How are you coping with this weather? (Madison: house, standard of living)

[florida_sassy]

Ok, I am just about out of here. My heart aches because I love Madison so much. As I write this I am also locating other areas nationwide that will match up to Madison but with a little milder temps. The weather this winter has done me in. Our 12 year old loves to ski at Tyrol Basin but our 5 year old will not leave the house. It isn't the snow he hates, it is the wind and frigid temps. What makes it worse is that we work from home and never get out of the house on some days.

Just thought I would find out how do you all deal with this weather? I feel so unhealthy right now not getting outside enough.... the wind in Mt. Horeb never ends!!!

[MidwesternBookWorm]

It's funny; your dislike of the unremitting cold and wind is just about identical to our hatred of the continual hot weather in South Texas, which was a factor in our decision to return to the Midwest. I felt just as cooped up and confined by the perpetual heat there as you describe feeling here from the cold. Nobody in South Texas went outdoors if they could help it; people darted from their air-conditioned homes to their air-conditioned cars, and from their air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned offices or stores, and only the very poorest of the poor were ever seen actually walking or working out of doors. I find it a whole lot easier to cope with cold weather here than I ever did with the Texas heat; I can always put on another layer here, but in Texas, you can take off enough clothes to get yourself arrested and you'll still be too hot.

I guess it's all in what you can and cannot tolerate. Having spent a whole lot more years in the South than I ever wanted to, I'll never leave the Midwest again, but I know that for many people, it goes the other way, and they can't wait to reach a warmer region. I hope you find a spot that feels right to you, both in climate and in fit.

[Megan1967]

I agree whole heartedly with you and am looking at Austin, TX. I believe MidwesternBookworm said that Austin is not quite as bad heat-wise as where she\he lived. Still people list that as one of the drawbacks of living in Austin. I'm hoping it is something I can become acclimated to. I've heard most people do.

[Chelito23]

You become acclimated to the heat, quickly. You also can savor the nightime and early morning hours as well. As long as the sun isn't shining, it isn't that bad. The same can¡t be said for the frigid Wisconsin temperatures 6 months of the year. They can be unrelentless and it is worse being confined inside here due to the excessive dryness, short, dark days and long nights.

It is all about personal tastes though, and I would recommend other areas south of Wisconsin. It is a trade off, nice people, good economy, high standard of living...or decent weather lol. Best of luck.

[florida_sassy]

We are looking at Colorado... still cold, but more mild then Wisconsin. Sunny days are 300+ days a year. My heart aches to leave Wisconsin, but it will be snowing again tomorrow and the temps aren't even showing to improve. The one day we get that warms up a bit, winds ruin the opportunity to enjoy the day outside.

[Chelito23]

Sping always comes late to this corner of the country. I can remember late Springs basically all the way back to being a child. Always watching the averages be in the 50s and nearing 60 and it still being 40 degrees outside. Really depressing. All I can say is, eventually it will get warmer....and enjoy the WI summer...and then move around Thanksgiving to make the most out of the nice season.

My sister moved to Ft. Collins, CO and said the same thing. It is less windy and much sunnier there, so even if it is just as cold, it doesn't feel so. But overall it is much drier and warmer too.

[lynseyg]

One of the reasons I would move to Madison is that I think cold weather is easier to deal with than extreme heat. I think it depends quite a bit on your metabolism and tolerance for certain temperatures. I lived in hot places for a long time, and I can't function in extreme heat. I get reverse SAD - depressed when it's too hot to go and do anything. Right now I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and thought not as cold as Madison, it can be darn chilly (we had snow last night). I think this particular winter has been especially long and cold along the Northern part of the US, here on the coast too. Hope you can hang in there, and best of luck to you!

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by lynseyg

One of the reasons I would move to Madison is that I think cold weather is easier to deal with than extreme heat.

Since moving to South Texas from Madison, I've used my air conditioning quite a bit more than I did there. But I've also never had to get up before sunrise to shovel the heat off of my driveway so I could go to work that day.

[florida_sassy]

Thank you all for your input... geez it is hard to leave Madison... I just wish I could drag Madison south with me just a bit!


Just 10 degrees would make such a difference!

[Christoph83]

Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm

It's funny; your dislike of the unremitting cold and wind is just about identical to our hatred of the continual hot weather in South Texas, which was a factor in our decision to return to the Midwest. I felt just as cooped up and confined by the perpetual heat there as you describe feeling here from the cold. Nobody in South Texas went outdoors if they could help it; people darted from their air-conditioned homes to their air-conditioned cars, and from their air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned offices or stores, and only the very poorest of the poor were ever seen actually walking or working out of doors. I find it a whole lot easier to cope with cold weather here than I ever did with the Texas heat; I can always put on another layer here, but in Texas, you can take off enough clothes to get yourself arrested and you'll still be too hot.

I guess it's all in what you can and cannot tolerate. Having spent a whole lot more years in the South than I ever wanted to, I'll never leave the Midwest again, but I know that for many people, it goes the other way, and they can't wait to reach a warmer region. I hope you find a spot that feels right to you, both in climate and in fit.

I agree! I currently live just north of Houston, and it is horrible. It is exactly as you describe. My family is originally from Michigan. I'm planning on getting out of here and moving to Wisconsin as soon as I can!