the time reporting the size of hail, the inches of snow, and the tornado warnings. His dream of professional weather forecasting died when he realized he'd have to seriously study science (he's now a lawyer), but he became a volunteer spotter for the weather service when in Wisconsin. He'd really love to chase a tornado (and what I don't know won't hurt me).
tsdad: Grey fits Seattle better than Madison. Madison gets more sunny days, albeit colder ones. Ice skating in 12 degrees and getting a sunburn was a unique experience for me.</p>
<p>The fog in Santa Barbara is mostly a summer thing. None in the winter or spring months. And it does not go very far inland, so you often have half the campus in sun half in fog. I ever remember days when the front door of my lab building was in the sun and the rear door in the fog. In the SB real estate section, they used to say in the ads "sun" or "fog" zone.</p>
<p>SLO is way too far inland to have the ocean fog. I suspect SC is too.</p>
<p>BTW, it's funny reading about all the so cal kids buying parkas for Boston. The locals seem to wear sweatshirts and jackets. We had a parka for my D when she was in HS that was never used.</p>
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I know this is mean-spirited, but I think of Pasadena as well outside the coastal area. I was thinking more like the San Diego Freeway than the Foothill.
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<p>No I don't think it's meanspirited at all. I was always astounded that it would be downright hot in Pasadena and we'd drive to the beach in Santa Monica and it would be cold and foggy. Good to alert non-Californians of all the micro-climates within the state!</p>
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I was always astounded that it would be downright hot in Pasadena and we'd drive to the beach in Santa Monica and it would be cold and foggy
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This can certainly be true. It's more pronounced further north in Northern Cal and further but is certainly noticable in Southern Cal as well. My D lives by UCSD in La Jolla and always notices a difference when she visits home about 8 miles inland. There can easily be a 10-15 degree temp difference in the summer. If I had to pick, I'd pick the coast (more expensive there though) but I've known many people who prefer the weather a bit more inland. It's all good though.</p>
<p>My rule of thumb for SoCal is that starting at the beach the temperature will rise about a degree per mile as you drive inland.</p>