Now that I’ve moved back to Florida, I thought I’d compare the weather in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, where we lived for over a year, to the weather in South Florida, which we lived in for almost 5 years. As far as the summer, the two are very similar. North Carolina is just as humid and hot as Florida in the summer. The only difference is the mornings. In NC it gets unbearably hot about two hours later than in FL, around 10am vs 8am, so you have a little longer to plan your walk or outing if you want cooler temperatures. Another difference is that FL has more summertime afternoon thunderstorms that provide some relief from the heat, and are just really cool to watch!
Both states have a similar phenomenon of summer going straight into winter. It is very hot and then bam, it’s cold. There isn’t much reprieve in the form of autumn days (though NC has amazing fall leaves for the entire month of November). The difference though is that the winter in NC is waaaaay colder than the winter in FL. In FL you’ll get a few days in the 50s; in NC you have a serious winter. Those from the northeast will definitely appreciate NC’s sunny winter (only February is grey) and will think the winter is quite mild. But Floridians will be shocked by how cold it feels when they walk outside, from end of October to mid-April. It gets depressing to not be able to walk around outside at all, since the days often never become a bearable temperature even at midday. It also feels exhausting and awkward to have so many items of clothing to keep track of: jackets, gloves, beanies, scarfs, sweaters. And the stark look of the bare trees is a big downer. One good thing about NC though is that there is tons of sunshine. The weather in winter in Florida is paradise- it is perfect, except for a few (like five) cold days.
Then there’s spring. In Florida, spring is summer already, scorching hot. In North Carolina, spring has some great temperatures (and glorious flowers), starting in mid-April, when the leaves finally come back to the trees. BUT starting in March and going until end of June, there is a pollen apocalypse in North Carolina that will almost kill you. It is SO BAD! So, in spring you also can’t go outdoors, and when you have to, boy will you pay. Even if you’ve never been allergic to trees before, you could find yourself very very sick in NC for 3 1/2 months in spring. Taking an antihistamine orally can give kids stomach aches, so many kids have to take eye drops that go through to their sinuses. And even if you stay indoors, you will still have to take an antihistamine every day just because the pollen manages to get inside your house. If you venture outside, you can have allergy fits that feel like you can’t breath and make you seriously scared.

For those who aren’t allergic to tree pollen and those who are used to serious winters, NC can offer some good sunshine in winter and a nice, warm summer. For those who don’t mind heat and humidity, FL can offer plenty of that year-round, some awesome summer thunderstorms, plus perfect days in winter.