Is the winter really THAT bad? (Minneapolis, Ada: 2010, to live, garden)

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Winter Hater

That's a couple hours out of a day, for 2 days out of 6 months. You gonna do that everyday? Maybe snowmobile, or ice fish for a couple other days? I'm not trapped in my mind, I'm trapped in an EXTREMELY cold climate. I snowboard, just rarely considering it's NOT NICE OUT. I'd rather be wakeboarding, skateboarding, motorcycling, fourwheeling, swimming, throwing a football or baseball around, grilling, biking, jetskiing, walking around the lake, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, being outside in the sun, etc etc.

You're trapped in your mind. You're accepting 6 months of hell, and embracing it with open arms. When you get older, I'd love to see how your joints react to -20 degree weather and if you still post responses like "Im taking my old ass snowboarding, then iceskating" It won't happen.

aka KevinforEleven

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by Winter Hater

That's a couple hours out of a day, for 2 days out of 6 months.

You're accepting 6 months of hell, and embracing it with open arms.

Even if you hate the really cold winter weather..... which 6 months are "hell"? I was outside biking in nice sunny 50+ degree weather back in November and again by mid March. There isn't 6 months between November and March. We still had multiple 70+ degree days during the first week of this past November.

[slamont61]

Come mid summer when the Deer Flyes are nipping and the Mosquitos drinking there are some of us that actually long for the Minnesota Winter. We get ALL the different weather patterns here, but the winter cold is just a step above what most people "think" they can tolorate. It's all in the mind. Yes it gets cold, but we deal with it. Ice fishing is a longer season than in other areas, as we have a deeper freeze going on. Right next door in Wisconsin we had about a month of safe ice and that was it.

[NLosier2]

I have had this discussion with my Uncle from Chicago. Really, our winters the past five years have been pretty reasonable, compared to anywhere that there is winter. Do you go outside to play in the winter? I guess that is the main question. Otherwise, people need to realize that there is acclimatizing that goes on, actually in the blood. You will feel cold for maybe two years, when you go outside. After that, your body adjusts to the cold more easily. My cousin from California couldn't believe it when people were outside in shorts or without a coat when it was 55 degrees. In CA that is considered frigid, and in Minnesota it is a "beautiful spring day". So it will become acceptable, and you then have to be patient until that time. The good thing is, we live longer. Cold weather is good for you, and if you turn down your thermostat to 68 at night when you are sleeping, you will sleep very restfully. We are proud of our cold temps here in Minnesota. There are some places that are worse...living in Mpls is better than Moorhead, or International Falls, or East Grand Forks. So remember that too. There are parts of the state that seem to get more of the winter storms, and I am not sure why. We live in Bloomington, and MANY storms went to the north of us, up near Anoka and Osseo area. So if you live in the southern part of the cities you may not get as much of the stormy weather - tornadoes go further north too, not sure why. I think it has something to do with the currents of wind that come up from the south and prevent the bad storms from going so far south to Bloomington area. Anyway, that's my take on our "awful" winters. I lived in North Dakota for quite a few years, so Mpls is nothing compared to that! Up there it was the wind. Made it impossible to let the kids play outdoors.

[Milwaukee City]

I think that for some people, no matter how long you have lived in Minn for some people winter is just down right frigid and depressing. I'm one of these people.

[pirate_lafitte]

Winter is chronologically over now.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Winter is chronologically over now.

And yet there's snow forecast for next 3 to 4 days. This is what the OP can expect living in Minneapolis.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Drover

And yet there's snow forecast for next 3 to 4 days. This is what the OP can expect living in Minneapolis.

That is very true of Mpls. The calender says spring, but the weather says otherwise.

[Repubocrat]

I don't care how much Minnesotans try to say that the winter is not too bad, it is HORRIBLE. I continue to live here though because it feels like home and Minnesotans are for the most part, good and friendly. If this place did not feel like home to me, I would have moved out long time ago. The thing I hate the most about the winters here is not the snow or the temperatures but the wind chills. -30 F wind chills are HORRIBLE!

Historic Wind Chill Temperatures in Minnesota

[Miley Cyrus]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

I don't care how much Minnesotans try to say that the winter is not too bad, it is HORRIBLE. I continue to live here though because it feels like home and Minnesotans are for the most part, good and friendly. If this place did not feel like home to me, I would have moved out long time ago. The thing I hate the most about the winters here is not the snow or the temperatures but the wind chills. -30 F wind chills are HORRIBLE!

Historic Wind Chill Temperatures in Minnesota

Care to explain why it feels like home? Just curious . Definitely agree with the cold part, though.