Three Month Winter in Evansville??? (Indianapolis, Portage: home, schools, universities)

[davit]

That would make me

I currently live in the land of the 6 month winter . Southern Wisconsin is home strictly because of family, and those dynamics have changed recently with the passing of both of my parents, and I am ready for a warmer place to hang my hat.

My wife's family still lives in the area (Madison), so it would be nice to live close enough that an easy one day drive would bring us home, and our kids could see their remaining grandparents.

Thus Evansville, the small city with good hospitals, universities, friendly people and moderate cost of living looks promising, but I am still not convinced that the winters are going to be mild enough, i.e. three months long.

Anybody out there have an opinion??

[Toxic Toast]

I never liked Evansville's climate because it doesn't snow much. When it does snow, the city is paralyzed. 2 inches of snow throws the city into a panic. Schools close, people run to the store, it is a sight.

I thought winters were "mild," but that doesn't mean free of snow. Snow outside of late Dec to February is rare, but do occur. March can bring snow, it can also bring 70 degree temps. It really varies year to year.

[domergurl]

And the ice storms are more frequent in that area.

[Toxic Toast]

To give you an idea of the panic; this is how the area reacted to a forecast of 2 inches of snow yesterday and today:

NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

Winter storm warning extended until 3 p.m. : Local News : Evansville Courier Press

Now, I don't mean to poke fun at what could potentially have been a nasty situation with ice well south of Evansville. But this is what you will see in the media in Evansville for a forecast of 2 inches of snow. The city, literally, is thrown into a frenzy over this stuff.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by davit

I currently live in the land of the 6 month winter .

Just my opinion, but this is a gross exaggeration. It does not snow 6 months out of the year in Madison. Anything over 40 degrees is spring-like.

[domergurl]

It's probably cold 6 months out of the year, but not below freezing cold ... Evansville will be much more humid than you are used to and there will be more ice than snow and more mild ... come have a visit in February for about a week.

[erickp]

Evansville sits on a horseshoe bend in the Ohio River, making it extra humid. Thus we get freezing rain (and ice) while the nearby areas get snow. Snow is relatively easy to deal with...plow it to the side of the road, and it's gone. Ice, however; is a daily chore. It melts each day and refreezes each night. We are so far to the south that it's not economically feasible to spend taxper money on equipment that's only used a few times a year. Unlike most of Indiana, much of Evansville is hilly, not flat, so that translates out into hazardous roads.

The TV stations have weather wars and that adds to the frenzy.

[Candy T]

My in-laws lived near Portage, Wisconsin and their winter came two weeks sooner and ended two weeks later than ours here in northwest Indiana. When my daughter lived in Indianapolis, her winter was later and ended sooner, maybe by two weeks on each end, I don't remember exactly.

The news gets overly dramatic here, too, over 2 inches of show.

[davit]

You guys aren't doing much of a job promoting the area ; thanks for the replies, they help a lot.

And about southern Wisconsin's 6 month winter..... perhaps that was a bit exaggerated, lets call it 5

It is currently below zero here with 5" of fresh snow on the ground, predicting upwards of a foot from tomorrow's storm. Ice doesn't sound much better, though..... maybe I'll keep looking.

[SGT. SHLITZ]

We have mild winters. Very few days below or at freezing. When it does snow, the snow melts away in a few days.