West Coast of America climate (1 Viewer)

joybob

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Oct 21, 2009
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Hi
We normally motorhome in Europe. In 2010 we are thinking of combining our love of motorhoming with a desire for sunshine in the dark months of January/Ferbruary and a wish to travel the west coast of America.
Lots and lots to investigate before we decide what and how to do it but first question we are hoping someone can answer is the weather. A quick check of a weather website suggests that Jan / Feb could be rather miserable and wet. When we motorhome we like nice warm and reasonably dry weather so we can get out and about whenever we want.
Anyone have experience of / advice on west coast weather for the first couple of months of the year please ?
Joy:Cool:
 
Feb 22, 2008
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Its a fabulous place, we did our RV trip in August, so cant advise on winter weather, but go for it there is so much to take your breath away. Larry
 

lebesset

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May 31, 2009
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6,945
jan /feb ? don't go there !
even s.california has winter ,ok not like the uk but a good deal of cold and rain all the same , I made the error of believing the myths and went there in the winter , big mistake

the californian motorhomers all beat a hasty to retreat to baja california or further into mexico , alternatively you could get away from the pacific into arizona or new mexico where the winter weather is most pleasant , especially if you enjoy the desert which , to my amazement , I found we adored
personally I avoid baja , too american , but down the west coast of mexico in the winter was a pleasure , then north again through the silver valley's

but apart from the weather , what is it you are looking for , what do you like to see and do ?

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joybob

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Oct 21, 2009
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We just like to travel, to see new things, places, fantastic scenery etc etc. We always include some sun, some culture, some nature, some exercise and have pretty varied holidays. This year for example :
1. 5 weeks Thailand - Jan/Feb - 3 in Bangkok visiting, 1 (self-driving) in the north, 1 on an island in the sun.

2. 1 week Austria - March - ski resort but not skiing (daughter's wedding)

3. 3 weeks Scotland - June - motorhome - first time we've used it for full holiday in UK (!)

4. 5 weeks Spain - right round coast from north east as far as Tarifa (dolphin trip included) then back up the middle - in motorhome

All the above were fantastic **** in different ways

Though we have travelled pretty extensively neither of us has as yet been to American west coast and want to - so seemed a good idea to fit it in next year Jan/Feb because that is when we want to see some sun. i.e. get away from grey Uk just after Christmas and had 'assumed' before spotting the weather website that California is always sunny and warm. Seems not so thanks for the advice. Will have a rethink.
Joy
 

johnsandywhite

Free Member
Jul 29, 2007
1,720
19
Doncaster/Spain
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31
MH
'A' Class RV &
Exp
11
Hi
We normally motorhome in Europe. In 2010 we are thinking of combining our love of motorhoming with a desire for sunshine in the dark months of January/Ferbruary and a wish to travel the west coast of America.
Lots and lots to investigate before we decide what and how to do it but first question we are hoping someone can answer is the weather. A quick check of a weather website suggests that Jan / Feb could be rather miserable and wet. When we motorhome we like nice warm and reasonably dry weather so we can get out and about whenever we want.
Anyone have experience of / advice on west coast weather for the first couple of months of the year please ?
Joy:Cool:

:Cool: The weather is similar to Spain in Winter. :winky:
 

Kon tiki

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Oct 11, 2007
487
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594
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We lived for 2 years in Huntington Beach (just south of LA) I would agree that it is similar to what you get in southern Spain, can be ok but gets a bit chilly as soon as the sun goes down. You can also get the Santa Ana winds blowing in the winter which can be cold or hot but very dry (everywhere gets covered in a fine sand).
Have a look where the americans go in winter, I don't think the west coast would be one of their favourite locations if you want good weather.

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joybob

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Oct 21, 2009
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Thanks all. Advice much appreciated. Back to the drawing board.
Joy
 

Judge Mental

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Deceased RIP
Sep 2, 2009
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Sarth London
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8,272
MH
Possl 636 FR panel van
Exp
1994 and beyond...
Thanks all. Advice much appreciated. Back to the drawing board.
Joy

why not Florida...........much to see and do and a lot more to it then Orlando:winky:

Have been to LA for christmas and the weather was very good, inland at Vegas/grand canyon it was snowing and beautiful. but if you stick to the coast you should be OK. Best time is the summer though did a 5 week tour and it was brilliant and roasting!
 

johng

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Aug 15, 2007
587
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did 3 weeks at xmas/new year.. it rained once I think :) tshirt weather..

was pleasent weather, Death valley about 70F , which was nice :)

maybe I got lucky...

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johnsandywhite

Free Member
Jul 29, 2007
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did 3 weeks at xmas/new year.. it rained once I think :) tshirt weather..

was pleasent weather, Death valley about 70F , which was nice :)

maybe I got lucky...

:Cool: Death Valley in December was pretty COLD at night. But quite nice during the day riding around the different Monuments on our Mountain Bikes:-
 

bambi 2

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Jun 7, 2009
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Hi we picked up our R.V. in Florida last November, we were cold at night, we travelled from Florida to California to meet some friends for Christmas, on our way we were pretty cold, we drove through heavy rain, sand storms, gales and in New Mexico snow, the weather started to improve the nearer we got to California, but I agree with the previous post that the weather was similar to Southern Spain at that time of year, so we had gone all that way for a 6 month trip only to find that some of the National parks were closed for winter, we put the R.V. in storage in february changed our flights and flew home, we returned to America in April when the weather started to improve. bambi 2 :Smile:

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johnsandywhite

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Jul 29, 2007
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Hi we picked up our R.V. in Florida last November, we were cold at night, we travelled from Florida to California to meet some friends for Christmas, on our way we were pretty cold, we drove through heavy rain, sand storms, gales and in New Mexico snow, the weather started to improve the nearer we got to California, but I agree with the previous post that the weather was similar to Southern Spain at that time of year, so we had gone all that way for a 6 month trip only to find that some of the National parks were closed for winter, we put the R.V. in storage in february changed our flights and flew home, we returned to America in April when the weather started to improve. bambi 2 :Smile:

:Doh: You will never guess what? We arrived in Florida 4 years ago this month. Bought our RV, toured Florida then up to Nashville before working our way to the East Coast to spend Xmas with our German friends at Newport Beach. :thumb:
 
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lebesset

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May 31, 2009
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well , for a quick visit like that I wouldn't look beyond arizona ...

climate , things to do and see in the winter

start by looking here to get an idea of the climate


Quartzsite, Arizona

you could spend your visit here if you wanted !

but travelling up the river , maybe over the border to vegas [ free camping at the casino's ], hoover dam , choice of wild camping or sites wherever you go in arizona

grand canyon still open [ or was ] , we went to the new years eve lecture at the lowell observatory in flagstaff [ a bit of cold weather made a change ]
place like pheonix and tombstone well worth a visit , over the border to mexico at nogales , every motorhome dealer in the south seems to move his stock to yuma in the winter [ on the 4.10 maybe :Smile: ]

could go on and on , but the star attraction for me was ...the desert ; I thought I had been in the desert , but the plant and wildlife really turned me into a fan ; I loved it as much I disliked florida , maybe I wasn't old enough for a retirement home !

and you would be able to drive over london bridge at lake havasu city ...apparently the guy thought he was buying tower bridge !
 

johnsandywhite

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Jul 29, 2007
1,720
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'A' Class RV &
Exp
11
well , for a quick visit like that I wouldn't look beyond arizona ...

climate , things to do and see in the winter

start by looking here to get an idea of the climate


Quartzsite, Arizona

you could spend your visit here if you wanted !

but travelling up the river , maybe over the border to vegas [ free camping at the casino's ], hoover dam , choice of wild camping or sites wherever you go in arizona

grand canyon still open [ or was ] , we went to the new years eve lecture at the lowell observatory in flagstaff [ a bit of cold weather made a change ]
place like pheonix and tombstone well worth a visit , over the border to mexico at nogales , every motorhome dealer in the south seems to move his stock to yuma in the winter [ on the 4.10 maybe :Smile: ]

could go on and on , but the star attraction for me was ...the desert ; I thought I had been in the desert , but the plant and wildlife really turned me into a fan ; I loved it as much I disliked florida , maybe I wasn't old enough for a retirement home !

and you would be able to drive over london bridge at lake havasu city ...apparently the guy thought he was buying tower bridge !

:Cool: We had our Solar Panels fitted in Quartzsite in January 2006 just before the BIG RV meet there. We Wild Camped there. BUT it was STILL cold at night. As was Las Vegas. You need to be South of Interstate 10 to get any benefits of warmer climes. :thumb:

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lebesset

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May 31, 2009
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well , I suppose it all depends what you want to do at night !

as long as there isn't a frost that's fine by me , so far as I am concerned as long as there are warm sunny days I am quite happy , in fact give me a cold night rather than a hot one any time

quartzsite is of course on I 10 and there isn't much of the USA south of it , if memory serves it's only about 70/80 miles to mexico , so hardly a vast difference!

and in vegas it is plenty warm inside the casino's !
 

johnsandywhite

Free Member
Jul 29, 2007
1,720
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Doncaster/Spain
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MH
'A' Class RV &
Exp
11
well , I suppose it all depends what you want to do at night !

as long as there isn't a frost that's fine by me , so far as I am concerned as long as there are warm sunny days I am quite happy , in fact give me a cold night rather than a hot one any time

quartzsite is of course on I 10 and there isn't much of the USA south of it , if memory serves it's only about 70/80 miles to mexico , so hardly a vast difference!

and in vegas it is plenty warm inside the casino's !

:roflmto: That is quite true. We had a week in Vegas. Free Wild Camping at the Wild Wild West Truck Stop, 2 FREE Buffet dinners each, a trip up the Stratosphere and tickets for the American Superstars Show and a FREE lunch each and came away with $68. :thumb:
 

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