Which states have mild winters and no tornadoes?

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by floyd

Its all about what you were raised on, I hear that there are people in some places who would actually eat oysters.

Fresh gulf oysters on the half shell with saltines, a nice spicy cocktail sauce and lemon? Oh my is right. Yummy!

[whoot]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

It seem many only think of moving south when they retire .
My 3 Aunts (Mom's sisters) moved to a warmer climate in their later years and after their spouses had passed on. Within 3 years all 3 moved back to Minnesota . They missed the change of seasons and found the climate in other areas boring and stressful.( Medical Conditions ) I suspect they also missed family and friends.
We have been to upper NY twice and found it beautiful , charming and sort of quaint in a good way .
We had planned a 2 month trip to the New England States last year but some medical issues put a hold on that idea.
Hopefully in the near future , we can make our dream trip happen
We have seen quite a bit of the US and Canada. Some parts of the US were wonderful others not so much so . We are sure New England will be on the wonderful side of the ledger .
My recommendation to you is to visit Oregon.
A beautiful state with very friendly people . Oregon has wonderful State Parks and really tries to make visitors feel welcome.
I love the fact that Oregon does not treat out of state visitors like a CASH COW as some SE states do !!

I lived in Portland for a year, a long time ago. It was nice, but it rained quite a bit. I remember it snowed, but I don't remember it being super cold.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

LOL... there's always something!

Like the OP, tornadoes scare me. I've never lived where they occur, so they are a strange terror to me.

Then there are earthquakes, flash floods, sinkholes, avalanches, volcanoes, lightning, alien abductions... what's a man to do?!

Of course, the most dangerous place of all is the highway as you drive to your camping spot. Statistically speaking.

So true. There is always something. I grew up in New England. At the age of 18 when I went in the army, I was sent to Ft. Polk, LA, for basic training. Prior to leaving, I was petrified of encountering a venemous snake, and just about every species of venomous snake indigenous to the US inhabits Louisiana. But after having “lived” with them, my inordinate fear turned to healthy respect. Now, living in Florida, I know they are out there but in my 33 years here I have seen a total of 3 eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (1 I killed because it was hanging around around in the back yard after 3 days), 2 coral snakes, and a bunch of water moccasins. The moccasins I see are typically during the cooler months and they are sluggish because they are trying to find someplace warm. The bottom line is that my original fear has proven to be unjustified.
Statistically, the west coast of Florida has the second most number of tornadoes after Tornado Alley. Typically, they are small and short lived. A couple of carport may get ripped down in a mobile home park so the authorities will label it as the “result of a tornado.” Yes, tornadoes can be spawned by hurricanes. While I have a healthy respect for ‘canes, do I fear tornadoes? In 33 years on Florida’s west coast, I have never seen or even been close to one. And in those 33 years I only recall 11 tornado deaths, all when a small tornado struck an apartment complex in Orlando in the middle of the night. No, I don’t worry about tornadoes here where tornado frequency comes in second place (a lot of them are water spouts that never make it on shore).....not even a little bit. Perhaps if I lived in Tornado Alley, I would be more concerned. However, millions live along that path. I think FDR summed it up best when he said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Seriously, one cannot (or should not) allow fear to rule one’s life. And I agree, driving on the highways is far more deadly than any weather event.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My recommendation to you is to visit Oregon.
A beautiful state with very friendly people . Oregon has wonderful State Parks and really tries to make visitors feel welcome.
I love the fact that Oregon does not treat out of state visitors like a CASH COW as some SE states do !!

I beg to differ with you, but any political entity whether it be a state, count, city, or province treats out of location visitors AS WELL AS its own residents as a cash cow. It’s what political entities do. They collect and spend other people’s money. That’s just the way it is. Oregon collects various taxes and fees from residents and visitors alike. I surely don’t recall being “exempted” as an out-of-State resident when visiting Oregon. Florida does, and having lived in New England for half of my life I can say unequivocally that every one of the New England states also does. Not excluding Louisiana here! The Parishes operate in the same way. And I have personally found many of the northern states more cash cow-minded than many of the southern states. What is that saying about the grass is always greener.....?

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by CPW

So true. There is always something. ...

Statistically, the west coast of Florida has the second most number of tornadoes after Tornado Alley. Typically, they are small and short lived. ...

Gentle nudging this thread back to the original post, yes tornadoes are not such a concern that I would allow the small risk to dictate where I choose to live above all over considerations. They usually affect a relatively very small area, and they are very survivable with proper knowledge and preparation. As long as you can get to good storm shelter below ground level, that practically insures you will escape even a direct hit uninjured, but of course your home might well be leveled. The problem is that good storm shelters seem to be a consideration only in the mid-west (for the US). Around here we do have a few tornadoes but shelters are few and far between. My plan is to use the small bathroom in the center of the house if needed, crawling into the bathtub with a heavy blanket over me. I've come close to doing that in my 23 years in this house - even had the blanket in-hand. But for me, the only truly scary weather event in my 35 years in mid-state North Carolina (Piedmont area) was hurricane Hugo.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by CPW

I beg to differ with you, but any political entity whether it be a state, count, city, or province treats out of location visitors AS WELL AS its own residents as a cash cow. It’s what political entities do. They collect and spend other people’s money. That’s just the way it is. Oregon collects various taxes and fees from residents and visitors alike. I surely don’t recall being “exempted” as an out-of-State resident when visiting Oregon. Florida does, and having lived in New England for half of my life I can say unequivocally that every one of the New England states also does. Not excluding Louisiana here! The Parishes operate in the same way. And I have personally found many of the northern states more cash cow-minded than many of the southern states. What is that saying about the grass is always greener.....?

Believe what you wish. Right now the grass here is covered in white , on both sides of the fence. Our travel plans are seldom influenced by climate , when we travel we look for places that actually have something we wish to see or do.
If all you've got is hot that's not a lot to us

Floyd : Every summer we wait until the Illinois sweat corn comes in.
Illinois sweet corn is some of the best in the US
Topped with real Wisconsin butter it's a real summer treat

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Believe what you wish. Right now the grass here is covered in white , on both sides of the fence. Our travel plans are seldom influenced by climate , when we travel we look for places that actually have something we wish to see or do.
If all you've got is hot that's not a lot to us

Not sure what your travel plans have to do with your original statement that Oregon doesn’t treat its visitors like cash cows and other states, particularly in the southeast do. Every place does. It’s not just what I believe. I would venture to say most every person on this forum would agree.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by CPW

Not sure what your travel plans have to do with your original statement that Oregon doesn’t treat its visitors like cash cows and other states, particularly in the southeast do. Every place does. It’s not just what I believe. I would venture to say most every person on this forum would agree.

There is no need to further this discussion . You and I see things differently and this forum is not the place to resolve those differences. I've stated my opinion and see no reason to defend it.
As I said, you are free to justify / glorify anything you wish and I am free to ignore them

It's snowing and I need to shovel out my truck and take my wife to the Doctor. So Adios !!

[Jon in AZ]

Speaking of Florida, I'll have to say that sinkholes scare me even more than tornadoes. Seems like most people had little idea they were at risk, and they strike without warning. There is something primordial about the fear of being buried alive.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Speaking of Florida, I'll have to say that sinkholes scare me even more than tornadoes. Seems like most people had little idea they were at risk, and they strike without warning. There is something primordial about the fear of being buried alive.

The vast majority of “sinkholes” in Florida are raveling sinkholes, not collapse sinkholes. I know of only one case where someone was buried alive by a collapse sinkhole. Earthquakes and mudslides in California are most likely more dangerous than a sinkhole. I could say scorching temps well over 100° F in parts of Arizona scare me but the population of Phoenix would indicate that as dangerous as it could be, people adapt and do not worry about perceived danger. It’s the same no matter where you live. If you want to live along the coast should you not do so because of the possibility of a tsunami? Should you not live in the Pacific Northwest for fear of another Mt. St. Helens type volcanic eruption, or in Wyoming because Yellowstone could blow? Or should people relocate from St. Louis because they are afraid that the New Madrid fault might quake? Humans living in these places laugh and/or simply shake their heads when someone who doesn’t live in the area expresses what they consider to be unjustified hysteria.

[Kenton]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Speaking of Florida, I'll have to say that sinkholes scare me even more than tornadoes. Seems like most people had little idea they were at risk, and they strike without warning. There is something primordial about the fear of being buried alive.

Then you want to stay out of states with Karst terrain.
About 20 percent of U.S. land is susceptible to sinkholes.
The most damage from sinkholes tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.
Canada has lots of it too.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by rbryan

Fresh gulf oysters on the half shell with saltines, a nice spicy cocktail sauce and lemon? Oh my is right. Yummy!

Skip the saltines and the cocktail sauce, just a spritz of lemon. It's like eating the whole ocean in one bite- clean and bracing! Hard to get good ones in Arizona. When relatives were in state for a graduation, we took them to the Sunday brunch at the Buttes in Tempe. The oysters were huge and really, really fresh- best I've had since leaving the Chesapeake Bay 30 years ago.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Skip the saltines and the cocktail sauce, just a spritz of lemon. It's like eating the whole ocean in one bite- clean and bracing! Hard to get good ones in Arizona. When relatives were in state for a graduation, we took them to the Sunday brunch at the Buttes in Tempe. The oysters were huge and really, really fresh- best I've had since leaving the Chesapeake Bay 30 years ago.

You're right Jon, I enjoy them either way. But I do like them with a drop of cocktail sauce with horseradish. And Chesapeake Bay oysters are some of the best.

[Gordon in Idaho]

"There are a lot of really great pizza places here in North Carolina. Of course they are all run by people from NY (or at least sound like they do) . My two local favorites are "Brooklyn Boys" and "Giovanni's." They are every bit as good as the places back home in New York."


And how about bagels, gordon2 ?

Gordon
(hungry in Idaho)

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Believe what you wish. Right now the grass here is covered in white , on both sides of the fence. Our travel plans are seldom influenced by climate , when we travel we look for places that actually have something we wish to see or do.
If all you've got is hot that's not a lot to us

This is our #1 problem with Florida. In the Eastern US, it has cornered the market on warm weather through the winter. But otherwise, we don't like it at all.

We would prefer the SW instead, but its a long, long way from here. And you have to be pretty far south in the winter to have good weather. We could probably handle St George, Utah, weather is not ideal, but a lot of stuff we like nearby. Summers are way too freakin' hot!

[Wildheart61]

In a specific answer to the original question: There are NO states in the US that do not experience tornadoes, and that includes Alaska and Hawaii. That said, of course there are those that experience more and less than average. I've attached a map here from NOAA that shows averages in a very visually accessible way.

Also: Though most folks know that the Great Plains tend to see the most annual tornadoes (earning it the moniker "Tornado Alley"), there is a secondary busy spot for twisters called Dixie Alley, because it encompasses much of the area of the lower Mississippi Valley and the southern states. It stretches from eastern Texas and Arkansas across Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, to upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina; the area reaches as far north as southeast Missouri and southwest Kentucky.

Typically, Dixie Alley is the first to get active each spring because it warms up there first and it's closest to the Gulf of Mexico, which provides the necessary moisture to create twister-friendly conditions. In general, we'll start to see Dixie Alley become active as early as February, depending on the overall climatic conditions, and it will stay that way until about the end of April. The activity then shifts to the Plains, Tornado Alley, as the prevailing Westerlies bring cold, dry air off the Rockies to collide with warm, moist air flowing northward from the Gulf, through midsummer. After that, tornado activity becomes more widespread and generalized geographically.

One other thing: Since you're essentially traveling around in crackable eggs, you have as much to be concerned with from large hail storms as you do from tornadoes. Both phenomena tend to originate out of the same types of storms, so this info is germane to both.

Hopefully, this gives you enough info to create an evidence-based plan for your travels rather than just guessing. Safe and happy trails to you all!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by CPW

The vast majority of “sinkholes” in Florida are raveling sinkholes, not collapse sinkholes. I know of only one case where someone was buried alive by a collapse sinkhole. Earthquakes and mudslides in California are most likely more dangerous than a sinkhole. I could say scorching temps well over 100° F in parts of Arizona scare me but the population of Phoenix would indicate that as dangerous as it could be, people adapt and do not worry about perceived danger. It’s the same no matter where you live. If you want to live along the coast should you no do so because of the possibility of a tsunami? Should you not live in the Pacific Northwest for fear of another Mt. St. Helens type volcanic eruption, or in Wyoming because Yellowstone could blow? Or should people relocate from St. Louis because they are afraid that the New Madrid fault might quake? Humans living in these places laugh and/or simply shake their heads when someone who doesn’t live in the area expresses what they consider to be unjustified hysteria.

Originally Posted by Kenton

Then you want to stay out of states with Karst terrain.
About 20 percent of U.S. land is susceptible to sinkholes.
The most damage from sinkholes tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.
Canada has lots of it too.

And of course you are right. Fears are not wholly rational. Once you've lived closely with the objects of your fear and understood them through experience, they cease to be irrational fears and become something you treat with a healthy respect. That was really my point.

My current job required me to move into a location that is thick with scorpions. We had an 18-month-old and a 4-year-old at the time. I didn't like it, but we took a deep breath and plunged in. In ten tears we have had two stings, one light and the other a little more severe, neither requiring more than benadryl and tylenol. I have dispatched countless scorpions inside our house. I have learned that ours are not the life-threatening bark scorpions. I have learned that they prefer to climb the walls and hang out near the ceiling. I have learned they're easy to kill because they usually freeze rather than run when they've been spotted. I have learned to scan the floor and walls when I enter a room. I have learned to wear slippers with thick soles indoors (we don't wear shoes). I have learned to spray for the other small insects that serve as their prey. In short, we have learned to coexist with that particular danger.

It is even possible to live at peace in tornado country. Plenty of people do.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

This is our #1 problem with Florida. In the Eastern US, it has cornered the market on warm weather through the winter.

Florida does have its own beauty if you are a beach loving person or like to fish. I am not and do not fish. The primary reason I am here is the warm winter weather, and it is less expensive to reside here (key implication is to be a resident of Florida) and go north in the summer than the other way around.

[Rzrbrn]

The average number of tornadoes to hit the states of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Vermont is less than one, while the state of Oklahoma receives an average of 52 tornadoes per year, and the state of Texas is hit with 126 tornadoes in an average year...

For the period 1950 to 2006, three hundred and fifty eight people were killed by tornadoes in Alabama, ranking the state third nationwide behind Texas (521) and neighboring Mississippi (404).[15] Fourth is Arkansas (336) and fifth is Tennessee with 271 fatalities.[15]

From:

Tornadoes in the United States - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornad..._United_States

Middle TN is scenic and has mild winters, short humid summers, high ground is with a few hours drive. Lots to do in Nashville, food is great, but pizza specifically is mediocre.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Kenton

Then you want to stay out of states with Karst terrain.
About 20 percent of U.S. land is susceptible to sinkholes.
The most damage from sinkholes tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.
Canada has lots of it too.

For the uninitiated in geology, karst essentially is bedrock which can be dissolved in water, such as limestone. And yes, all of Florida is karst terrain.