AKnitWit777 t1_izs9hx3 wrote on December 11, 2022 at 1:54 PM

Columbia itself is very diverse and relatively laid back. The aforementioned trails are great and there are plenty of thing to do in the area or not far in the DC/Baltimore metro areas.

There are some restaurant gems in Columbia and Ellicott City, so please don't limit yourself to chain restaurants. Ditto for other small businesses.

Snow and cold weather come with the territory, but spring and fall are absolutely glorious. We tough out the 1-2 months of really cold weather and 1-2 months of really hot weather and make the most of the rest of the time when the weather is really nice. There's plenty to do inside, too, so if you have a hobby, whether it's pickleball, basketball, watercolor painting, or origami, there's bound to be a group here that does it or class that teaches it.

People are generally friendly and you can stick to yourself or find your people.

Connerpro01 t1_izsvt1c wrote on December 11, 2022 at 4:38 PM

I recently just moved from Florida where “winter” doesn’t exist. Does it get much colder than it is now and when does it snow?

AKnitWit777 t1_izsxxv0 wrote on December 11, 2022 at 4:53 PM

It will get a little colder than it is now, but the super cold temps (20s) don’t usually last too long. We natives hate the really cold weather too.

It can snow anytime from now until late March, but usually the big snows are in late Jan into early March.

FineWinePaperCup t1_izsy4sl wrote on December 11, 2022 at 4:54 PM

Feb is typically the worst snow month, something about President’s Day snowstorms seems common. January and Feb are when it will be coldest. It’s not unusual to have the first snow the second week of December. I’m actually kind of surprised we haven’t had a dusting yet.