Syracuse snow (Buffalo, Rochester, Utica: rental, houses, to buy)

[bugzbunny]

Hi,

We are moving from Manhattan (the NY one) to Syracuse (joining one of the hospitals there). Originally from South Asia, so love the sun (but have lived in Iowa, DC and NYC, so used to some snow). All the people to whom we have indicated that we are moving to CNY have warned us about the snow, tho folks from Syracuse tell us it is no big deal (gets cleaned out very quickly apparently).

Since we are going, we will have to get used to it, I guess; but the question is how bad does it really get (on average, rather than one year issues)? and should we really buy an AWD/4WD or can we survive with Honda Odyssey with snow tires (since the Honda does not have AWD or 4WD).

We will be living in JD or FM (still waiting for rental houses of good quality to come available); will it be a horrible commute to the downtown hospitals (esp. if we are on-call early in the morning/late night) in winter?

How bad does the wind-chill get? (lived on the waterfront in Manhattan, so did get some cold weather here too, so hopefully we are sync'ed for this). Is the cold dry or a bit humid (the NYC winters were very dry unfortunately)?

[skaneatelesmom]

I live in Skaneateles and we get lots of snow and that famous wind chill. I drive a suburban, but it was bought when we lived in Florida, so we don't have 4 wheel drive. We do have snow tires and we do just fine. We're in Skaneateles, so we get lake effect snow just about everyday. All that being said, I love the area enough to deal with the winters. It is not that bad, you get used to the cold and dress in layers. I still walk my dogs every day, just on some walks I walk more quickly
The towns do deal with the snow very efficiently. Schools only close when the snow comes down very quickly, early in the am.
Can't help you with the commuting question, but most people here commute to Syracuse (30 minute drive) without much concern for the snow.
Good luck with your move.
Joanne

[rochacha]

The snow isn't bad because even though you see 100 inches in a year and say WOW!, you have to remember that it comes in the form of a few inches per day for the most part. Except for the occasional heavier snow day, the main roads will just be wet and side roads will have snow cover by the end of the season.

[LeavingCuse]

living in Syracuse is completely managable, but its tough. (I must say there is nothing worse than driving 481N in a snow storm!)

You will consistantly need to give yourself an extra 15 minutes to get anywhere due to poor road conditions. Parking can be tough inside the city, but, all in all the city does a good job with snow removal. (I think we can all attest to that after the winter we just had!) Syracuse is gloomy in the winters. But if you can stick it out, you will absolutley get used to the snow. Just think of it as an adventure.

[LeavingCuse]

One more thing...
I drive a dodge neon and (knock on wood) have never had a snow related accident. That being said, I decided this past winter would be MY last winter without all-wheel drive. I commute into Syracuse from Oswego County, and I sincerely did not feel safe this past winter. But, lots of folks go with out AWD and 4WD. Living in JD and FM would def not be as bad as living north of Syr so you would be OK without-but you certianly wouldnt regret having them either.

If you choose to buy a new car, look into Subaru's. They come with AWD but use less gas than a SUV so you wont regret your purchase in the summer. (and they are much better for the environment than a SUV too.

[Glen NY]

Bugzbunny, Good luck on your move Syracuse is real easy living with little or no aggravation.

Leavingcuse, 200 inches? Did you read the article that you linked to. I read 115" per year. Tug Hill is a different story.

As for SUV or 4wd, it is not a must. Many people go without, but snow tires are a must. Becareful not to rent a home with a steep driveway. I had watched several neighbors fight to reach their garages on more than one occasion.

As for the tempurature and windchill, I didn't find Syracuse that much colder than NYC, but definately snowier. Good Luck

[bellafinzi]

That USA Today rank is a joke. What are the criteria for choosing those places listed? That ranking left out so many cities and towns.

I found a more accurate ranking:

Snowiest US Cities over 1,000 in population

328.0 Valdez AK 4,000
250.0 Munising, MI 2,000
206.0 Truckee, CA 15,000
179.8 Marquette, MI 19,000
177.0 Gladstone, MI 5,000
177.0 Iron River, MI 2,000
173.3 Steamboat Springs, CO 9,000
153.3 Oswego, NY 18,000
153.0 Rome, NY 35,000
149.6 Gaylord, MI 3,000
141.0 Ishpeming,MI 6,000
141.0 Negaunee, MI 4,000
140.0 Fulton, NY 11,000
135.0 Crystal Falls, MI 1,000
133.1 Manistique, MI 3,000
131.7 Escanaba, MI 13,000
131.2 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 16,000
128.6 Caspian, MI 1,000
125.0 Traverse City, MI 14,000
125.4 Iron Mountain, MI 8,000
125.0 Kingsford , MI 5,000
125.0 Norway, MI 2,000
122.0 Haines, AK 2,000
120.0 Boyne City, MI 3,000
118.0 Cordova, AK 2,000
117.0 Charlevoix, MI 3,000
115.0 Caribou, ME 8,000
114.9 Oneida, NY 10,000
114.9 Sherill, NY 3,000
113.8 Auburn, NY 28,000
114.0 Watertown, NY 26,000
111.9 Syracuse, NY 147,000 (airport)
111.6 Presque Isle, ME 9,000
108.2 Utica, NY 60,000
108.0 Lander, WY 7,000
101.6 Calais, ME 3,000
101.0 Juneau, AK 30,000
100.3 Rochester, NY 219,000
100.3 Flagstaff, AZ 53,000
98.7 Geneva, NY 13,000
97.0 Buffalo, NY 292,000


Snowiest US Cities over 10,000 in population

206.0 Truckee, CA 15,000
179.8 Marquette, MI 19,000
153.3 Oswego, NY 18,000
153.0 Rome, NY 34,000
140.0 Fulton, NY 11,000
131.7 Escanaba, MI 13,000
131.2 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 16,000
125.0 Traverse City, MI 14,000
114.9 Oneida, NY 10,000
114.0 Watertown, NY 26,000
113.8 Auburn, NY 28,000
111.9 Syracuse, NY 147,000 (airport)
108.2 Utica, NY 60,000
101.0 Juneau, AK 30,000
100.3 Rochester, NY 219,000
100.3 Flagstaff, AZ 53,000
98.7 Geneva, NY 13,000
97.0 Buffalo, NY 292,000
96.1 Norton Shores, MI 23,000
95.8 Muskegon, MI 40,100


Top Snowiest Cities in the US

And let’s not forget. Syracuse's Airport location....where the official snowfall measurement is taken..... is north of the Thruway. Places north of the Thruway get considerably more snow than Camillus or the Eastern suburbs of Syracuse. Just take a look at the following map from a Buffalo website: