Throughout most of this century, especially during the latter half, many a winter-weary Northerner has gone to latitudinal extremes in search of respite from snow and ice. Snow and ice are rare in New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties, making a snow shovel about as useful as a wool coat in the Caribbean.

Although many retirees settle in Florida, land of sunshine, some are viewing the year-round warmth as too much of a good thing. As a result, North Carolina is experiencing a rebound effect as retirees leave Florida and head here for more seasonal variety within reasonable temperature ranges. A year-round average temperature of 68.7 makes our climate extremely pleasant.

Wilmington's temperature range is moderate due in large part to its maritime location. Afternoon sea breezes make the summer heat more comfortable. Although there can be some beastly hot days with high humidity, there is nothing to match Florida's excessively relentless summer heat. Afternoon temperatures in this area may reach 90 or more a third of the days in midsummer, but several years may pass without reaching the 100-degree mark. The average temperature in July is 79.8.

Most winters here are short and mild. Polar air masses heading for the Atlantic Ocean must pass over the Appalachian Mountains first, which takes the bite out of the bitter cold before the air masses reach North Carolina's coastal area. According to records kept since 1870, there is only one entire day each winter when the temperature fails to rise above freezing. The mean temperature in January is 47 degrees.

Rainfall in the area is usually ample and well-distributed throughout the year, concentrated mostly in summer thunderstorms between June and August. Retirees who enjoy gardening will appreciate the fact that the growing season may be as long as 302 days for some flowers and vegetables.

In addition to agreeable weather patterns, the southern coast has much to offer its retired population. There is ample shopping, first-rate medical care, affordable housing opportunities, a full range of cultural activities, the benefits of a progressive university and a robust industry developing around services to older citizens.

The median age of the overall population was 36 in 1995 and it is projected to move to 40 within two decades, a statistic that suggests what most people here know instinctively. At this writing, New Hanover County/Wilmington is experiencing an increase of 10 percent per year in the population of citizens who are 60 and older. More than 16 percent of the residents of New Hanover County were in this age bracket in 1995 according to projections by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Office of State Planning.

Frankly, these figures are probably conservative. Until a full census is done in 2000, the possibly much larger percentage of citizens who make up the growing senior population will not be known. But ponder this: According to state projections, there will be more than 26,000 people age 60 and older in New Hanover County alone in 1997-98. Almost 2,000 will be 85 and older. New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick and nearby Columbus counties combined will have nearly 60,000 people older than 60 by 1998.