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Old 06-11-2014, 10:05 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
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I agree the difference between Chicago and Pittsburgh weather is minor. I have spent some time in Chicago as well. IME, Chicago is hotter in summer and colder in winter.
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Old 06-11-2014, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
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Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
I agree the difference between Chicago and Pittsburgh weather is minor. I have spent some time in Chicago as well. IME, Chicago is hotter in summer and colder in winter.
Yep. On average pretty much the same, but Chicago will get more hot spells in summer and more cold spells in winter.
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Old 06-12-2014, 01:54 PM
 
Location: South Hills
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I moved back to Pittsburgh in 1993. My wife is from Michigan.
I told her "you'll like it here, there's a lot less snow than where you grew up".

Of course that December I was looking at 2 1/2 feet in my driveway.

On average we do get less snow than areas along the Great Lakes, but you never know.
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Old 06-19-2014, 09:52 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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Snow isn't the problem. It is the overcast skies.
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Old 06-19-2014, 10:45 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Originally Posted by bluecarebear View Post
Snow isn't the problem. It is the overcast skies.
and the seasons. they always be changin!!
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Old 06-19-2014, 02:01 PM
 
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I grew up in Chicago. Chicago winters feel WAY colder than Pittsburgh, due to both lower temperatures and MUCH stronger winds. Chicago tends to get a fewer number of bigger snowfalls, whereas in Pittsburgh we get more frequent bouts of 1-2 inch snowfalls. Chicago winters last longer. We get much more of a spring and a fall here, whereas Chicago tends to skip those seasons. The net result that is if you are used to Chicago weather, you will find Pittsburgh weather much milder. Much of the winter is spent with daytime temps just below freezing and cloudy skies/flurries, which I personally would take any day over whipping winds and temps in the teens.

I find it really surprising to hear that some think they are very similar. I suppose they are more similar than they are different, in that winters are cold and summers are hot and they get similar snowfalls. But to me, Chicago winters felt much more brutal because of that wind and because spring arrives later. I wore long underwear often and that is not part of my current wardrobe. Pittsburgh winters are definitely truly winter, but not brutal.

That said, snow is less disruptive in Chicago, due to better snow removal and the flat topography.

Last edited by ctkalino; 06-19-2014 at 02:15 PM..
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Old 06-19-2014, 02:17 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
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Originally Posted by ctkalino View Post
I grew up in Chicago. Chicago winters feel WAY colder than Pittsburgh, due to both lower temperatures and MUCH stronger winds. Chicago tends to get a fewer number of bigger snowfalls, whereas in Pittsburgh we get more frequent bouts of 1-2 inch snowfalls. Chicago winters last longer. We get much more of a spring and a fall here, whereas Chicago tends to skip those seasons. The net result that is if you are used to Chicago weather, you will find Pittsburgh weather much milder. Much of the winter is spent with daytime temps just below freezing and cloudy skies/flurries, which I personally would take any day over whipping winds and temps in the teens.

I would imagine anyone who thinks the two are comparable in terms of winter conditions has not spent much time in Chicago.

That said, snow is less disruptive in Chicago, due to better snow removal and the flat topography.
This is not true. Wind is no more a factor in Chicago as it is in Pittsburgh. There is actual DATA to back this up. Chicago is less windy than many other major cities, and about on par with Pittsburgh. Chicago certainly has a Spring and a Fall (Fall especially is lovely). This year's Spring did seem short, but in years past it felt no different than Pittsburgh. The major difference is the nightly lows in Chicago are usually a good 5-10 degrees colder than the lows in Pittsburgh in the winter. The daytime high's in the winter aren't as drastically different. Pittsburgh gets more snow on average. That is a fact. Chicago will also see more frequent hot spells in the summer, and winter will creep a bit later into April, but on average both cities are pretty comparable. To say the weather in these cities is drastically different is just absurd. Please don't give me the classic City Data reply that "you must not have spent much time in ____ (enter city here)." I have lived in Chicago for the past 3.5 years and lived my entire life before that in Pittsburgh.
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Old 06-19-2014, 11:14 PM
 
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Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly View Post
This is not true. Wind is no more a factor in Chicago as it is in Pittsburgh. There is actual DATA to back this up. Chicago is less windy than many other major cities, and about on par with Pittsburgh.
Can you point us to the data? It'd be fascinating to see the comparison. I certainly agree that the wind has been a significant factor in the two winters I've spent here, but I've never spent a winter in Chicago to compare, so data is good.
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Old 06-19-2014, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
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Originally Posted by gortonator View Post
Can you point us to the data? It'd be fascinating to see the comparison. I certainly agree that the wind has been a significant factor in the two winters I've spent here, but I've never spent a winter in Chicago to compare, so data is good.
Here is the average wind speed for many decent sized cities (it should be in descending order) over a 30 year period in an easy to see/read format. I believe the information comes from the NOAA.

Average Monthly and Annual Wind Speed for US Cities

The first "major" cities you come across are Boston and NYC. Chicago is rated at an average of 10.3 mph and Pittsburgh at an average of 8.9 mph. Note that when looking at wind speeds by month, however, the winter months are about 1 mph difference between Pittsburgh and Chicago.
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Old 06-20-2014, 09:38 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly View Post
Note that when looking at wind speeds by month, however, the winter months are about 1 mph difference between Pittsburgh and Chicago.
I don't think that metric missed two things. First, in much of Pittsburgh you aren't exposed directly to the wind. Rough topography is an advantage for some things. Second, I don't think you get an accurate picture with average wind speed here. The average hides a great deal of variation. If one city has 20 mph winds 1/4th of the time and is dead calm the rest of the time and one city has more or less constant 5 mph winds, they both come out as having the same average windiness when, as far as someone standing outside would experience it, one is nicely breezy and the other is windy, even if not consistently so.
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