[jeeg]

We just moved back downstate from the U.P. (Marquette County, in the hills). Up there the winters can be loooonng, about 5-6 months. We would start getting cabin fever in February simply because by then the snow was just to deep to do any real hiking or even snowshoeing. So we always felt trapped in what we could do.
Having spent most of my life downstate, I feel the L.P.'s winter (except for some pockets up north by gaylord etc.) are just right. Usually have three months of what I call actual winter. The snow rarely ever gets to deep to blaze your own trail through the woods.
Once the wind chills are below negative ten degrees, we make the kids come inside. As long as it's warmer then -10 you would find all of us out enjoying the day. Not sure why that cut off particularly...... guess that is about where our winter gear just starts feeling inadequate. Anyhow it rarely gets that cold down here.

[Sparrow_temp]

Winters vary in length in MI. I think a good measure is when the leaves finish falling to when they come back. That means Nov-Apr is winter in my eyes -- it's also backed up with the fact that there's almost always snow during these months. I've also seen snow fall in Sept and up to June. If you live in Detroit and don't believe this -- you haven't lived in northern MI and have mild winters in contrast.

Another measure of winter is the lack of sunshine. Lake effect clouds start happening before any lake effect snow events and you'll notice a lot more cloudy skies than in summer. The gray skies contribute a lot to the gloom of winter. Most other areas that get snow have a lot higher number of sunny days than MI.

Cold is cold when you can start applying windchills to the temperature and frostbite becomes a possibility.

I now live in the southern part of NM and we've already had more snow than we had all of last year in one event in October and amounted to only minor accumulations on cars and the mountains. The cold spell lasted a week and the next week it was in the mid 70's again. The reaction during that time here was comical. The outdoor workers wearing ski masks, gloves, winter jackets. Some of them were also using outdoor space heaters. The radio broadcasters telling people to just stay home if they didn't need to be somewhere. I think these people would die if they experienced a normal MI winter.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

I now live in the southern part of NM and we've already had more snow than we had all of last year in one event in October and amounted to only minor accumulations on cars and the mountains. The cold spell lasted a week and the next week it was in the mid 70's again. The reaction during that time here was comical. The outdoor workers wearing ski masks, gloves, winter jackets. Some of them were also using outdoor space heaters. The radio broadcasters telling people to just stay home if they didn't need to be somewhere. I think these people would die if they experienced a normal MI winter.

They would die. I also live in the SW and we have seasons here but to me winter starts when you need to turn on the heater and ends when you don't. Under my definition we have winter here, my heater goes on a couple weeks before Christmas and is shut off the early part of February.

It's hilarious to see people bundled up like Eskimos because the temperatures dropped to 40 degrees. Or when there's a power out in January and the fire department is asking for emergency donations of blankets to deliver to people so they don't freeze to death because the temperatures are dropping into the mid 30's.

[tjay]

i consider northern michigan (thumb and up) to have a significantly different winters than lower michigan. the winters are longer up there. in the lower i consider winter to be dec-mar. yes it snows a little bit in november, but nothing significant, not to mention its going to be in the 60's all this week! (global warming? :})
people who complain about weather need to move. like i always say, i would rather be able to actually GO OUTSIDE in the summer time, rather than be cooped up inside with an air conditioner. i could not imagine being screwed out of my summer like that. and i'll gladly take our winter in exchange for a michigan summer. there is plenty to do in the winter, inside or outside.

[Bydand]

For me winter starts when I have to fire up the snowblower and ends when I start thinking I should get the Mower ready for the Spring. So usually that is mid November to Mid April.

When does it go from cool to cold? Good question really. For me personally that is usually in the single digits, but it doesn't get COLD until it is -15F, and it gets GD COLD when it drops past -30F. I am never cold while outside except for my face every once in a while, but that is because of the winter gear I own. Working outside year-round, you tend to accumulate some good winter gear that actually works (Unlike that Columbia crap that is good for about 10 degrees and above).

[Luzette]

My friend who lives in AZ and I talk quite a bit about the weather. She grew up in Chicago so is someone who knows what a Mid-West winter is all about. I don't like our cold winters, but I must say as the above poster stated that not being able to go outside during the summer sounds awful to me. My AZ friend says she does not go outside at all throughout the summer. She watches "The Last Place on Earth" which is about the polar explorations in order to feel cooler. I wouldn't want to spend summers like this. I just face the fact that half the country spends a lot of their time in cold weather dealing with all that comes with it, and the other half spends a lot of their time dealing with heat and all that comes with that situation.

[taconis]

Ha, great post. I currently live in Raleigh and grew up in Flint. Today it was 73 and I acutally saw women in sweaters and leather boots because it was 44 this morning. I don't think I'll ever get used to that particular attitude. I rarely wear a winter coat down here. The natives just don't know what cold is.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by JGatti

I thought that was Fred Bear's line?

Yeah...maybe your right!

[Sparrow_temp]

Maybe it is that hot in parts of AZ but it isn't in NM during the summer. It's hot during the midpoint of the day but is nice after the sun starts going down. You can't say this about the MI winters-- it's miserable both in the day and at night. There are many more enjoyable days for outdoor activities here than in MI. It's why I chose southern NM -- the weather is much better than MI.

Originally Posted by Luzette

I don't like our cold winters, but I must say as the above poster stated that not being able to go outside during the summer sounds awful to me.

[Luzette]

Well, the two states I'm most interested in if I ever leave MI happen to be New Mexico and Virginia.