Moving to Iowa.. Need information.

[Meemur]

I understand the lure of the Midwest to a lot of folks. I've written on other threads about a few of my experiences with trying to rehab the trailers of relatives in FL and GA during the summer months. I was far more productive up North.

Still, the better schools (in some areas), higher wages, and personal productivity come with some costs, including weeks of harsh winter weather.

I think that a little adversity helps to build character. When every trip means a workout to clear off the windows, you start to rethink your routines for maximum gain, whereas in warmer areas, it may never be an issue.

I don't know. I just know that lots of folks who haven't grown up here or aren't making fantastic wages really don't have much reason to hang around. If you don't love ice, snow, and cold weather, it's not going to be a good fit.

On the other hand, if you can find a way to overcome the tougher aspects, this is a good place to raise a family and put down roots.

[Juice Malone]

Originally Posted by Meemur

I'm glad that you made it through that winter okay, Juice. I was thinking about you. I had grown up in Michigan, so I knew what to expect when I moved here, but that was your first Midwestern winter.

My two co-workers who were from the South have already moved back. They said it was worth the cut in pay not to go through another Iowa winter. Humph. That's why Cuddle-Duds are made! (;

The worst part was it was too cold to snow the way it normally does, so not much winter driving practice. Next winter I spun out and got stuck in the snow and the next day I skid and hit another car messing up front of my car . That was also my first two days of work at a new job lol

[atler8]

My 35 plus years of "exile" in Georgia away from Iowa tells me that driving in icy or snowy conditions in the south, particularly in a metro area, can be far more of a problem or dangerous than driving in a state where the majority of it's drivers have winter driving experience and/or the common sense to stay of of the roads when conditions are bad for driving.
Case in point, does anyone here recall the Atlanta "Snowmageddons" of 2011 & 2014 that got considerable national publicity?

As for "snowing the way it normally does..", I'm not sure what that means.

[Juice Malone]

In regards to jobs if you have any experience in banking, finance, sales, or insurance. You can be employed within a matter of weeks. I work in the insurance industry and there is an incredible shortage of workers qualified to fill various roles. Coupled with the 3-4% unemployment this means free money for anyone qualified and willing to relocate that can make it up here. Even if you don't have necessary experience you can get in on the ground level as a customer service or claims rep and work your way up. Completely worth it and even if you don't stick around having a respected company like Nationwide, Wells Fargo, or Voya on your resume can't hurt. INot to mention some companies will pay for your education too. I updated my resume with my current job info just to stay organized and received something like 25 job offers (some in other locations in midwest) within a month and I don't even have a bachelors degree.

[Juice Malone]

Originally Posted by atler8

My 35 plus years of "exile" in Georgia away from Iowa tells me that driving in icy or snowy conditions in the south, particularly in a metro area, can be far more of a problem or dangerous than driving in a state where the majority of it's drivers have winter driving experience and/or the common sense to stay of of the roads when conditions are bad for driving.
Case in point, does anyone here recall the Atlanta "Snowmageddons" of 2011 & 2014 that got considerable national publicity?

As for "snowing the way it normally does..", I'm not sure what that means.

It means instead of the typical 25-30" it was more like 10"-15" and most of that was from one bout of thunder snow if I recall.

And I thought the same thing about "experienced winter drivers". What a joke. The car graveyard between Ames and Ankeny on I-35 tells me otherwise and I frequently see people skid and panic turning the wheel the opposite way instead of going with it. They do a nice 1080 and end up off the road. The ones that are good are even more dangerous cause they are over confident and drive to fast, so if something out of their control happens it's ugly.

[atler8]

I am afraid that I don't understand the "...typical 25-30" bit you wrote here in reply, Juice. Are you saying that you experienced 1 or more snowfalls of 25-30" inches while living in Iowa?
If so, I'd like to know of it & read about it somewhere because that might be one for the all-time record books.
In my own 24 years of living in Iowa, I think that the biggest snow event I can recall was around 15" & that was a doozy.
When I get home & am able to load pics, which my office firewall prevents me from doing now, I'll load articles with pics that show a real southern style snowmeggedon driving event.
A one mile stretch of a snow-clogged freeway here in Atlanta can contain more stalled/trapped cars in it than there would be found in the entire stretch of I-35 between Des Moines & Ames. As such, driving in a major southern metro in a snow/ice event can be far more hazardous than what is normally found on a freeway or road in Iowa.
Been there, done that in both Iowa & Georgia. There's just so many more cars down here that are possible targets & hazards on the road in such weather. That's the main thrust of my point here.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by atler8

I am afraid that I don't understand the "...typical 25-30" bit you wrote here in reply, Juice. Are you saying that you experienced 1 or more snowfalls of 25-30" inches while living in Iowa?
If so, I'd like to know of it & read about it somewhere because that might be one for the all-time record books.
In my own 24 years of living in Iowa, I think that the biggest snow event I can recall was around 15" & that was a doozy.
When I get home & am able to load pics, which my office firewall prevents me from doing now, I'll load articles with pics that show a real southern style snowmeggedon driving event.
A one mile stretch of a snow-clogged freeway here in Atlanta can contain more stalled/trapped cars in it than there would be found in the entire stretch of I-35 between Des Moines & Ames. As such, driving in a major southern metro in a snow/ice event can be far more hazardous than what is normally found on a freeway or road in Iowa.
Been there, done that in both Iowa & Georgia. There's just so many more cars down here that are possible targets & hazards on the road in such weather. That's the main thrust of my point here.

I can't remember what year it was exactly. Late 90s, I am thinking, the end of Dec or early January. We got about 20-25"" total over couple of days. I was living in SE Iowa at the time and it just seemed to snow and snow and snow. It was the only time I think I ever was not able to leave the house due to the snow; the snow was higher than the car in the alley and I couldn't get out.

After shoveling the sidewalk, the snow was piled up to my head (I am 5"6") and my dad actually got on the roof to shovel some of it. I remember it vividly because it was to work overnight at Younkers doing inventory and couldn't get my car out to go. A coworker's husband drove a snow plow so he picked me up and cleared the driveway at the same time.

It was crazy that we still had to go do inventory that night; but the asst store manager lived within walking distance of the place and she thought if she could make it, so could the rest of us.

That was an usual amount of snow is a short period of time, but the SE corner of the state gets less, usually, than other parts.

[Juice Malone]

Originally Posted by atler8

I am afraid that I don't understand the "...typical 25-30" bit you wrote here in reply, Juice. Are you saying that you experienced 1 or more snowfalls of 25-30" inches while living in Iowa?
If so, I'd like to know of it & read about it somewhere because that might be one for the all-time record books.
In my own 24 years of living in Iowa, I think that the biggest snow event I can recall was around 15" & that was a doozy.
When I get home & am able to load pics, which my office firewall prevents me from doing now, I'll load articles with pics that show a real southern style snowmeggedon driving event.
A one mile stretch of a snow-clogged freeway here in Atlanta can contain more stalled/trapped cars in it than there would be found in the entire stretch of I-35 between Des Moines & Ames. As such, driving in a major southern metro in a snow/ice event can be far more hazardous than what is normally found on a freeway or road in Iowa.
Been there, done that in both Iowa & Georgia. There's just so many more cars down here that are possible targets & hazards on the road in such weather. That's the main thrust of my point here.

I meant for the entire year not one snow storm.......

[atler8]

Got it Juice...

Elle. That storm you went through may have been the one for the state record books. Did you ever hear it referred to as such?
If it was a wet type of snow, it could have caused structural damage or brought trees down & taken out the power.
I've always thought that I'd like to live through one such storm in my life. My friends in Minneapolis had one in '91, my relatives outside of Chicago lived throgh 2 that were ultra-monsters (one of them in '67) & my stepsister north of Denver went through one of nearly 30".
I remember the winter of 1961-62 (I was a very young kid) as being incredibly snowy but we never had 1 single storm of that type of amount. The drifts piled snow such that we could almost walk up onto the backside of the roof at one point but that was a drift & not 1 snowfall.
Old timers still around when I was young used to refer to the winter of '36 & the Armistice Day Blizzard of '41.
There are lots of interesting old storms and records to be looked up.
Similarly here in Atlanta in my time here we had & still talk about Snowjam in Jan '81, the Blizzard of March '93, Snowmaggedon 2011 & 2 Snowmaggedons in 2014. Nowadays I know to just stay home & not try to venture out into it.

[Meemur]

I have lived through several heavy snow falls that required either shoveling the roof or at least getting a roof rake and clearing the bathroom and furnace vents in Michigan and Ohio.

I brought my roof rake to Iowa when I moved. I haven't had to use it, yet, but that's a safer way to clear roof vents from the ground.

Atler8, I remember the snowmeggedon in Atlanta photos on the TV nat'l news and thought of you at the time. Hopefully, I posted and wished you and your family well. If not, I thought it! (:

Juice is right: there's some real yahoos on I-35 that go far too fast for the conditions. When the weather is questionable, I stay off the freeway and drive through town, venturing out in a car only if work hasn't shut down. Otherwise, I hoof it around the area. Or hang out at home.

But we've had a great fall! I just turned my heat on several days ago. Normally, heating season begins about Oct. 1. I probably could've left it off a few more days.