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Hello City Data!
I would love some feedback on living in snowy cities.
I understand no matter what, there will be ice scraping and chains if we own a car, all that goes with the territory.
I'm curious which places are the hardest and the easiest to live with snow? Longest, most blizzards, coldest, how icey, how often power is lost how efficient the city is on plowing etc.
Also the people in the city and how they deal with it? Is winter celebrated? Are there festivals and a variety of snow sports, fun things like carriage rides and hot apple cider? Stuff like that!
Hardest
1. Syracuse, NY
2. Buffalo, NY
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Worcester, MA
6. Green Bay, WI
7. Albany, NY
8. Milwaukee, WI
9. Chicago, IL
10. Hartford, CT
Best?
Honolulu, Miami, Tampa, San Diego and LA lol
Out of the cities that get at least some snow most winters, Seattle is one of the mildest for it. It's not regular enough or deep enough for snow-related stuff to be part of the culture here.
I agree with Massachoicetts in that Syracuse and Buffalo are really tough, because they get a ton of lake effect snow and it is usually the wet, heavy and icey stuff. The cities up there are prepared for the snow, however.
For people that love snow and want to best enjoy it, Denver is one of the "easiest," or just best places for that. It will dump a bunch of snow that is powdery and easy to clear off the car, there is very little ice, and the next day it will be 60 degrees and sunny. On those days, head up to the ski slopes (where it is admittedly colder, but still nice and sunny) and enjoy the perfect skiing conditions: sunny with powdery snow!
Hardest
1. Syracuse, NY
2. Buffalo, NY
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Worcester, MA
6. Green Bay, WI
7. Albany, NY
8. Milwaukee, WI
9. Chicago, IL
10. Hartford, CT
Best?
Honolulu, Miami, Tampa, San Diego and LA lol
If we're going by million plus metros and average snowfall I'd also add Rochester, Grand Rapids and Denver. Both average at least 60 inches which would be more than all but the first two cities you listed. Also both seem to have plenty of winter events.
Last edited by bartonro; 01-19-2020 at 11:18 AM..
Reason: Added Rochester
Hardest
1. Syracuse, NY
2. Buffalo, NY
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Worcester, MA
6. Green Bay, WI
7. Albany, NY
8. Milwaukee, WI
9. Chicago, IL
10. Hartford, CT
Best?
Honolulu, Miami, Tampa, San Diego and LA lol
I am extremely confident that Duluth, MN has a harsher winter than all of your top 10. Syracuse and Buffalo may get more snow, but tack on harsher temps, it is probably one of the roughest.
Hello City Data!
I would love some feedback on living in snowy cities.
I understand no matter what, there will be ice scraping and chains if we own a car, all that goes with the territory.
I'm curious which places are the hardest and the easiest to live with snow? Longest, most blizzards, coldest, how icey, how often power is lost how efficient the city is on plowing etc.
Also the people in the city and how they deal with it? Is winter celebrated? Are there festivals and a variety of snow sports, fun things like carriage rides and hot apple cider? Stuff like that!
Thank you!!
I never have used chains the entire time I lived in Duluth. Winter tires and good driving habits are all you need.
Duluth has the harshest winter on paper. It has the highest combo of snowfall and cold for a city in the lower 48. I would say the UP is the overall harshest region, but most don’t view Marquette as large enough to contend in these comparisons.
Duluth does winter right. Excellent plowing operation and people live winter well. It is cold though and will kick your butt royally if you are unprepared.
The snowiest cities and their people generally handle cold and snow management better than cities that do not regularly get much snow. The snow cities also rarely get ice storms, rarely have power failures, etc. Roads are kept clear and salted, tire chains are also illegal for use in the city. Airports stay open. Schools stay open.
In my city a foot of snow is an annoyance, but generally it is business as usual. The areas south of my city normally receive twice as much snow as the city itself, and again it is usually business as usual. I would call places that deal with it well "the best."
Hardest
1. Syracuse, NY
2. Buffalo, NY
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Worcester, MA
6. Green Bay, WI
7. Albany, NY
8. Milwaukee, WI
9. Chicago, IL
10. Hartford, CT
Best?
Honolulu, Miami, Tampa, San Diego and LA lol
This has got to be the most helpful relocation site on the internet!
Well... say Rapid City snowstorms vs. Salt Lake City snowstorms?
I would call places that deal with it well "the best."
Valid point... I've heard few inches of snow can bring a city or town to a stand still if they dont know how to deal with it.
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