Weather in Duluth vs Minneapolis

[whatnow]

The points made by Jasper1372 about the city's problems are good reasons to buy a house (if you do) in one of the surrounding towns like Esko, Carlton, Cloquet, etc. However, I think he/she makes the weather sound way worse than it is. Duluth has beautiful summers and a lot of sun in the winter, also. Chances are if it is gloomy in Duluth it is also gloomy in a large portion of the state and region. Also, I used to live on the shore (Silver Bay) and found the weather quite gorgeous in summer and autumn!

[jasper1372]

Originally Posted by whatnow

The points made by Jasper1372 about the city's problems are good reasons to buy a house (if you do) in one of the surrounding towns like Esko, Carlton, Cloquet, etc. However, I think he/she makes the weather sound way worse than it is. Duluth has beautiful summers and a lot of sun in the winter, also. Chances are if it is gloomy in Duluth it is also gloomy in a large portion of the state and region. Also, I used to live on the shore (Silver Bay) and found the weather quite gorgeous in summer and autumn!

We looked around in Duluth for housing and eventually picked the Cloquet area since we decided we wanted nothing to do with the lake winds (cold) and we found a nice lot upon which we built our home.

Regarding the climate of Duluth, I'll just explain my comments so you can judge them for yourselves and see if they are valid for you or not.

Most people find "comfort" at 65 to 80 degrees, partly cloudy or sunny skies, no rain and no real stiff winds. Those things all in combination make for a delightful day....at least for me :-)

Go check out the national weather service web site if you want additional details.

Anyway, since I'm a numbers guy (my wife rolls her eyes here) I'll give you my analysis.

65-80 degree highs - average mid May - med September = ~ 120 days

partly cloudy or clear days mid may-mid sept = ~ 40 days

non-precip days mid may-mid sept = ~ 71

So if you boil all this down it shows that given that the lowest common denometer is 40 (partly cloudy/clear days) you have a maximum of 40 days when total confort is even possible...and with more analysis which I don't have time for right now....you'd see that the number of days when all three of those factors fall on the same day would be sligtly less...probably around the 30 or 35 day mark.

So, 35 days out of 365 = ~ 9% of days that are truly comfortable. Not a real good climate in my opinion.

Ok, sorry if you're totally confused, but now you can see what my wife
has to live with...lol

You may also find it useful to get ahold of "Places rated almanac" which can be found in most book stores. They generally rate 354 Metrapolitian areas of the country (duluth being one of those) and on the climate comfort issue we rate 349. That is 5 from the bottom by the way

However, if you look at all the other things they rate, cost of living, health care, crime and a whole host of other things we do quite well actually.

So, it has many wonderful qualities, but roads, city finances and climate are not among them.

[whatnow]

Hi jasper1372 - I enjoyed your explanation. First off I totally miss living in Carlton/Cloquet area and am now stuck up near Int'l Falls. (My husband and I thought it was a good idea 2 yrs ago because of Voy. NP.) I love, love, love Jay Cooke SP and used the bike trail faithfully for walking, blading, and biking. Although I appreciate your "numbers" breakdown I use a different system involving lawnchairs, Leinenkugels, and the grill, and we sure did have an outstanding summer in 2008. 2007 was o.k. but too many really hot days (90's) for us while renovating an old house. Anyway, my goal is to find a place and move back to Carlton Cnty, because I think it is a great part of MN and also close to a great part of Wisconsin. For the OP, if you come up north there are so many places to explore both in MN and WI plus the Lake Superior shore in WI is SAND!!! (once you head north out of Duluth it is a lot of rock - pretty, just in a different way.)

[hlpaulson]

My husband and I both grew up about 60 miles west of the Twin Cities area. We lived in the Twin Cities for 8 years and then in Duluth for 6 years and have since moved back to an area near the Twin Cities. So I guess you could say I've experienced both worlds. As far as the weather goes, I prefer winters in Duluth. We lived about 5 blocks away from the lake and it often times was warmer. However, the farther away from the lake you are, the less lake effect you get so in the winter it could often times be colder up the hill. Because the whole city is built on a big hill, it seemed less windy as well (the exception would be right down by the lake where you could get very high winds especially in November). But by our house I rarely saw a drift. My husband and I both feel we got out in the snow more often in Duluth than we do here (in flat farm country where it is very windy) partly because of the warm factor, but partly because there were just more outdoor places to go and hiking trails right out your back door.

While I may prefer Winter in Duluth, I definitely prefer Spring and Summer in the Twin Cities area. Spring in Duluth is very unpredictable! You can get a beautiful spring day similar to the Twin Cities and then the next day is 20-40 degrees cooler than the Twin Cities (lake effect again!). I remember putting our kids in hats and mittens in early June! Yes, I said June!

While Summer is beautiful there, my personal preference is hot swimming weather. Duluth does not have any sort of community pool (at least not when I lived there). If you want to swim, you have to do that indoors or in a small lake somewhere nearby. Lake Superior, in general, is too cold. Although some people do swim in it and you can get warm surface waters that come in when the conditions are right, but it's very hit and miss.

In the end, there are many things my husband and I miss about living in Duluth such as the endless outdoor activities, the beautiful lake, and the natural beauty of the land. However, we both agree we would rather live in the Twin Cities, mostly because of the Spring and Summer months. Also, our personal experience was that it was hard to connect with people who grew up there. Most of our friends were "transplants" like us. It is sort of like its own little world up there. We felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of the state when we lived there. The city has deep rooted tradition and has a "good 'ol boys club" feel at times.

Anyway, hope that helps. My husband and I have looked at Colorado as well but family seems to keep us in this area! Good Luck to you!

[whatnow]

Hi haselton, if you wouldn't mind letting us know what you decide - out of curiousity. The small difference in weather between Duluth and the cities wouldn't keep me from a good job - if it's good. Good luck.

[Zorchalate]

Is Duluth a windy place? It's said that the lake effect makes it warmer in the winter? But is it windier being by the lake? More humid?

Matt Swartz, 38, from Walnut Creek, California (about 20 miles northeast of San Francisco)

[acrylic]

Originally Posted by Zorchalate

Is Duluth a windy place? It's said that the lake effect makes it warmer in the winter? But is it windier being by the lake? More humid?

Matt Swartz, 38, from Walnut Creek, California (about 20 miles northeast of San Francisco)

It depends. There is no set place on where it can be windy and not windy. It's windy sometimes down by the lake, but sometimes it's not. It's windy further up on the hill sometimes, but sometimes it's not. Overall, Duluth doesn't seem to be that windy of a place. You only really notice the wind in the winter, or when it's cold.

[newcastle]

Hello,

I thought these youtube videos of Lake Superior in a Blizzard may be entertaining. I hope not too misleading as it is not always this way!

YouTube - Duluth, Minnesota - Lake Superior Blizzard One

This one is from aluminumpork an avid city data member!

YouTube - Duluth, MN - "Blizzard" of '08

This video is unique to Duluth. One other poster said we do not have a community pool. That's true. We do have a lot of place like this around here.

YouTube - Day at the Deeps (Duluth, Minnesota)

Enjoy!