From Florida to Minnesota!?!? (Minneapolis, Welcome: houses, school, university)

[JulianM09]

So I might be going to the University of Minnesota, problem is Im from Florida. From what Ive inquired the school is great and has everything Im looking for. My only real worry is the weather. Living in Florida my whole life the coldest temperature Ive experienced is in the low 30's, Ive never seen snow, and basically the freezing Minnesota winters are scaring me.
So can someone please explain to me the extent of the cold and snow. Im totally game to try something different, I actually want to move somewhere with seasons and cold, I just want to know how bad it exactly is. Explain to me how the rest of the year is in Minneapolis, how is the summer, spring and fall too? Any help will be great. Thanks.
(Any comments about U of M would be great too)

[DaPerpKazoo]

Well, the winters here are very, very cold- the coldest in a major city in the US. The snow however, isn't actually as bad as some people make it out to be. In January you can expect it to get below zero pretty much every night, with some days getting much colder, sometimes around -20 or so. Most days will be in the single digits or teens above zero. Like I said, we really don't get anywhere near as much snow as other areas that get lake effect or mountain snow, so unless you'll be driving, it's not going to be an issue at all, and even if you are, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

We have a really beautiful spring and fall- my favorite seasons here. Everything is just so beautiful in the fall, and upper 40s/low 50s are my favorite temperatures. We do get a full summer here as well, with most days in July, June, and August in the upper seventies or eighties. We also get a smattering of 90+ degree days each year, probably one or two dozen.

It really doesn't start to get really cold until mid to late December, and that's over with again by late February.

The U is a very well-respected school around here and the campus is in an awesome urban setting with great access to anything you'd ever want or need.

Good luck in your search, and I hope this was helpful!

[fishingprof]

The winters here are cold but you get acclimated pretty fast. The people who usually complain about the weather here are usually ones that dont do anything to stay active and sit in their houses for 5 months.. So as long as your active and make the best of it, keep busy, the winters seem to go by faster and dont seem as bad. Fall is my favorite time of year mainly september and october basically light jacket weather.

[greyduk]

A little preparation can go a long way too... It gets really cold, but with a good coat, hat and maybe scarf, you'll survive just fine. If you have a car, you'll get used to starting it a little early each morning during the winter, and you'll quickly learn the value of a good ice scraper.

Sometimes I'm miserable during the winter, but it's usually when I fail to plan ahead and don't bring a heavy coat for a "quick stop at the store". I've also been outside properly dressed in negative degrees and felt great! After a while you'll learn to love the crisp cool air in your lungs, it's invigorating!

[Slig]

It is miserable here from November to March. I would fly back home as much as possible during these months. It is beautiful here April-October though.

[gatorinmn]

Welcome to the area! As my screen-name implies, I am a UF alumnus and I grew up in Florida. If you want some tips on adjusting to life in Minnesota, please feel free to PM me.

[uptown_urbanist]

It is COLD. It is snowy. You'll probably find that winter gets old very fast, but you'll also have fun checking out some new things that you can't do in Florida - cross country skiing, skating on the lakes, etc. On a similiar thread somewhere someone pointed out that in MN it can be cold but very sunny; I've found that to be true, and even though I can't say that I like the cold (got soft living in southern CA) it can be invigorating to be outside on a cold day with the sun shining above you and the snow crunching under your feet.

The summer can be hot and humid (not FL hot and humid) at times. Spring is wonderful. I went to the U of M and on the first warm (and "warm" gets relative after the winter) the whole campus has sort of a festive vibe. You get to really appreciate the changing seasons. Late spring at the U means that everyone is doing their studying (or just hanging out) on Northrop Mall or other patches of campus green space. It's a great time of year.

The fall is nice, too, with crisp air and the changing colors of the leaves.

The U is a great school, and has a wonderful location; I hope you'll love it as much as I did.

[JulianM09]

Thanks so much for all your input guys. I hope I can make it out to Minneapolis soon just to see the city and I'll just have to wait to experience the cold weather up there, but Im still excited.

[Milwaukee City]

give it time, you'll move back to florida they all do.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

give it time, you'll move back to florida they all do.

I didn't. No way would I ever move back to FL. I like it here in the Twin Cities very much. Weather does not trump all!