Winters in NW Michigan (Ludington area) (Traverse City, Mason: hotels, houses, buy)

[ChicagoMeO]

Hi everyone! I'm from Chicago and visited Ludington last summer, it was BEAUTIFUL!! I'd like to possibly live there one day but my cousin says winters are horrible because of all the lake effect snow and winter in general. But there is so much to do, and see the other seasons, even in Manistee and Traverse City, & Lake Michigan, that it might be worth it just for that. Does everyone flee NW Michigan during winter? I'd love to live there but don't know if I could handle the snow. We get snow in Chicago, but not lake effect snow which might be what she is talking about. Do you get snow where power goes out and roads are not cleared? How do people survive the winter? I am hoping to hear from you all! In the meantime, I'm going on vacation there next month I'm so excited to be visiting my fave place to travel - believe me, coming into chicago from your beautiful town is such a difference.

[AJ Granger]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Hi everyone! I'm from Chicago and visited Ludington last summer, it was BEAUTIFUL!! I'd like to possibly live there one day but my cousin says winters are horrible because of all the lake effect snow and winter in general. But there is so much to do, and see the other seasons, even in Manistee and Traverse City, & Lake Michigan, that it might be worth it just for that. Does everyone flee NW Michigan during winter? I'd love to live there but don't know if I could handle the snow. We get snow in Chicago, but not lake effect snow which might be what she is talking about. Do you get snow where power goes out and roads are not cleared? How do people survive the winter? I am hoping to hear from you all! In the meantime, I'm going on vacation there next month I'm so excited to be visiting my fave place to travel - believe me, coming into chicago from your beautiful town is such a difference.

I'll give my two cents. Maybe take it with a grain of salt, as I've never lived in either town. Although I have visited Chicago and NW MI many, many, many times.

I would say, much like the summer weather, it will be more similar than dissimilar. More snow in Ludington, sure, but it's not like Chicago is FL. Seems maybe a tad colder in Chicago, but it's not like Ludington is FL. Maybe an extra sunny day or two in Chicago.

Personally I would rather have more snow and a couple degrees warmer. But then, I love snow. It's beautiful and fun to play in. I've been driving in it my whole life so I don't consider it a big deal. Snow > Ice.

The question comes down to where would you rather live and where would you rather visit. I LOVE Chicago, the skyscrappers and everything it has to offer. But I love nature and the outdoors more.

[AJ Granger]

Ok, I was curious, so I looked it up. Ludington is actually a pinch colder.

Average high - Dec., Jan., Feb.

Chicago 23,18,22
Ludington 23,18,19

This according to weather.com stats.


From what I can tell you are looking at about double the snow in Ludington. ~38.5in/yr for Chi and ~80 for Ludington. Either way, it's not like you are moving to Kirkwood, CA, which gets about 600 inches annually.

This according to various websites via google.


They do a good job clearing the roads in MI. I wouldn't let the snow stop you. If it's going to be cold out, you might as well have some snow. That is my opinion.

[AJ Granger]

Originally Posted by AJ Granger

Ok, I was curious, so I looked it up. Ludington is actually a pinch colder.

Average high - Dec., Jan., Feb.

Chicago 23,18,22
Ludington 23,18,19

This according to weather.com stats.


From what I can tell you are looking at about double the snow in Ludington. ~38.5in/yr for Chi and ~80 for Ludington. Either way, it's not like you are moving to Kirkwood, CA, which gets about 600 inches annually.

This according to various websites via google.


They do a good job clearing the roads in MI. I wouldn't let the snow stop you. If it's going to be cold out, you might as well have some snow. That is my opinion.

Ok, those were average lows.

Let me try again.

Average high - Dec., Jan., Feb.

Chicago 35,31,36
Ludington 33,29,33

Thought an average January high of 18 sounded a little brutal. lol

[Bydand]

I live about 8 miles from Ludington and the 80" a year is a deceiving number really. The average downtown is only about 65" and it goes up the further away from the Lake you go. Here in the Scottville area we are closer to 80". Snow removal is crappy. Mason County has the worst snow removal I have ever seen in an area that actually gets snow. That is NOT saying that the roads are impassable though. If we get dumped on for 20+ inches the main roads will be plowed and clear and the side roads are on their own until after the storm is over and they can get to them. Week-end snow removal is non-existent to save money. The saving grace is that the 20+ inch snowfalls are few and very far in between. The snow we do get here doesn't usually pile up too deep anymore. As a kid I remember HUGE snowbanks; now... I haven't seen a snowbank over 30" high in many, many years. We tend to get some snow, then it warms up for a few days and we lose a lot of it... more snow, warms up... repeat all winter. Even a couple years ago when we got close to 170" there was never a day where I couldn't (and didn't) drive into Ludington without a problem. The snow never piled too high either despite snowfall that was double the normal amount. So far in the last 4 or 5 winters there hasn't been a single month where there wasn't a bit of grass showing in the yard at some point during the month (even the year we got 170".)

Right in Ludington it tends to be a bit warmer in the winter and a bit cooler in the summer due to the Lake. I can make the 8 mile drive into Ludington and watch the thermometer in my truck change the closer I get. 90 degrees at the house and it might be 75-80 degrees in Ludington right by the water during the summer. Winter it can be 0 at my house and 15 in Ludington. The lake effect snow generally doesn't fall in Ludington itself, but drops as soon as the air mass rises just a few feet a couple miles away from the Lake, then it can come down pretty hard at times.

Honestly I think this is the best area in the World to live. Great sense of Community, good schools, fair law enforcement, still a sense of pride overall. The area may never make the cover of a magazine for the beauty of the downtowns, but what is here is real and not put-on. Nobody really cares what you drive, wear, or live. If you are good to family and friends, then you are respected no matter the income level. If you are a dirtbag to family and friends, then you get zero respect no matter the income level. I lived in several different States and in several places in each State I moved to. When it came time to raise my own family my wife and I could go anywhere we wanted (She is an emergency room RN and I am an Electrician), we looked at places in almost every State and still ended up here in my hometown. For us this area was the ONLY place that met every need and also every want we were looking for.

Remember though, living in your vacation spot is VASTLY different than vacationing there. I know several people who moved here from the Chicago area because they loved the area and spent time every summer here, a few years down the road and they went back to the City because the change was too great. I also know those who moved here from the Chicago area (and other big cities) after vacationing and still love it. When you come up, spend time doing the things you normally would do on an average week at home. See if there are the services you need and/or want. Keep your grocery reciepts from your normal grocery store and bring them with you, compare prices at the grocery stores... not glamorous vacation time, but something you have to do every week or so anyway.

If you are coming up next month, drop me a DM here on C-D if you want and I will see if I can meet up and show you how to find some of the stuff available that most tourists miss. At the very least, if I am in town then maybe I can buy you a cup of coffee someplace.

[Bydand]

Power outages. I missed that one. The longest I have lost power in the last few years was for about 90 minutes this Spring when someone hit a pole. IF it goes out during a storm it is usually just a flicker or a couple minutes tops. Manistee for some reason has more power outages than we do here...? No idea why.

[ChicagoMeO]

Hi folks! I'm so happy reading your posts! When we stayed last year around September, we went over to the lighthouse and even the gray sky was dramatic and beautiful, everything seemed safe, the people in the restaurants were so wonderful, kinda like Mayberry and I mean that in a good way. (Mayberry is like the ultimate pleasant place to live Ludington seems like the place to go when you want nice peaceful pretty town, very kind people .... where there are cute shops and towns by the lake with interesting antique places, things to see (Pentwater with the historic downtown that I haven't yet seen but want to see, then you have the Manistee forest not too far, and Traverse City all within driving distance!! And all the lighthouses!!!

But really, driving along the lake there near the lighthouses, it was so wonderful, and seeing the dunes with the plants growing up thru them,,, its totally unlike the lakefront here. Anyway, eventually we will spend a longer amount of time there to really get a feel. I think we're over the big city life and we just love seeing what NW Michigan has there. Its like my heart is there. It reminds me of what the east coast would be like, i.e. Maine or something like that. I haven't done much traveling and the few times I've visited Michigan (also South Haven fabulous!!!!) I've been in love with it! Oh also, everyone seems to have the best way to treat visitors, i mean in chicago, there must be too many people or something, well, in the restaurant there in Ludington, there was a family with 2 young kids, and the kids were not screaming in the restaurant, like, we do not see that in Chicago! I know that may sound funny but really its as if everyone was just so nice there in Ludington,,,

And we also went to that restaurant that looks out over the lake like someone above mentioned! Its totally a different atmosphere, people are different compared to Chicago to over there. OK there are nice people in chicago, however, believe me on this, when we made the crossing over from one place to another, its different!

oh by the way, I am guessing that people live there in Ludington over the winter, and do not flee to Florida? (like my cousin suggsted). I know the hotels might have seasonal times they are open, but I cannot believe people just up and leave when it gets to be December or so coz of snow.

[allbusiness]

Ludington's permanent year-round population is about 8,000, with another 20,000 in the rest of Mason County. Like any vacation spot on the lake it can increase a lot in the summer. Most people who live and work there are just like you and me. We can't flee anywhere just because it gets a little cold or snowy. We CHOOSE to live here after all.

Frankly I wanted to flee Michigan last week when it got so awfully hot. Canada...yeah, that's the ticket... :-)

[Tyryztoll]

If you don't think you can handle it, you probably can't. It's usually very different actually living somewhere compared to just visiting.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Remember though, living in your vacation spot is VASTLY different than vacationing there.

This.

It doesn't sound like you're all that serious ... more of a muse, so I'll refrain from commenting further.