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Thank you all very much for the great replies, I'm sure it took quite awhile to type many of them. I was kinda afraid to check back because I figured somebody might flame me for starting a "wierd" or obvious thread. But, I do sincerely want to know all about Winter because I have always only lived in So. Fla so I have very little experience with different climates. While most of the U.S. gets a bit of all the seasons, South Fla, southern TX, and southern lower-elevation CA are probably the only regions to lack seasonal change and I think So. Fla. probably the most extreme with its almost tropical climate. Heck, it's been so hot and humid this wk, despite the fact it's Dec., that we are seeing record breaking heat with temps yest of 89°F. An infant was left in a car yest morning and it was so hot that the baby died. Very very sad, even the forecasters said how sad it was because we are getting these extreme hot temps so late in the yr, if it would have been a normal or cool Dec, the baby probably would have survived. Btw, another reason I'm asking all the questions is because I am moving up North in about a yr and although I know I am definetly moving, I'm just trying to find the right place to relocate. I know it will be a cold climate, the colder the better after literally suffering thru a lifetime of permanant HOT HUMID Summer, now I'm just desperate to get up North as soon as possible so I can finally see a tree change colors, see snow, and watch the first new plants come up in the Spring, I really can't wait and I'll waste no time remanicing(sp?) about this place; 85° on Christmas-no thanks, lol!
Btw, another reason I'm asking all the questions is because I am moving up North in about a yr and although I know I am definetly moving, I'm just trying to find the right place to relocate. I know it will be a cold climate, the colder the better after literally suffering thru a lifetime of permanant HOT HUMID Summer, now I'm just desperate to get up North as soon as possible so I can finally see a tree change colors, see snow, and watch the first new plants come up in the Spring, I really can't wait and I'll waste no time remanicing(sp?) about this place; 85° on Christmas-no thanks, lol!
Try visiting a cold place in winter first (if you haven't yet). You may not like it. Spend a weekend in the Midwest or Northeast in January. Or go up skiing in Colorado or Utah.
I've actually spent several wks up North mostly in New England, MA, NH, and ME-went skiing at Sunday River. First time I saw snow I wasn't even in the U.S., saw it on the ground in Germany but didn't see it actally snow. I LOVE the cold and the first time I saw it really snow I was running around in the it, 5° outside and acting like a fool, ppl probably thought I was crazy. Funny story: the first time I went up North in the Winter(1st time seeing it snow) I was in college and went to MA & NH over Spring Break. Because I was only 21, a lot of places wouldn't let me rent a car but I finally found a rental place in Saugus, MA. Although they let me rent a car, the car was not your typical new car, it was an ancient Mazda 3-door. Well, I get on I-93, head north into NH, and discover it's much colder(ice was forming all inside the car!) and that this brown gunk was coming off the road and covering the windshield which was a serious problem because the wipers-the fluid that clears off the windshield wasn't working. I couldn't see! I get off the highway, go into a McDs, and ask for a cup of very hot water. The manager asks me why- I tell him the hot water is for my windshield and I intend to pour said water all over my frozen, filthy windshield! Needless to say, they freaked out over that and the fact I wanted to take this car that had tires that looked like bike tires, up into the mountains, preferably Mt. Washington! Well, they set me straight, got me off my suicide mission, and sent me to a garage that fixed, FOR FREE, the wipers. I made it to Littleton, saw a snow storm, and made it back to Boston in one piece after having a wonderful adventure I won't soon forget. See what happens when clueless Floridians are loose on Winter roads-lol!
I agree with other posters here... you should experience a -40F windchill before you decide to move up north because some places in the midwest can get that cold....even New England gets regularly below 0F temperatures in winter, add a bit of wind and if you're not prepared, it can be deadly.
As far as the seasons where I live in Vancouver, BC... In theory there are 4 seasons like everywhere else but most of the time, it seems as if there are only two - a rainy season (fall, winter and spring) and a dry one (summer). The rainy season lasts about 9 months and the dry season lasts about 3....
It can be dry during the rainy season (like it is now) but is often accompanied by colder temps, usually below freezing... and it can be rainy during the dry season (summer) and then you get cooler and more "spring" like temps in the 50s and 60s instead of 70s or 80s.
Most of the vegetation around here is evergreen either conifers or broadleaf, so compared to back east, there aren't as many trees with leaves that change colour and lose their leaves in the winter.
When we get a significant snowfall (or several) like last winter, the entire city virtually shuts down as we are not equipped to properly deal with it with plows and the like which is unusual for a Canadian city.
Depending on where you want to be, that is something else to check into, what kind of infrastructure do they have to deal with snowfalls? How much snow do they get? etc.
Being a South Florida native and never having experienced the change in seasons or a true Fall, Winter, or Spring, I love to read about what it's like to experience these changes in weather. So, I'm asking for a vicarious thrill since I'm stuck living in the land of permanant Summer. Around when do you notice the season changing? Does the sky look different or is it just a change in temps that tell you Fall, Winter, or Spring are on their way? What is each season like? What's the sky look like, does the foliage change, are the changes in temps gradual or quick? Tell me what it's like to live up North and experience the different seasons. Finally, tell me all about Winter, I want to hear about snow, ice, sleet, driving conditions, snow tires and plows, winter clothes, types of heating, ect. What is it like to live in a cold climate? Thanks everyone, I hope this thread wasn't too wierd, I've never experienced many of the things that are just part of everyday life up North.
This is how it is in northern Minnesota, Duluth specifically (along Lake Superior):
Summer ends in early September, though last September was as warm as July. By "summer" I mean highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's, with occasional 80's and 60's, and the rare 90-degree day.
Fall usually begins in early-mid September. The temperatures cool down (first to the 60's; then to the 50s, then to the 40's, then to the 30's) and the days become shorter. The appearance of the first fall colors on the trees usually begins sometime between September 1 and September 20, but peaks around October 1 - 15. Then they fall off and the trees are left bare. This happens somewhat earlier inland (usually the leaves are about gone by October 20-25) then along the Superior shore (where some leaves can remain well into November). One thing about fall is the weather varies greatly day-to-day; one October day it might be 75 and sunny, and two or three days later it could be snowing.
Speaking of that, fall snowfall is common (after about October 10), but it melts quickly. We don't get the stuff that stays on the ground until usually late November or early December.
December is when winter really starts. High temperatures during a Duluth winter average 10 - 30 F, and low temperatures -5 to 15, but subzero highs are common, particularly in January or February. We might see four or five days pass with the temperature not rising above 0. During these periods, suicide becomes a serious consideration. Lows can get down to -40, but that's extremely rare, and usually they bottom out at -25 to -30. Subzero weather is often accompanied by raging winds, lowering the windchill to -45 or -55. A "warm spell" brings temperatures between 35 and 45 F in the winter.
Usually beginning in early December and lasting until early April snow is on the ground continuously. It usually accumulates to a maximum of 1.5 to 3 feet sometime in February or March, and then melts by late March to mid-April.
Driving conditions are usually good, but not in the hours immediately after a snowfall. How long varies depending on the intensity of the snowfall and the importance of the road, but out here in the country it can be >12 hours.
March is a transitional month, but it's usually essentially winter. With April comes the melting of the snow, but no leaves on the trees. March and April have perhaps the most extreme temperature variations of any month. Temperatures can sink to lower than -20 or rise to 70 or above in March; similar figures for April would be lower than 10 or higher than 85.
May features the trees getting their leaves (seemingly an instantaneous process), and the final frost of the season usually occurs in late May. Also, late May through early is usually characterized by swampy conditions - lots of life in a small space. Mosquitoes, etc.
Drawing on past years experiences when I had to be outside everyday working on my Minnesota farm.
Winter---I dreaded it cuz of how much longer everything took ( getting dressed, extra precautions to prevent freeze ups on the farm)
When one works outside in very cold weather, it seems to take more energy out of you. Besides the cold, I dreaded the snowfall due to the necessary time taken for snow removal Complete snow removal took about 3 hours and that cut into your other work. In a winter with frequent snows, that might mean 3 hours every other day just removing snow.
My other complaint about winter is the short days in December here. During December, daylight is only from about 8-4:30.
Spring------although it wasn't spring yet, I looked forward to Feb 15. At that date the days are getting longer and the sun is feeling warmer March is a " toss of the coin" as it either can be a continuation of winter or the real beginning of spring. Record highs and lows have the greatest variation in March.
By April 1st ( usually) the 6ft frost is letting loose and that means trucks and tractors sink in very deep if not on a road or concrete.
April 15 is " normally" when it is dry enough to start field work By the 20th of May, things are greening up
Summer----usually outstanding ! 90 degree days are rare and a sunny summer day in Minnesota is hard to beat
Also, we then get those long days of daylight-------from about 5:20---9:15
Fall------ first frost is around the20th of Sept but around the 15th one can notice it feels different. Leaves peak to golden around Oct 1 and most trees are bare around the 20th. October in Minnesota is usually great weather ( this year being the exception )
Once Nov 11 comes ( Armistice/Veterans Day) you are on " borrowed time" cuz the ground can freeze for the season at any time
Yup, to sum it up, 4 seasons here and they all seem to have a mind of their own and don't follow the calendar.
and covering the windshield which was a serious problem because the wipers-the fluid that clears off the windshield wasn't working.
Roads are always covered in that here, if they aren't just whitish from salt. (when there's a risk of ice)
Snow piles along the side of the road "aren't pretty", if you know what I mean.
Keeping your car clean is "next-to-impossible" in snowy winters.
One day's drive on a salted road will leave a clean car looking like a glazed-donut.
Usually it's "too cold" to wash your car, so you often have to leave it dirty for weeks.
This makes car's rot (rust) out really fast, and also can damage some leather footware.
Below 25 F, windshield washer fluid easily "separates" leaving an icy-blur streaks across where the wipers travel.
Having a warmly-heated car really helps, but no amount of car heat will ever prevent these blurs from forming...
they just melt away quicker.
*These problems are almost as annoying as how my skin stings reliably from cold weather.
But if you love cold, it's probably worth all of the hassles associated. (of which, there are a great many )
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 12-11-2009 at 11:09 PM..
Roads are always covered in that here, if they aren't just whitish from salt. (when there's a risk of ice)
Snow piles along the side of the road "aren't pretty", if you know what I mean.
Keeping your car clean is "next-to-impossible" in snowy winters.
One day's drive on a salted road will leave a clean car looking like a glazed-donut.
Usually it's "too cold" to wash your car, so you often have to leave it dirty for weeks.
This makes car's rot (rust) out really fast, and also can damage some leather footware.
Below 25 F, windshield washer fluid easily "separates" leaving an icy-blur streaks across where the wipers travel.
Having a warmly-heated car really helps, but no amount of car heat will ever prevent these blurs from forming...
they just melt away quicker.
*These problems are almost as annoying as how my skin stings reliably from cold weather.
But if you love cold, it's probably worth all of the hassles associated. (of which, there are a great many )
Couldn't agree more with your post.
Yesterday I took my car for her usual oil change and normally I wash it afterwards. But with the wind blowing and wind chills in the single digits and teens, there was no way! On top of that, the roads are still messy from a storm we had a few days ago (heavy snow, sleet, and rain). Cars certainly take a good beating during the winter, whether you're driving it or letting it sit in your driveway (unfortunately I don't have a garage).
And with this recent cold spell, my skin is becoming noticeably dryer.
But despite all this, I still love a good, harsh winter.
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