i've lived in va all my life and have osteo lupus and fibro. while it is warmer here in the winter than ct we do get some winters that are fairly cold - it does vary considerably and it varies a lot depending on where you live in va. another thing to weigh in is the heat and humidity - most of va especially the central and eastern half - is quite humid and is very hot in the summer. it's not unusual for it to start going into the 90's in late april and stay in that range until well into october. this summer we had long stretches of days in the high 90's - low 100's with humidity in the 80-90% range - and the combination of heat and humidity is particularly brutal especially if your arthritis causes compression of your c-spine nerves and you have a problem with sweating and body temp regulation because of it and/or if you are prone to migraines and sinus issues. the hot humid weather makes me far more miserable than the coldest days ever do and the older i get the less i seem able to tolerate it. so that's something to bear in mind when you consider moving here. (and please don't get me wrong i love my home state and am proud to be a virginian! )
i have arthritis. would it be better for me to move from ct to va. not willing to move west lots of family in the neast