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Are there any midwestern cities that for some reason or another the local conditions (bodies of water, sleight of topography, etc.) create a fairly moderate climate? I understand moderate is a pretty ambiguous term, but I'm looking for subjective experiences like non bone-chilling winters and non disgustingly-muggy summers.
Hmmmm...perhaps Springfield, Missouri. Perhaps, over the last ten years, Evansville, Indiana, Carbondale, Illinois or Cincinnati b/c they haven't had such persistently frigid winters.
Otherwise, I'm really not sure what other Midwestern cities exist that would meet your indicated subjective experiences.
Cincinnati, Evansville, St. Louis, Springfield, MO, Wichita, and Carbondale, IL would all fit the bill. Snow is relatively rare in these cities, at least compared to the upper Midwest. Also, although they are in Midwestern states, there is a strong Southern component to some of these areas.
You would have to be on the East side of the Great Lakes to get a milder climate in the Midwest. Where I live (Ludington/Scottville area of Michigan) has a USDA plant hardiness zone rating of 6. Everywhere to the West or slightly to the East ranges from zones 3-5. The lake moderates the weather just enough to give us slightly cooler summers and warmer winters than places even 20 - 25 miles East of Lake Michigan, and everywhere to the West of the Lake. Winter time extreme lows are 0 to -10 2 or 3 times a winter, yet the Summertime extreme highs are mid 90's a few a year. Wisconsin is generally 15 to 20 degrees colder in the winter than we are just 60 miles across the lake. Summers they are generally warmer than we are as well.
Of course, I should mention that West Michigan gets pelted with tons of lake effect snow.
Some years yes, some years no. Average is only 63" for Ludington, and just 10 miles due East in Scottville, it is almost 91" for the average. Like I said before it only takes a few miles to make a big difference when dealing with the moderating effect of the Lake on the climate.
In general, anywhere south of Interstate 70. Cold snaps are much shorter. Snow is less common, and when it does happen, it melts quickly. You escape the lake effect snow too.
I have lived in this region, both in Springfield, MO, and Owensboro, KY (which is near Evansville, IN). Springfield had two 13 inch snow storms when I lived there for 4 years, but it melted quickly and each year was our only big storm. I live in Owensboro now, and we have yet to get any snow this year, while most others, including those in Texas and Oklahoma, have. I also lived in Fargo, ND, and boy, what a difference!
I get that places further south will generally have better winters, but isn't the flip side really uncomfortable summers?
I was angling more for answers like Bydand's which mitigate both extremes. I understand it might not exist, but I figured it's worth a shot. I do find it odd that since coastal West Michigan is more temperate, then how come development was mostly on the west side of the Lake Michigan or the far east of Michigan state? Also, does the rule hold true for the other great lakes (ie does Buffalo also have a fairly temperate weather because of its location on the east end of a great lake)?
I get that places further south will generally have better winters, but isn't the flip side really uncomfortable summers?
I was angling more for answers like Bydand's which mitigate both extremes. I understand it might not exist, but I figured it's worth a shot. I do find it odd that since coastal West Michigan is more temperate, then how come development was mostly on the west side of the Lake Michigan or the far east of Michigan state? Also, does the rule hold true for the other great lakes (ie does Buffalo also have a fairly temperate weather because of its location on the east end of a great lake)?
For the most part it does hold true for the lower Great Lakes. Look at the USDA plant zones and you can see where you get the "shadow" of moderation from the Great Lakes. As for the majority of build-up on the East side of Michigan, you have to think back to when those areas were being settled and why. First was fur, then lumber, then Agricultural, most of those were serving the rest of the Country to the East. By the time the rest of the Country to the West was building up, those areas were already established, and transportation lines were already set, along with the basic infrastructure to accommodate larger populations. By the time things went Global, or even National, the West side was a place to vacation, the East side was the place for big business.
Here is a link to the USDA zones in NY, you can see where the area to the East of the Lakes is more temperate than those at the same latitude, but further away. USDAZoneMaps State=NY
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