Hot In Summer Or Cold In Winter

[Nick L]

Wow cold is winning!! I do understand when people say feeling cold isn't pleasant, but you can always put on a few extra layers to keep away the chills. When it is very hot, there is pretty much no escaping it.

[Thundery wintry showers]

In the old days I'd have gone for the winter option, but years of having the occasional trip to the continent has changed my stance on summer heat considerably. I went for "hot in summer" mainly because it is more reliably accompanied by my favourite weather types than cold in winter is.

If it's hot in summer, chances are it's either dry and sunny with a strong Azores ridge, or hazy sunshine and the chance of thundery outbreaks in association with continental air.

If it's cold in winter, there's certainly no problem from my perspective if it's in association with a northerly, a "clear" anticyclone, or an easterly with cold upper air. In all cases the weather ends up bright and frosty and a potent northerly or easterly will bring plenty of wintry showers. The main issue is that often we get it in association with a "cloudy" anticyclone, or an easterly with mild upper air, in both cases resulting in layers of featureless stratus and/or stratocumulus for days on end. Some people do enjoy that type of weather, and I don't mind it when it happens once in a while, but when it crops up frequently and/or for prolonged periods I get very bored with it very quickly.

As for coping with heat- these days I think I can generally cope with heat in the UK as long as I'm not somewhere around Greater London, which fortunately I very rarely am.

[Tom D]

Looks like my vote has spilled it into the favour of cold in winter!

My decision is because prolonged cold (such as a week of lying snow and temps <3c) seems to occur much less frequently than a hot spell in summer (a week of >28c), for my location in any case.

2009 has been a great year so far because we've had both here; Great snowfall and cold in February, and now brilliant heat in June/July! The February event was the only major snow we had during winter, whereas it's almost certain we'll get another decent HOT spell this summer, maybe late July into August. Here's hoping anyway.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Tommyd1258

[damianslaw]

Have to say with a very slim margin on balance cold in winter does it for me, it just adds something special to the feel of things. Cold in winter is usually associated with 'polar' airstream in this part of the country unless we have an anticyclone sitting overhead when we get fog, but in polar air you get the absolute best clarity in the air, much better than anything you get in the depths of summer, in fact heat in the summer = haze = equals poor clarity and poor views, when you live in the lake district nothing beats a potent northerly and its sparkling blue skies..seeing the hills etched sharp against the sky, you don't get this in the heat of the summer.

As for heat in summer anything above 25 degrees especially when accompanied with sapping humidity as now for me personally is just too uncomfortable especially when you have to work in it.

For someone who likes walking the fells and generally doing energetic stuff outdoors, heat in the summer makes it much more tiring to do this and really quite unejoyable and you have to slap on the suncream constantly

Have to say though heat in the summer in a social context does bring out the 'continental' in us British and in this respect is on balance much better than cold in winter.

[Spurry]

I like the snow but for me it has to be hot sunshine everytime :blush:

[chilly milly]

It has to be the cold in winter for me.

Choosing

sweating and tossing in bed because it's too hot V snuggling up under a nice warm cosy blanket

guzzling water to try and keep cool V hot mugs of tea or coffee

too hot to eat, so limp bits of lettuce to entice the appetite V hot steaming stews and pies, true comfort food

hurrying to the shops and desperate to get it over with because the heat makes you grumpy V crisp walks in the frost/snow

droughts, withered brown grass and constant rounds with the watering can V spectacular landscapes glistening under a winter sun

roasting in the garden to hot to move V tobogan runs and snowball fights, full of energy to keep you warm

insects, horrible flying insects which plague every room in the house V no insects.

No contest for me, although I know the argument could easily be turned the other way. :blush:

[sundog]

Id much rather cold in winter then hot in summer. Not that i want the kind of summer we had last yr,but at the same time i dont like heat either. I dunno,as regards summer i feel its difficult to know what i want,i give out when its raining and i give out if its too warm. In summer as regards the weather i just feel confused :lol:

But in winter i know exactly what i want COLD COLD COLD

[Cheese Rice]

Depends what the weather is like, i only like cold if it snows or nice crisp sunny days, i only like summer if its warm (not hot) and sunny and some big storms. But seen as the UK gets neither that often i atm prefer the warmth, but the moment winter comes and the beasterly charts show up i will want cold again

[NorthantsSnow]

This answer won't surprise many people given my username but I'd have to say cold in winter, by a very long way.

The summer heat is just irritating above 25C. Anything up to 25C is fine, but I'm just not cut out for anything hotter than that. Like now I'm wearing a vest and shorts and with my big window open and my fan on medium setting and I'm still sweating.

I think a lot of it is to do with the type of humid / hot weather that is so predominant in the UK, and rarely a breeze to just take the edge off a bit. It's not pleasant at all and can cause my skin condition to flare up.

Edited July 1, 2009 by NorthantsSnow

[TEITS]

Simple really I love hot weather if it brings storms but I love cold in winter if it brings snow. What I cannot stand is cold spells which only bring frost and hot spells that never bring storms. So my answer is neither really.

If you remember I was moaning all the time last Dec/early Jan during that cold frosty spell!

Edited July 1, 2009 by THE EYE IN THE SKY

[Bottesford]

It does depends on your definition of 'cold' too. If you mean 'no longer comfortable to be out in without additional clothing' then we're talking 12c or less. If we mean cold when stood still in a coat but boiling when you're moving around then 7-11c; if just expensive/uncomfortable cold but boring cold (no snow/ice) then 1c-6c (i.e. 90% of UK winter time hence wondering why winter is so popular here!).

If -5 to 0c then yes that begins to get more interesting (but ever more expensive/uncomfortable). -5c or lower - now that I'd find interesting but I've never recorded anything that low (since as usual with easterly drifts/AC, we were inundated with low cloud when everyone else was recording the -10c's last winter keeping us at -0.5c ti 0.5c 24 hours).

Warmth & heat is much more reliable than cold anyway - and it it doesn't quite get that 'hot' then 'warm' is still lovely - plenty of safety margin! Whereas not getting as cold leaves it boring (snowless, etc) and still extremely uncomfortable- a very fine line.

[Scorcher]

Each to their own I suppose, but I just don't get this argument that cold lovers put forward that when it's cold you can just put on extra layers/heating etc. Heated air is just horrible and always makes my skin dry and gives me sore throats as well as being more stuffy than the natural heat in the summer. I much prefer summer, and it's not that difficult to cool down at all- you can always use a fan, go for a cold shower etc. The heat we get in this country is hardly ever unbearable. I can't remember a time when I've felt too hot in this country when wearing just shorts and a t shirt. Summer is just a happier time of the year for me when people spend time outdoors as nature intended (without coats of course). Winter on the other hand I find to be miserable with darkness at 4pm, no lovely green leaves on the trees and no pleasant scents in the air.

There really is no biological reason for wanting cold weather with weak sun. On the other hand our bodies naturally do need sunlight as Vitamin D is a requirement for a healthy body. The body struggles to generate sufficient levels when the sun is low in the sky. I think another thread I've talked about there being some afflictions which are limited to more northerly latitudes, MS being the one that springs to mind and has been strongly linked with levels of Vitamin D.

[Koppite]

Simple really I love hot weather if it brings storms but I love cold in winter if it brings snow. What I cannot stand is cold spells which only bring frost and hot spells that never bring storms. So my answer is neither really.

If you remember I was moaning all the time last Dec/early Jan during that cold frosty spell!

Pretty much the same here, love hot and cold, but prefer the action that hopefully comes with it, otherwise it can become rather boring after a while.

[Bottesford]

Each to their own I suppose, but I just don't get this argument that cold lovers put forward that when it's cold you can just put on extra layers/heating etc. Heated air is just horrible and always makes my skin dry and gives me sore throats as well as being more stuffy than the natural heat in the summer. I much prefer summer, and it's not that difficult to cool down at all- you can always use a fan, go for a cold shower etc. The heat we get in this country is hardly ever unbearable. I can't remember a time when I've felt too hot in this country when wearing just shorts and a t shirt. Summer is just a happier time of the year for me when people spend time outdoors as nature intended (without coats of course). Winter on the other hand I find to be miserable with darkness at 4pm, no lovely green leaves on the trees and no pleasant scents in the air.

There really is no biological reason for wanting cold weather with weak sun. On the other hand our bodies naturally do need sunlight as Vitamin D is a requirement for a healthy body. The body struggles to generate sufficient levels when the sun is low in the sky. I think another thread I've talked about there being some afflictions which are limited to more northerly latitudes, MS being the one that springs to mind and has been strongly linked with levels of Vitamin D.

Think that's the key reason a majority of people prefer summer (although a large percentage do not like this kind of heat though) - we're programmed to enjoy summer more. Times are easier, food is plentiful and you don't need to work so hard to keep warm. There's a reason many animals hibernate and why so many birds fly south for the winter!

[Iceni]

I want both B)

I suppose my ideal climate would be the west coast of Canada... far enough north to get real cold, but temperate enough for hot sunshine. I've been thinking of emigrating.

[Iceni]

Each to their own I suppose, but I just don't get this argument that cold lovers put forward that when it's cold you can just put on extra layers/heating etc. Heated air is just horrible and always makes my skin dry and gives me sore throats as well as being more stuffy than the natural heat in the summer. I much prefer summer, and it's not that difficult to cool down at all- you can always use a fan, go for a cold shower etc. The heat we get in this country is hardly ever unbearable. I can't remember a time when I've felt too hot in this country when wearing just shorts and a t shirt. Summer is just a happier time of the year for me when people spend time outdoors as nature intended (without coats of course). Winter on the other hand I find to be miserable with darkness at 4pm, no lovely green leaves on the trees and no pleasant scents in the air.

But heat is usually accompanied by humidity which is horrible. In the olden days people who were outside could get relief by sitting under a shady tree or get cooled off by the breeze, nowadays they're packed into commuter trains on their way to and from stuffy offices where they can't wear shorts and have to wear a suit.

Too many homes don't have a fireplace and just have central heating where the air stagnates... a proper fire keeps the air circulating as it burns and is much healthier.

There really is no biological reason for wanting cold weather with weak sun. On the other hand our bodies naturally do need sunlight as Vitamin D is a requirement for a healthy body. The body struggles to generate sufficient levels when the sun is low in the sky. I think another thread I've talked about there being some afflictions which are limited to more northerly latitudes, MS being the one that springs to mind and has been strongly linked with levels of Vitamin D.

Nothing better than doing some hard work digging in the garden when it's cold but sunny and bright or taking the dogs for a brisk walk on a frosty morning with no mud everywhere. I've noticed my dogs don't want to run off roaming in this hot spell, they like to follow my around the garden or sit in the shade while I potter about watering things or weeding

[Weather-history]

I much prefer summer,

You have to say your username is a teeny weeny bit of a giveaway....

[Scorcher]

You have to say your username is a teeny weeny bit of a giveaway....

True, but the same goes for many of the winter lovers on the forum.

But heat is usually accompanied by humidity which is horrible. In the olden days people who were outside could get relief by sitting under a shady tree or get cooled off by the breeze, nowadays they're packed into commuter trains on their way to and from stuffy offices where they can't wear shorts and have to wear a suit.

Too many homes don't have a fireplace and just have central heating where the air stagnates... a proper fire keeps the air circulating as it burns and is much healthier.

Nothing better than doing some hard work digging in the garden when it's cold but sunny and bright or taking the dogs for a brisk walk on a frosty morning with no mud everywhere. I've noticed my dogs don't want to run off roaming in this hot spell, they like to follow my around the garden or sit in the shade while I potter about watering things or weeding

Some good points there, especially about the commuter trains. I can definitely accept that on a crowded underground/commuter train in a suit it would be pretty unpleasant in hot and humid weather. I count myself lucky that I don't have to go through this daily! And I do appreciate the cold sunny mornings too, far better than a combination of dullness and cold, but personally I would prefer it to be warm and sunny as often on very frosty mornings I find I can't get warm even when wrapped up.

[Iceni]

This answer won't surprise many people given my username but I'd have to say cold in winter, by a very long way.

The summer heat is just irritating above 25C. Anything up to 25C is fine, but I'm just not cut out for anything hotter than that. Like now I'm wearing a vest and shorts and with my big window open and my fan on medium setting and I'm still sweating.

I think a lot of it is to do with the type of humid / hot weather that is so predominant in the UK, and rarely a breeze to just take the edge off a bit. It's not pleasant at all and can cause my skin condition to flare up.

You ought to only have the windows open at night — in the day time you should shut the windows (honestly ) and draw any curtains on the sunny side of the house. This keeps all the cool night air in the house through the day. You don't want the interior temps to equalise with the outside ones, just like in winter.

For example, yesterday it was around 31 ° C on the terrace outside, but stayed 23 ° C inside the house throughout the day with no fans needed. Try it tonight.

[LadyPakal]

Think that's the key reason a majority of people prefer summer (although a large percentage do not like this kind of heat though) - we're programmed to enjoy summer more. Times are easier, food is plentiful and you don't need to work so hard to keep warm. There's a reason many animals hibernate and why so many birds fly south for the winter!

If hot is so good, why do so many birds fly north in the spring to raise their chicks in cool climes?

Anyway, too hot for me, even this far north. Especially in an office with broken aircon & windows you can't open. Who can work when their brain is melting out of their ears.... or sleep, when their ever inconsiderate neighbours feel the need to party all night with windows wide open.

As for greenfly - they are horribly adundant this year - every plant in the garden is covered in sticky gunk and greenfly casts.

[Eugene]

I can't vote in this poll simply because i like both equally.

[Nick L]

Some really interesting views and a very pleasing poll result so far from my point of view

[Rob]

i don't have a preference, i love both

[Bottesford]

I wonder what a similar poll of the general public might return?

I'd expect a bit more of a 50-50 split than on here!

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

Looks like the coldies have won out

Maybe there could be another poll 'Would you prefer to see a Summer month with a 20C CET or a winter month with a 0C CET?'