What cold weather means to me... (Chicago, Atlanta: how much, home, to live)

[coldwine]

We here in Chicago, it seems, take more flack for having cold weather than any other city on earth. Almost like it's somehow wrong that we live in plains-country where things get cold. It's never going to change in our lifetimes and we're heading right back into it.

So, with that in mind...

I'd like to propose that we state what, in positive terms, cold weather means to us

Cold weather to me means waking up at 7am on a Saturday morning, staring outside at the snow and freezing sky, pulling the sheets back up to my neck and snuggling closer to the S.O.

[AQUEMINI331]

Cold weather means no smog. Haven't you ever noticed how much clearer the blue sky is in February when it's 10 degrees outside than it is in August when it's 90 degrees?


Cold weather means a brisk wind waking you up in the morning (heat makes most people want to go to sleep).


Cold weather means there's snow at the beach (the coolest thing ever).


Cold weather means snow and snowfights. I may be 23 years old but I'm still a big ass kid at heart. I grew up in the South man, I can count on my two hands how many times I threw a snowball during my childhood.


Cold weather means I feel even better than I already do about my decision to live close to public transportation and never ever drive to work. I mean, yeah sure standing on an L train platform or Metra station when it's like five below is no fun but neither is driving up Lake Shore Drive with ice on the road that usually accompanies such cold weather. Not to mention the absolutely positively insane, hopelessly mentally ill drivers that drive up that road every morning.


Cold weather means going back home to Alabama during the holidays and laughing at my parents when they get a sudden chill when it gets down to a frigid 30 degrees above zero (many Chicagoans consider that T-shirt and shorts weather).


Cold weather means my relatives think twice about visiting me during the holidays, even if they live in other cold climate cities like New York and Baltimore.


BTW, cold weather in Chicago in particular, makes you realize that cold weather on the East Coast is actually not that cold at all. Ever been to New York in the winter? Their winters are pretty tame compared to ours. On an average day in January or February, it'll still make it above freezing and cold rain is just as common as snow. Snow stays on the ground for no more than a week in New York, it stays on the ground damn near all winter in Chicago.


And best of all, cold weather means no mosquitoes, no gnats, no dragonflies, none of that ****! Coming from the South, that's the best thing about cold weather. No bugs! Thank the Lord that it gets cold enough in Chi-town to kill those little pricks.


With that being said, bring on the cold temperatures! Bring on the snow plows and the blizzards! Bring on the hot chocolate! Bring on the baseball sized chunks of ice that fall off of the Sears Tower or any number of really tall skyscrapers downtown and knock people out cold (pun intended) on a blustery January day. Bring on all of that stuff! I'm ready for another harsh Chicago winter, baby! The hell with summer, and riding your bike on the beach, and meeting girls on the beach, and throwing a frisbee in Jackson Park, and riding on a boat on the lake. Forget all of that! BRING ON THE COLD BABY!!!!! WOOOO!!!! Bring on the days where it's so cold it makes you want to cry, and when you do, the tears fall off of your face and freeze solid before they hit the ground, and when they do hit the ground they shatter into a million pieces! Bring on the days when Lake Michigan turns into a solid layer of ice so thick that you could actually walk to Michigan. And best of all, bring on the cold days at the end of football season when 70,000 fans are packed inside of Solider Field freezing their nuts off watching Rex Grossman throw yet another interception! I love you Chicago, especially your cold, long, harsh winters and the pitiful excuse the Bears have for a quarterback! BRING ON THE COLD BABY!!!!!

[Manigault]

You have to learn to look forward to cold weather. For me it means hunting season! Let's get out in the field doing basic stuff and get back to nature. The geese (who have been laughing at you all year) are now being stalked by their betters. Pheasants are flying and some are in the frying pans. Its great when the snow crunches underfoot -- its 20 degrees outside and you are dressed for it. Metrosexual nothing -- you have the pioneering spirit. Laugh at the cold -- that's what made America great.

[loufalu]

Man... nothing has given me seconds thoughts about moving in February to Chicago... until I read this... hahahahaha

Originally Posted by AQUEMINI331

Cold weather means no smog. Haven't you ever noticed how much clearer the blue sky is in February when it's 10 degrees outside than it is in August when it's 90 degrees?


Cold weather means a brisk wind waking you up in the morning (heat makes most people want to go to sleep).


Cold weather means there's snow at the beach (the coolest thing ever).


Cold weather means snow and snowfights. I may be 23 years old but I'm still a big ass kid at heart. I grew up in the South man, I can count on my two hands how many times I threw a snowball during my childhood.


Cold weather means I feel even better than I already do about my decision to live close to public transportation and never ever drive to work. I mean, yeah sure standing on an L train platform or Metra station when it's like five below is no fun but neither is driving up Lake Shore Drive with ice on the road that usually accompanies such cold weather. Not to mention the absolutely positively insane, hopelessly mentally ill drivers that drive up that road every morning.


Cold weather means going back home to Alabama during the holidays and laughing at my parents when they get a sudden chill when it gets down to a frigid 30 degrees above zero (many Chicagoans consider that T-shirt and shorts weather).


Cold weather means my relatives think twice about visiting me during the holidays, even if they live in other cold climate cities like New York and Baltimore.


BTW, cold weather in Chicago in particular, makes you realize that cold weather on the East Coast is actually not that cold at all. Ever been to New York in the winter? Their winters are pretty tame compared to ours. On an average day in January or February, it'll still make it above freezing and cold rain is just as common as snow. Snow stays on the ground for no more than a week in New York, it stays on the ground damn near all winter in Chicago.


And best of all, cold weather means no mosquitoes, no gnats, no dragonflies, none of that ****! Coming from the South, that's the best thing about cold weather. No bugs! Thank the Lord that it gets cold enough in Chi-town to kill those little pricks.


With that being said, bring on the cold temperatures! Bring on the snow plows and the blizzards! Bring on the hot chocolate! Bring on the baseball sized chunks of ice that fall off of the Sears Tower or any number of really tall skyscrapers downtown and knock people out cold (pun intended) on a blustery January day. Bring on all of that stuff! I'm ready for another harsh Chicago winter, baby! The hell with summer, and riding your bike on the beach, and meeting girls on the beach, and throwing a frisbee in Jackson Park, and riding on a boat on the lake. Forget all of that! BRING ON THE COLD BABY!!!!! WOOOO!!!! Bring on the days where it's so cold it makes you want to cry, and when you do, the tears fall off of your face and freeze solid before they hit the ground, and when they do hit the ground they shatter into a million pieces! Bring on the days when Lake Michigan turns into a solid layer of ice so thick that you could actually walk to Michigan. And best of all, bring on the cold days at the end of football season when 70,000 fans are packed inside of Solider Field freezing their nuts off watching Rex Grossman throw yet another interception! I love you Chicago, especially your cold, long, harsh winters and the pitiful excuse the Bears have for a quarterback! BRING ON THE COLD BABY!!!!!

[Steve-o]

LOL @ Aquemini331

I agree, I love the cold weather, it awakens the senses and keeps you fresh.

But you wanna know my fave thing about the winter weather? It filters out the *******. Imagine if Chicago had LA's weather? Every mother's brother would want to live here. Weve already got enough people as it is, Im thankful for our winter weather keeping people at bay.

[NYrules]

Winter in Chicago... Hmmmm here is what it means to me, and sorry but I'm going to use video footage here so I don't get yelled at by people for voicing my opinion. You can wake up to this as you figure out what to wear for the day
YouTube - TWC Local Forecast: Chicago Snowstorm I-294 pile-up 2-7-06 then after your nice hot shower go outside to and get to do this
YouTube - Snow Storm in Chicago then both on your way into and out of work deal with this
YouTube - Snow Storm AHHHH or the drive home
YouTube - Chicago Blizzard on the Lake Shore Drive 2/13/07 Lets not also forget the fun sights you will get to see as you drive home or activities you can partake in
YouTube - Sword Fight OR
YouTube - enrique roman chicago Then to top it all off, if we are really lucky we can get all this fun even into April!!! YIPPIE
YouTube - Morning Commute

Doesn't all that look just wonderful?

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Winter in Chicago... Hmmmm here is what it means to me, and sorry but I'm going to use video footage here so I don't get yelled at by people for voicing my opinion. You can wake up to this as you figure out what to wear for the day
YouTube - TWC Local Forecast: Chicago Snowstorm I-294 pile-up 2-7-06 then after your nice hot shower go outside to and get to do this
YouTube - Snow Storm in Chicago then both on your way into and out of work deal with this
YouTube - Snow Storm AHHHH or the drive home
YouTube - Chicago Blizzard on the Lake Shore Drive 2/13/07 Lets not also forget the fun sights you will get to see as you drive home or activities you can partake in
YouTube - Sword Fight OR
YouTube - enrique roman chicago Then to top it all off, if we are really lucky we can get all this fun even into April!!! YIPPIE
YouTube - Morning Commute

Doesn't all that look just wonderful?

If you cant handle 2-3 snowfalls a year.... You should move to LA with all the other weenies.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

If you cant handle 2-3 snowfalls a year.... You should move to LA with all the other weenies.

Oh I never said I cannot handle the snow, I don't like it, but I can live with it. That is why I never gave my opinion as to whether I like all this winter stuff or not and instead just showed REAL video footage.

And for the record, 2-3 snowfalls a year? Sounds like wishful thinking at best. Maybe 2-3 a month from Thanksgiving through about Easter, but def. not 2-3 a year. We average almost 40 inches of snow a year in Chicago Chicagos Snowfall Statistics, I highly doubt all that falls out of 3 snowfalls a year.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Oh I never said I cannot handle the snow, I don't like it, but I can live with it. That is why I never gave my opinion as to whether I like all this winter stuff or not and instead just showed REAL video footage.

And for the record, 2-3 snowfalls a year? Sounds like wishful thinking at best. Maybe 2-3 a month from Thanksgiving through about Easter, but def. not 2-3 a year. We average almost 40 inches of snow a year in Chicago Chicagos Snowfall Statistics, I highly doubt all that falls out of 3 snowfalls a year.

In my observations, most snowfalls are 1-2" sometimes 3-4", its the 2-3 8-10" ones we get that are the "treacherous" ones. We maybe get 1-2 major snowfalls throughout the year, the rest are minor, and hardly make a dent in travel times (at least out here in teh burbs).

[AQUEMINI331]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Oh I never said I cannot handle the snow, I don't like it, but I can live with it. That is why I never gave my opinion as to whether I like all this winter stuff or not and instead just showed REAL video footage.

And for the record, 2-3 snowfalls a year? Sounds like wishful thinking at best. Maybe 2-3 a month from Thanksgiving through about Easter, but def. not 2-3 a year. We average almost 40 inches of snow a year in Chicago Chicagos Snowfall Statistics, I highly doubt all that falls out of 3 snowfalls a year.

Right. Even southern cities like Memphis and Atlanta experience 2-3 snowfalls a year.


BTW, it seems that in Chicago the snow is not the major hassle during the winter - I know we don't get as much snow as places like Cleveland and Buffalo.


A couple years back I went to Denver and they had three feet of snow on the ground. From what I understand, that much snow is extremely rare in Chicago, but much more common in other Great Lakes cities.