Why Don't Most Wisconsinites I Know Seem to Notice the Gray Skies?

[scott53051]

Originally Posted by girlfromipanemo

I gotta tell ya, these infinitely gray days, day after day really gets to me. I remember growing up in the South, we would get a rain storm, then it would pass and the sky would clear. But this endless gray, it's horrible. Why doesn't anyone else care to see the sun shine? Or do you?

Why don't most Wisconsinites notice the gray skies?

Because it's always cloudy the last two months of the year in the Midwest. The percent possible sunshine in Wisconsin (Milwaukee) hits bottom in November (38%) and December (37%). The other 10 months are a more reasonable 48%-69%.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee#Climate

Milwaukee gets about 2500 hours of sunshine per year. That's about average for cities east of the Mississippi river. It's less than Atlanta (2700 hrs) and Charlotte (2800 hrs) but about the same as:

New York (2500 hrs)
Philadelphia (2500 hrs)
Chicago (2500 hrs)
Nashville (2500 hrs)
Washington DC (2500 hrs)
Rome, Italy (2500 hrs)

and way more than:

Pittsburgh, PA (2000 hrs)
Paris, France (1700 hrs)
London, England (1700 hrs)
Berlin, Germany (1600 hrs)
Zurich, Switzerland (1500 hrs)

[Nicci6Squirrels]

I get out and do stuff, in spite of the gray skies. I wanted to say that I make my own sunshine, but I didn't want to make everyone puke, including myself.

My husband and I spent every weekend going out into "the woods" this past winter, even though this winter really sucked. We own some land and have an RV, so we would drive up, spend as much time as possible outdoors, warm up in the RV, and then head home. Sometimes we stayed the whole weekend... even during a blizzard and we ran out of heat in the RV. Wouldn't recommend it, but lived to tell about it.

The woods in winter are beautiful. Lake Michigan in winter is gorgeous. I refuse to stay cooped up inside just because it's gray or cold out. Winter lasts too long for that to be an option.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Nicci6Squirrels

I get out and do stuff, in spite of the gray skies. I wanted to say that I make my own sunshine, but I didn't want to make everyone puke, including myself.

My husband and I spent every weekend going out into "the woods" this past winter, even though this winter really sucked. We own some land and have an RV, so we would drive up, spend as much time as possible outdoors, warm up in the RV, and then head home. Sometimes we stayed the whole weekend... even during a blizzard and we ran out of heat in the RV. Wouldn't recommend it, but lived to tell about it.

The woods in winter are beautiful. Lake Michigan in winter is gorgeous. I refuse to stay cooped up inside just because it's gray or cold out. Winter lasts too long for that to be an option.

Wisconsin winter weather is great compared to further south where you don't have reliable snow, just tons of rain, mud, and flooding. I much prefer the brightness of the snow in the winter Up North. Other areas of the US aren't so lucky, you just get grey skies and little snow.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Nicci6Squirrels

I refuse to stay cooped up inside just because it's gray or cold out. Winter lasts too long for that to be an option.

This is critical for northern clime living. One has to find something to embrace doing outside during the winter.

[Nicci6Squirrels]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Wisconsin winter weather is great compared to further south where you don't have reliable snow, just tons of rain, mud, and flooding. I much prefer the brightness of the snow in the winter Up North. Other areas of the US aren't so lucky, you just get grey skies and little snow.

Agreed. We lived in Oklahoma for awhile and it was just brown as far as you could see. I mean, the state has its pretty parts, but where we were, winter was just brown with gray skies.
In South Carolina, we had lots of rain. There was one "snow storm" that caused everyone to panic. That was the moment I realized what a Wisconsin person I am. I looked around like, "What? This is what we get in October? What's everyone freaking out about?!"

One evening in January, I looked up at the sky out in our dark part of the woods and saw so many stars that it just took my breath away. The sky was so clear and bright and beautiful. It was freezing outside, but I couldn't go inside. And some of the meteor showers last summer and fall were incredible out in the dark, away from the cities. I wouldn't trade that view for anything.

[Nicci6Squirrels]

Originally Posted by timberline742

This is critical for northern clime living. One has to find something to embrace doing outside during the winter.

For me, it's been birdwatching and hanging out with red squirrels and deer. I've never had so many chickadees land on me in my life as I have this past year. Two weeks ago, I was sitting still and quiet, watching birds when I heard a noise behind me. To my surprise, there was a young doe and she was really irritated with me. She snorted and stomped her feet repeatedly. Got really sassy.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by northnut

I don't mind the gray skies/rain. It plays to my natural laziness. Gloomy days on the weekend make me happy because then I don't feel guilty for being a total sloth & not leaving the house.

Perfect weather for staying in and watching football with pizza, chicken wings, and beer or a soft drink.