<p>Coming from W. PA, California is hot - which is great.</p>
<p>Summers here are pretty hot, 80 + with a good amount of humidity. </p>
<p>The difference is seen in the winter. We had well over 3 feet of snow this winter.</p>
<p>because California IS hot, that’s why. I live on the Eastern seaboard and normally in the summer the weather is 70 - 80 degrees with a nice ocean breeze. 
For the past week we’ve had a “Heat Wave” because it’s been around 95 and people are going nuts in my hometown! I can’t imagine living in a ridiculously hot climate like the Southwest - I enjoy going outdoors in the summer, not hiding inside to escape the heat. </p>
<p>I love having 4 distinct seasons, I would hate if it felt like summer all year round. Spring is my favorite but I need some autumn and winter too. My ideal weather is 70 degrees and sunny and a “crisp” feeling in the air, I hate sticky humidity ugh.</p>
<p>It’s like 100F today in DC. It’s about 74 in LA.</p>
<p>california might as well be the arctic to me right now</p>
<p>I have to laugh when I hear that, too. I’m fortunate to live on the coast between Monterey/Carmel and San Francisco. We have built in A/C–the ocean air. Mediterranean climate, although right now we’re experiencing “June Gloom” in July. 
We’ve had a marine layer ever since Sunday and I’m ready for some SUN! But, I’m glad we don’t have the “valley weather” here. Or what people have in other states—all that heat and humidity in the summer. Or extremely dry heat. No, California isn’t always the “land of sunshine and tanned bodies”. LOL</p>
<hr>
<p>**Quote:</p>
<p>There was a thread in the college search forum where someone refused to go to college in California because he couldn’t stand the heat, and I’ve read lots of stuff by people saying they can’t go to California cause it’s too hot.</p>
<p>Say what? I’ve spent about an equal amount of summers in California and New York, and California summers are much nicer. 75-80 degree weather, a nice ocean breeze in otherwise dry air, and no rain beats 90 degree weather, sticky humidity, and thunderstorms thank you very much.**</p>
<p>Where I live in Santa Cruz, we don’t have air conditioners in our homes. In the summer, we often run a little turbo fan in our upstairs bedroom if it’s been a particularly warm day. But that’s it. We just rely on the coastal A/C.
<p>**Quote:
People don't set their air conditioners much under that. And that's inside without the breeze. **</p><p>Right now it’s only 56.9. We’re having drizzly fog and it’s depressing! Our high is supposed to be in the high 60s today, but if it’s anything like we’ve had the past three days, the sun won’t even come out. There are advantages to living on the coast, but at the same time, I prefer it when it’s in the high 70s. Maybe even in the low 80s. You learn to dress in *layers *where I live in California.</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap, you have a point, at least where I live. I know it’s different down South with the heat and Santa Ana winds. But not here. We’ve had our share of wildfires here in the last couple of years and we definitely don’t live in a HOT climate. We’re on the coast. But, as you said, it’s the DRYNESS that was the largest contributor. And, more often than not, they ARE started by someone. Or a piece of machinery. Thankfully, we had a lot of rain this past season. Last year at this time we were rationing water.</p>
<p>**Quote</p>
<p>“We don’t have wildfires because people are committing arson. Some start on their own.”</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap replied:</p>
<p>Source please. I’ll give you dryness as contributing, but heat? How often is THAT the issue? **</p>
<p>Again, California has so many different climates within the state, you can’t really make a blanket statement that we’re HOT. As I mentioned earlier, where I live we rarely get sweltering weather. In fact, most of the time in the late spring through early fall, our days are just like you described: “My ideal weather is 70 degrees and sunny and a “crisp” feeling in the air, I hate sticky humidity ugh.” Actually, for the past few days we haven’t seen the sun at all. FOG. :(</p>
<p>Alix wrote:</p>
<p>**because California IS hot, that’s why. I live on the Eastern seaboard and normally in the summer the weather is 70 - 80 degrees with a nice ocean breeze. For the past week we’ve had a “Heat Wave” because it’s been around 95 and people are going nuts in my hometown! I can’t imagine living in a ridiculously hot climate like the Southwest - I enjoy going outdoors in the summer, not hiding inside to escape the heat. </p>
<p>I love having 4 distinct seasons, I would hate if it felt like summer all year round. Spring is my favorite but I need some autumn and winter too.**</p>
<p>I agree there isn’t a major difference in the summer months, but in the winter there is a major difference.</p>
<p>Come spend a winter in Western Pennsylvania and you will see what I’m talking about.</p>
<p>I could not live in California, I like winter XD… And to me 70, 80 or so degrees is too hot. That’s why I’m dying here in New York with our annual 100 + degree heat wave… Ugh.</p>
<p>It was 60 degrees and slightly drizzling this morning.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s not summer all year – more like spring.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s not hot in CA during the winter. There’s only a major difference because it’s cold in PA.</p>
<p>lol you people crying about fog</p>
<p>i’d kill ten men just to have the weather you’re having right now.</p>
<p>It’s so hot right now that a lot of people are without power (myself included. I’m sitting in a starbucks right now) because there’s too much demand on the electrical grid. It feels like 92F and it’s 9PM. It’s gonna be above 90 for 9 out of the next 10 days, and that’s with humidity. </p>
<p>I hate this place so god damn much when it comes to weather.</p>
<p>DC, that’s nothing.</p>
<p>It’s been above 90 for the past month… with a ton of humidity. But I am much further south than you. (Not my california home. weather.com says it’s currently 70 there)</p>
<p>It’s been like 60-65 in California while it’s been over 100 in New York, Philly, DC, and Boston. Point proven.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m in New York and it’s been mid 90’s all this week and the humidity has been making the heat index well over 100. We’ve had some power outages here too because there’s been so much demand with everyone turning on the a/c and what not</p>
<p>Oh, believe me, I HAVE felt the southern summers. I lived there for five years. I’ve lived in 7 states all over the country so I feel as if I know quite a bit about the different climates. Palm Springs is the worst. The asphalt literally starts melting.</p>
<p>And no, you can’t avoid the dry heat. Standing under a tree or under shade can help a bit but it still is hot.</p>
<p>You can’t avoid either heat (dry or wet) but humidity just feels gross. I honestly walk outside and feel like I’m taking a bath in my own sweat, in the first five seconds I leave my house.</p>
<p>And lol @ people complaining about 95 degree weather. Try 104+, not including the heat index/humidity, for three weeks straight. Today a girl from school who lives in NY posted how it was almost the hottest day in recorded history, and I was thinking to myself “But it’s July… of course it’s triple digits?”</p>
<p>It was around 85 in Madison today. I was panting like a dog.</p>
<p>…because of the heat, if I have to add.</p>
<p>These past few days in Southern California have been looking a lot like Washington state. I run on hot though, so I don’t mind. Anyone remember January/February of '09 when we had an awkward heat wave going on? It was cool wearing summer attire while the midwest and east coast were experiencing harsh snow storms.</p>
<p>Oh, and to those complaining about California heat, I dare you to spend some time in Las Vegas over the summer. You wouldn’t last a day in their neck of the woods.</p>
<p>
I’ve traveled to the east coast over two summers and remember having to change my shirts in the middle of the day. Feels horrible walking around with sweat trickling down your chest and back in the heavy air.</p>
<p>
That’s exactly how it is in Southern California, only year-round. ;)</p>
<p>California is a very large state with a wide variety of climates. I’ve seen 118 F before.</p>