Considering Relocating to Kansas City/Overland Park - Weather Compared to Chicago

[kc_beast]

It's midwest weather.

Chicago weather might be a little snowier, but here we get ice on the roads...idk if Chicago gets all that rain/snow mix like KC does. Summer is humid. Might be a bit worse than Chicago in summer. Probably more sunny days per year in KC.

Oh yeah and the severe weather...tornadoes can and will happen in Kansas in Missouri. Just know that they most often touch down in more rural areas first.

[Okey Dokie]

If you want wind, move to Oklahoma City. It never stops.....

[DallastoChicagotoKC]

I've lived in Chicago and here (and other places). Spring comes significantly earlier here. Fall comes later but the difference isn't as big. It can get just as cold here (almost) but never lasts as long. Much less snow on average and it melts faster. We get warm ups in January and February Chicago can only dream of. They may not last long, but they're a nice break.

In short, you won't be escaping winter compared to Chicago. But it's much less harsh, doesn't last as long, and you get occasional breaks you don't get in Chicago.

Summer is much hotter and more humid, and lasts longer. Summers here can be brutal, but not every year. This year wasn't too bad at all. If hot, humid weather bothers you, KC will definitely take some getting used to compared to Chicago (and CA). But Fall and Spring tend to be very nice and long. Trade offs.

Someone who grew up here and moved away as a kid once told me that her memories were of it always being too hot or too cold. But I think that's just because you remember the really hot and really cold times. KC has wide swings. I think that makes things interesting. But if you like the relative tranquility of Orange County, the weather won't be your favorite thing about KC.

[DallastoChicagotoKC]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

There is not much similarity between Chicagoland and KC in terms of weather overall. I have lived in both regions as well as NWI, southern Wisconsin (Madison), and central New Hampshire, (by Concord). Chicagoland has four distinct seasons with mild/warm summer and consistently cold winter usually unlike KC. Chicagoland is also quite a bit cooler during the "shoulder" seasons of Spring and Autumn. Both can see abrupt temperature swings with Plains/Prairie fronts. KC has far worse heat and humidity than Chicagoland, and yes it can be extremely brutal, meaning heat index readings in excess of 110 to 115F during some periods of time. Chicago has seen this before, heat wave of 1995, but not common like in KC. KC residents behave exactly like southerners when it comes to snowfall as many become quite dramatic over a small amount predicted, even in January. KC is much more aligned with the South when it comes to winter, and not the Midwest in this regard.

As someone who has lived in the south (well, Dallas), I have to say that KC winter weather feels more midwestern than southern. I get that you're from very wintry areas, and everything is relative. But Dallas will go years without measurable snow. People we know who have moved here from Texas think it's horrendously freezing.

BTW, I've also lived in Minneapolis, Chicago and southern Indiana. So I have a pretty good perspective. True, KC Is not as cold/snowy as the upper midwest. But it's on par with other parts of the midwest like Indiana, southern Iowa and Nebraska, and Ohio. Maybe it depends on your definition of the midwest. Growing up in Texas, I thought of MN, WI and MI as "the North" rather than the midwest.

[pacificwhim]

I grew up in the OC and even met my wife, a native KC girl, in Laguna Beach. Take my word for it: get out and come to Kansas City. It's a terrific place, and any gnarly weather is more than made up for by the lack of real traffic, lower cost of living, friendly people and an abundance of culture and coolness that still surprises me after living here for more than 5 years.