Has anyone moved from SoCal or a place with a similar/warm climate? (Chicago: live in, suburbs)

[ajolotl]

I came from the tropics as a young man and immediately absolutely loved the cold weather, got depressed when spring rolled around. That attitude pretty much continued for 20 years until I started having kids. Now I want to get the hell out of here. Since that isn't very practical, I need to relocate for at least two months a year. Just too much work dressing and undressing them in and out of the car, being cooped up inside for six months, etc. With no kids though I still enjoy the cold.

[4eversearching]

Well, I lived in Des Moines and also a little south of there. The winters probably are equally cold overall, but from looking at the weather pages this year, there were more sub zero days in Chicago than central Iowa. I also didn't feel as cold and miserable in Iowa either. I think Chicago feels colder too because of the horrible wind. I can tell you from experience though that Iowa does have a beautiful spring and Chicago has no spring. It does warm up faster in central Iowa too. In march, the snow is melting and kind of that gross brown mush, while it's still in the low 30s in Chicago. Northern IA could be different. It's pretty desolate up there, but I'm speaking for central and Southeast Iowa.

[What!]

Some people from warmer climates actually move to the midwest because of the weather (weirdos). It depends on what you want out of life and how you cope with adverse situations.

What's with all this Minneapolis is sooooo much colder than Chicago stuff? I lived in Rolling Meadows during my elementary school years and now live in Minneapolis (I take frequent trips around the midwest, including Chicago), and I'd say they are definitely similar. On average Chi gets 58 degrees, while MSP gets 55. Do you really think 3 degrees makes a difference? Hardly. The difference isn't drastic. Weather basically feels the same in both cities. The argument that Minneapolis is "sooooo much colder than Chicago" is ridiculous.

[aragx6]

People need to realize that year-long averages mean literally nothing when comparing the climate of a city.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by NYrules

I came from Escondido 1990-1991, so trust me I know what you will be going through. With Chicago, it's not the cold that is the problem, it's the extended doom and gloom of continual cloudy weather kind of like Portland or Seattle's weather all winter long and the aggravation of having a large body of basically ice water right next to the city here keeping temperatures from February through June 1 sometimes as much as 30 degrees cooler than areas only 40 miles inland on days where winds are coming out of an easterly direction.

Uh, you kinda got that backwards, chief. For one, the lake does not moderate the temperatures by 30 degrees, ever. Not even close. 15 degrees at the most, and about 7-10 degrees is the norm in summer and winter. And the lake actually makes the temperatures warmer in the winter near the lakefront, not colder. Conversely, it makes the temperatures cooler in the summer. We are now in the period where the ambient air is usually warmer than the lake water, and we'll stay there until about early to mid October. Ambient air warmer than lake = cooler by the lakefront. It's a nice relief on a hot August day. It also bears mentioning that the lake-effect temperature is only present within a couple miles of the lakefront -- an infinitecimally small portion of the Chicago area.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by 4eversearching

Lookout kid, trust me. I've actually lived all around the Midwest and Chicago and Minnesota are the coldest. Maybe WI, but I know for a fact that Iowa is a little warmer. It gets brutal there too on some days, but not as many days and the winters are much shorter in Iowa. Also, unlike Chicago, Iowa actually has a spring and it's very pretty in spring.

One can readily verify this is incorrect with about a 3 minutes worth of searching a weather almanac.

[4eversearching]

It doesn't matter what your little web search turns up, I know what I felt and what I experienced. Go to Iowa and actually see for yourself.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by 4eversearching

It doesn't matter what your little web search turns up, I know what I felt and what I experienced. Go to Iowa and actually see for yourself.

I hate to break it to you, but 130 years of collected weather data is just a teeny bit more reliable than "what you felt and what you experienced."

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Drover

Uh, you kinda got that backwards, chief. For one, the lake does not moderate the temperatures by 30 degrees, ever. Not even close. 15 degrees at the most, and about 7-10 degrees is the norm in summer and winter. And the lake actually makes the temperatures warmer in the winter near the lakefront, not colder. Conversely, it makes the temperatures cooler in the summer. We are now in the period where the ambient air is usually warmer than the lake water, and we'll stay there until about early to mid October. Ambient air warmer than lake = cooler by the lakefront. It's a nice relief on a hot August day. It also bears mentioning that the lake-effect temperature is only present within a couple miles of the lakefront -- an infinitecimally small portion of the Chicago area.

Actually CHIEF you apparently NEVER listen to the weather on the news when everyday you hear 70s inland low 60s at the lakefront and yes Mothers Day was NO exception. Anyone out there from Skokie or Evanston? Speak up. It was nice UNTIL winds turned off the lake. Its a no brainer, water that is 35-40 degrees will hold temps DOWN not up so while inland areas in March and April are in the low 70s, the Loop is in the mid 40s to maybe low 50s if it is sunny while winds are blowing out of the east, so CHIEF looks like you're wrong. Here's a little example for you to study. http://cmlnmbs-weather.blogspot.com/...nd-stormy.html (bad example but note a greater than 20 degree differnce.) (yes sir winds blowing over this will sure make for a wonderous day. http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/michigan/m5.html) uggh. I'm sorry, but in the winter when your example might hold some water, when it's you know 10 degrees for an overnight low and the weathermen say, 10 degrees for a low inland and upper teens along the lake, Im sorry, but both suck and when spring rolls around and its 70 in Aurora and Plainfield and 45 along the lake ya that sucks too. Give me the inland scenario anyday. Perhaps before you run at the mouth, you actually live inland like I do and have (Orland, Bloomington, Tinley) and travel in and out everyday to and from the Loop and experience just how much different the climate is near Joliet vs. the boistown area or Andersonville or wherever the F it is you live which I know is up there somewhere, in any case you are still close to the lake, and too close to know what you're talking about. Oh and I went through this in Brooklyn too fyi, so you're 100% wrong when you speak in terms of temps only being affected some 7-10 degrees. More like it will be 60s in Brooklyn and mid 70s to upper 70s in New Rochelle on a regular basis in the spring, so it would do this crap there too and in the winter it would be crappy all over, so living near the water there or here is a no win situation. Winter near lake cold damp... Winter inland COLD, Springs near the lake cold damp... Springs inland mild and drier... Summer inland mid 90s and sunny, summer near the lake mid 70s to 80s and sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon... Falls same for all.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Actually CHIEF you apparently NEVER listen to the weather on the news when everyday you hear 70s inland low 60s at the lakefront and yes Mothers Day was NO exception.

Uh....isn't that exactly what he said?

For one, the lake does not moderate the temperatures by 30 degrees, ever. Not even close. 15 degrees at the most, and about 7-10 degrees is the norm in summer and winter.