Winters on Mississippi Gulf Coast

[petey42]

Do many snowbirds choose the Mississippi Gulf coast as their destination to winter in an RV? We are considering it, and are open to suggestions pro and con.

[2gypsies1]

Gulf State Park in Alabama is filled the whole winter with snowbirds who think the weather is just fine. We've been there, too, and yes, the weather is just fine. It's not constant nights of freezing and it warms up nicely by 9am and ideal for walking the beach. I guess it depends where you're from. Personally, we don't like hot humid weather.

We'd highly recommend Gulf State Park, Alabama. It allows snowbirds to spend the whole winter there - not the usual state park limit of 2 weeks. They have monthly rates. Lots to do in Gulf Shores and good restaurants and excellent shrimp to purchase off the boats.

[Paul1944]

Gulf coast is a very nice area but not quite far enough south, still gets pretty cold, nights can go well below freezing.

[tatest]

I don't know about "many snowbirds" but the Mississippi Gulf Coast, southern Mississippi, most of Louisiana, the Texas Coastal Plain (which reaches to San Antonio), and Florida's "Nature Coast" fit my idea of what is comfortable in winter. It is going to be quite warm sometimes, quite cool other times, and Louisiana to Florida, gray and/or wet a lot of the time. But not freezing long enough to be a problem for my RV.

I thnk a lot of snowbirds, particularly RV snowbirds, are looking for something warmer, bask in the sun weather. My cousin leaves NE Michigan at the end of September and doesn't stop until south of Fort Myers. On the other hand, my recently deceased brother spent 10 months a year in Northern Florida, two in South Central Michigan, houses both ends. Snowbirds with houses might be more tolerant of cooler days. A lot of my family likes the west coast counties north of Tampa as winter (or primary) home locations.

I lived two years in central Florida, found it too warm, even in winter. But that's a personal preference, I like a little winter weather, so I stay where I get a couple months of what I would call winter, having grown up in Michigan where I got twice as much of it. It is summer that I move for, most often.

[lizzie]

I guess it all depends on what you like to do outside during the winter. These are my priorities: 1) Paddling my canoe. In the Florida Panhandle and south Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, there are hundreds of fantastic paddling opportunities and they are best explored in the cooler months. We paddle three to four days a week are ok with 50 degrees 2)Hiking: Ditto the above. 3)Exploring back roads and little towns and communities. Ditto the above. There is also bike riding, scuba diving, fishing (salt water and fresh) and boat riding on the estuaries and bays. I lived in South Florida for years and the year-round bugs and humidity was a real downer for our kind of outdoor life. To each his own. lizzie

[TomG2]

A wise old timer answered the question by saying, "You might as well stay in Illinois". Of course he was kidding but for great outdoor activities, I will take South Florida or the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Those extra ten-twenty degrees really add to the amount of time one will want to spend outdoors.

[John_Joey]

I never spent a whole winter there, but I can tell you what I've learnt about snow birding in less then ideal temps. First off freezing temps are a big nothing. So many on this forum make it sound like it's the 800lb gorilla in the room. In all reality all you do is fill up your water tank and disconnect your hose and turn up the heat. No big deal!

What is a big deal is the amount of time you spend inside a small RV vs outside enjoying your winter. If it takes till 11am to feel good outside, and then it gets chilly at 5pm you're spending a lot of time inside an RV. If you have a S&B in those temps then it's no big deal, but living in 350 sq feet for 18 out of 24 hours, day after day, gets old in a hurry.

Most snowbirds like to get out and enjoy new things, not sit in front of the TV watching the travel channel, or reading travel blogs in an RV.

[sher9570]

My brother in law has a home on St. George Island.
We stay an hour south of Tampa in Cortez, Florida.
I would not trade places with him for anything, his gorgeous
beach house for our RV...I go where I can wear shorts at least
90 to 95% of the time.

Sher

[lizzie]

Compared to SD the OP will find the Gulf Coast downright balmy in the winter. Texas is nice too but the difference in winter temperatures is not significant enough for that to be the deciding factor. I spend the winters in the Florida Panhandle and am very comfortable. I do not have a four season RV and do not need one. I do not spend an excessive amount on propane either. Typically we will have a few freezing nights in January and February. It usually warms up during the day and a "cold spell" rarely lasts more than three or four days. Occasionally we will have a hard freeze where temps stay below 30 for 18 to 24 hours but this is unusual and can be anticipated and prepared for. I can't say as I have ever been particularly flustered about cold temperatures, I just add a sweater as needed. lizzie

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[rockhillmanor]

Central Florida and lower is the best bet for warm winters and even there, there is a chance of a couple of days of freezing, but down here in Florida that freezing temp only happens for a whole whopping 2 or 3 hours just before dawn!

Certainly not like up north that when they predict cold temps? Boom you have them the minute the sun goes down and for ALL night long!

Gotta love Floridians they get all flustered about cold temps predicted that last for a whole 2 hours! They need to spend just on night up North in the winter to appreciate how good they have it! :B

[bgum]

Average Jan (coldest month) high is 60 and low is 42 Check weather.com for correct information. Rockport TX averages about 4-5* warmer on high and low.

[scbwr]

If you are on the gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama and northern Florida, you will deal with freezing temps and lower daytime temps. As already posted, you can check for average daily temps as well as lows and highs. As long as you feel your RV can keep you warm and don't mind paying for either the electric or propane required, you can get by quite well. Although I haven't used one, I'd consider getting a water hose that plug in and use electric heat to prevent freezing, and be sure that your water lines in your rv can handle some freezing temps. Bottom line, if you have a four season camper....no problem. Less than that, be prepared to deal with freezing temps.

[rockhillmanor]

It is one of the coldest areas for snow birding to in the winter.

[LynnandCarol]

To cold for us! We used to start our winter trip there in Nov. on the way to south TX. The state park there Bucaneer SP does do monthly rentals during the winter. Nov. and Dec. there are ok, but Jan./Feb. can get cold sometimes. The Hideaway rv park has snowbirds throughout the winter.