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How long does it take to get acclimated (pun not intended) to Chicago's winters? I'd hate to turn down a city that's a good fit for me otherwise almost exclusively because of winters.
Well, firstly it depends on what you're used to already. Secondly, the winters here are overrated. Is it cold compared to a warmer climate? Yes. Is it the worst in the US? Not even close. I've lived in most states in the upper midwest or spent a lot of time in them, and Chicago is one of the mildest of the cities in the upper midwest.
Let me put it this way. I have friends here in Chicago from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, India, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Mexico (Chicago has a ton of people from Mexico), Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc. not to mention my friends from Arizona, Florida, California, New Mexico, Texas, etc. They ALL survive here and have for years and years. It's not like this city is just full of people from the midwest, canada, russia, and northeast US.
If my friend from Saudi Arabia can live here without complaining too much, I'm pretty sure you can too.
Winters in Chicago are generally anywhere from moderately worse to slightly worse than:
NYC
Philly
Baltimore
DC
and generally anywhere from moderately better to slightly better than:
Boston
Milwaukee
Buffalo
Rochester
Montreal
Toronto
Minneapolis
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Seattle
Portland
These are generally a mix of cloudier, snowier and colder cities than Chicago come winter time.
IMO, Chicago winters are overrated. Its not Siberia. Theyre worse winters than NYC, Philly and DC, but those set a pretty good standard considering the other 4 season cities in the North. Theyre mild winters.
Im from Upstate NY so I pretty much laugh at Chicago winters.
I think the snowfall this year has been extremely low. What is it, like 10 inches this year? 15?
I think the snowfall this year has been extremely low. What is it, like 10 inches this year? 15?
In the city at least, I'd bet less than 10. Would be surprised to see more. We didn't get our first legitimate accumulation sticking on the ground until ...within the last month and it's all melted. Last year it literally only snowed like 2-3 days all winter. The year before that we had the big 16 inch snowstorm or whatever and it was snowier but nothing really bad. Growing up in Minnesota, I have yet to think of it as anything bad.
If you're coming from a warmer climate like TX, AZ, CA, etc then yeah it takes some time to adjust, but there's people from all over here and people from places much warmer than most of the US on average. If you want to live in Chicago, you can. Just takes a little bit of time to get used to the cold if you aren't already.
Winters in Chicago are generally anywhere from moderately worse to slightly worse than:
NYC
Philly
Baltimore
DC
and generally anywhere from moderately better to slightly better than:
Boston
Milwaukee
Buffalo
Rochester
Montreal
Toronto
Minneapolis
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Detroit Seattle
Portland
These are generally a mix of cloudier, snowier and colder cities than Chicago come winter time.
IMO, Chicago winters are overrated. Its not Siberia. Theyre worse winters than NYC, Philly and DC, but those set a pretty good standard considering the other 4 season cities in the North. Theyre mild winters.
Im from Upstate NY so I pretty much laugh at Chicago winters.
I think the snowfall this year has been extremely low. What is it, like 10 inches this year? 15?
Dude, what? I'm from the NW and I don't understand how the stereotype exists that our "winters" are cold, rainy, snowy (this is a big wtf), and so miserable. Here, we have a "wet" season that lasts 9 months and a dry season that lasts 3 months (maybe 4 if we're lucky like we have been in recent years). It almost never snows here beyond maybe a slight snow dusting in December. It may be cloudier than most cities, but we also have a fair share of weeks where the sun shines for 2-3 days. Furthermore, our temperatures almost never dip below 40 (including wind chill) and it only gets to slightly below 30 at worst when it does snow.
I can't speak for the others, but unless you get SAD and can't stand not seeing the sun for a short, but potentially prolonged period of time, there's no way PNW summers are near as bad as those in the NE/Midwest.
NYC weather is probably better. Very similar to where I currently live except with a bit more snow (and it's only about the same in NYC due to the urban heat island effect).
Chicago gets colder than New York... i.e. we all know the difference between how 80/90 feels... Well low of 20 vs low of 10 is the same in uncomfortableness. Also, the *season* is longer in Chicago, the leaves fall off the trees earlier and things don't start to bloom or get green again until late april, sometimes early may. So even if it's warming up the landscape will still look like winter for longer. Even after a certainly colder and longer wintry period, Chicago weather is pretty hit or miss in both April and May, and I wouldn't advise anybody put away their coats until the first few weeks of June as a late cold spell can certainly hit.
check out this april 2011 for instance, there basically wasn't a single sunny day and it was still snowing several days near the end of the month.
you've got a random temp of 82 on the 10th, then a week later it is snowing. Chicago springs are schizo with warm days mixed in with wintry days still. There is rarely a smooth climb in temperatures making for crappy springs as well as colder winters.
Then can go from hovering in the 50s and 60s straight into the 90s!
June can be all over the place... 40s at night and in the morning, straight into the 90s. barely gets out of the 50s several days in June, and that is taken at midway, which is warmer than most of where people live so I'd take a few degrees off that temp and add a little wind. It can be 5-10 degrees cooler by the lake in spring than it is at midway, i.e. most of the downtown and north side. This comes in handy in the summer, but during the spring time it makes it worse, sometimes coating the area by the lake in fog also.
I think the western and southern burbs of Chicago get a better break on the weather. http://www.wunderground.com/history/...q_statename=NA
NYC weather is probably better. Very similar to where I currently live except with a bit more snow (and it's only about the same in NYC due to the urban heat island effect).
If you take year round average, then yeah, but it's BARELY different. Temperature wise they are actually very similar year round.
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
New York 39.1 42.4 50.5 62.0 71.6 80.1 84.9 83.4 76.0 64.6 54.6 43.8 62.7
Chicago 32.1 36.5 47.6 60.0 70.9 80.6 84.8 82.6 75.8 63.2 49.1 35.8 59.9
Year round average difference of less than 3 degrees F. Winter is 7-10 colder on average, but Spring/Summer/Fall (especially summer) are very similar temperatures. Also, funny to note that NYC is actually on average 1-2 MPH windier than Chicago on average.
Chicago is more humid and sunnier in the summertime, and also cloudier and colder in the wintertime.
Basically, NYC, as everyone says all the time, is more mild in comparison. Chicago has higher/lower extremes. NYC gets more precipitation.
You will notice the difference between the two really only one season and thats winter. Chicago is usually 5-10 degrees colder.
Maybe it's just me but NYC in the summer is a hotter and more humid experience with a noticeable smog effect. I was just there this past summer for awhile and it was pretty stifling in comparison. The subways in NYC are definitely hotter in the summer, you can barely breath down there.
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