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Burlington makes Worst Climate List


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Burlington's climate receives negative review

By Matt Sutkoski

Free Press Staff Writer

It's cold, it's cloudy, it's damp.

The weather is so bad here, according to a new book called "Cities Ranked and Rated" that Burlington has made a rare appearance on a "worst of" list.

The book by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander says that Burlington has the fifth worst climate in the nation. Only Benton Harbor, Mich., and three eastern New England communities are worse.

The negative review is a departure for Burlington, which usually basks on many "best of" lists. Burlington's the 10th best city for women, (Ladies Home Journal); one of the top 10 cities to raise a family (Parenting Magazine); the fourth most enlightened town (Utne Reader); the best city for getting arrested, (Stuff magazine).

Too bad the weather's too depressing to enjoy it all. True to form, a heavy, chill overcast shrouded Burlington on Tuesday, and the day's forecast threatened showers, fog, thunder and small hail.

Out in Salinas, Calif., the city rated with the best weather, it was sunny and 73 degrees, again, on Tuesday, said Deputy City Clerk Cathy Williams. "It's like this probably 300 days of the year. We're right off the ocean," she said.

Tim Shea of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce leapt to Burlington's defense. "They obviously weren't here this past weekend," Shea said of the authors. Yes, it was sunny, but Shea didn't mention the frost in the mountain valleys.

Shea noted that weather is beyond anyone's control, but the sense of community, amenities and attractions that win raves are here because people created them.

Sperling and Sander do offer grudging praise for Burlington, giving it an overall ranking of 232 out of 400, according to the book. The city is helped by its attractiv downtown, youthful ambiance and plenty of outdoor recreation, if you can stand the cold and clouds.

"For those tolerant of these negatives, Burlington is an attractive place," they write.

Todd Neumann moved from Burlington to Pocatello, Idaho, two years ago, another city that ranked among the worst cities for climate.

The weather's much nicer in Pocatello, Neumann said. "In Burlington, it's the humidity. It's rarely humid out here," he said. Still, Neumann said he misses Burlington's vibrancy, if not its weather.

Fairbanks Museum meteorologist Steve Maleski says he doesn't think of weather in terms of good or bad. Maleski might forecast dry, wet, cold or hot weather, but he avoids terms like "unpleasant," or "gorgeous."

"It's a mistake to add value-laden terms to weather, as in this is the best weather, this is the worst weather. It's a lot more appropriate to simply see this as one of the cloudier areas in the United States, because that's true. For some people who like clouds, this is a great place to live."

Stuart Hall, who spent 36 years forecasting Vermont's snowstorms, cold snaps, drizzles and ice storms for WCAX-TV, said he finds Burlington's climate invigorating. "It doesn't get too monotonous because it changes so fast," Hall said. "I don't mind the cold at all."

Which is fortunate, because forecasters said today will bring clouds, showers and cool temperatures.

From Burlington Free Press

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Burlington's climate receives negative review

By Matt Sutkoski

Free Press Staff Writer

It's cold, it's cloudy, it's damp.

The weather is so bad here, according to a new book called "Cities Ranked and Rated" that Burlington has made a rare appearance on a "worst of" list.

The book by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander says that Burlington has the fifth worst climate in the nation. Only Benton Harbor, Mich., and three eastern New England communities are worse.

The negative review is a departure for Burlington, which usually basks on many "best of" lists. Burlington's the 10th best city for women, (Ladies Home Journal); one of the top 10 cities to raise a family (Parenting Magazine); the fourth most enlightened town (Utne Reader); the best city for getting arrested, (Stuff magazine).

Too bad the weather's too depressing to enjoy it all. True to form, a heavy, chill overcast shrouded Burlington on Tuesday, and the day's forecast threatened showers, fog, thunder and small hail.

Out in Salinas, Calif., the city rated with the best weather, it was sunny and 73 degrees, again, on Tuesday, said Deputy City Clerk Cathy Williams. "It's like this probably 300 days of the year. We're right off the ocean," she said.

Tim Shea of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce leapt to Burlington's defense. "They obviously weren't here this past weekend," Shea said of the authors. Yes, it was sunny, but Shea didn't mention the frost in the mountain valleys.

Shea noted that weather is beyond anyone's control, but the sense of community, amenities and attractions that win raves are here because people created them.

Sperling and Sander do offer grudging praise for Burlington, giving it an overall ranking of 232 out of 400, according to the book. The city is helped by its attractiv downtown, youthful ambiance and plenty of outdoor recreation, if you can stand the cold and clouds.

"For those tolerant of these negatives, Burlington is an attractive place," they write.

Todd Neumann moved from Burlington to Pocatello, Idaho, two years ago, another city that ranked among the worst cities for climate.

The weather's much nicer in Pocatello, Neumann said. "In Burlington, it's the humidity. It's rarely humid out here," he said. Still, Neumann said he misses Burlington's vibrancy, if not its weather.

Fairbanks Museum meteorologist Steve Maleski says he doesn't think of weather in terms of good or bad. Maleski might forecast dry, wet, cold or hot weather, but he avoids terms like "unpleasant," or "gorgeous."

"It's a mistake to add value-laden terms to weather, as in this is the best weather, this is the worst weather. It's a lot more appropriate to simply see this as one of the cloudier areas in the United States, because that's true. For some people who like clouds, this is a great place to live."

Stuart Hall, who spent 36 years forecasting Vermont's snowstorms, cold snaps, drizzles and ice storms for WCAX-TV, said he finds Burlington's climate invigorating. "It doesn't get too monotonous because it changes so fast," Hall said. "I don't mind the cold at all."

Which is fortunate, because forecasters said today will bring clouds, showers and cool temperatures.

From Burlington Free Press

Yikes...thanks for the reminder...

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When my boyfriend and I were looking to leave New York City, Burlington and Portland were high on my list (we had ruled out Boston as too expensive and we had both 'been there, done that'). My boyfriend vetoed them both on climate. Portsmouth, NH was our choice until a last minute decision on Providence.

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