Comparing Chicago winters to Western Michigan winters? (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo: how much, living in)

[EddieOlSkool]

So...I love the cold. I love the winter. I am not a snow bird and hate hot weather. Winter is my 2nd favorite season after fall. Spring is 3rd and summer can go somewhere. Which is why I love W. Michigan. The summers in W. Michigan are so mild compared to Chicago summers with hot temperatures and high humidity.

Anyway, my question to people to have experienced Chicago winters and W. Michigan winters, how do they differ?

Do W. Michigan winters get more snow storms? Or just more frequent snowfall?

Do W. Michigan winters last longer?

I have heard it said that Chicago's brutal winters are worse than W. Michigan winters because of the cold. Are W. Michigan winters then not as cold due to the lake effect?

I also heard it said that lake effect snow is fluffy, slow falling snow. Not blizzard like conditions that cause white outs. On the other hand, I've heard that white out conditions are common in West Michigan compared to Chicago (though I hear the snow belt along the South Shore of Lake Michigan is the worst in terms of snow danger).

Anyway, if anyone has experiences with both, please comment!

[SavannahInChicago]

Hey! I am living in Chicago right now and I grew up in GR. I think I can help you out. This is what I have noticed:

From about end of October/Beginning of November the sky starts to become overcast in GR. From this time to about April, you will hardly see the sun. I am talking days and days in between. I noticed in Chicago that you have quiet a bit more sunny days then GR. As a matter of fact, I have never seen so many sunny days in winter. You will also spend almost every day before work clearing the snow off your windshield so be prepared.

Lake Effect Snow is huge. It will snow constantly. All different kinds of snow. Yeah, winter storms are constantly in the forcast, but you become so used to it that you don't even notice. It is just a part of winter. Unless there is a huge blizzard, people's days do not change very much. In Chicago, I hear people complain about how much it snows and I can't help thinking, "haha, that cute..."

I believe that winter in both places are not distinctly different in length. Like in Chicago, it depends on the years. There has been snow on the ground for Halloween (both this is extremely rare) and the same for the spring months.

Chicago is a lot colder then GR. I was told that and I noticed it myself (chiberia aside). Although, I don't think it helps that there is such a large group of people who take the CTA, bike or walk in Chicago. So, it may seem even colder. In GR, you really have no choice, but to have a car, which you can warm up. All of this being said, I would not say GR is warmer, as in can cheat and not wear so many winter clothes. Remember, it has to be a certain temp to snow and it snows a lot lot. It can and will get below zero, just not as often.

Overall, I think your impressions are right. In GR, the snow is the problem and in Chicago it is the cold.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by SavannahInChicago

Hey! I am living in Chicago right now and I grew up in GR. I think I can help you out. This is what I have noticed:

From about end of October/Beginning of November the sky starts to become overcast in GR. From this time to about April, you will hardly see the sun. I am talking days and days in between. I noticed in Chicago that you have quiet a bit more sunny days then GR. As a matter of fact, I have never seen so many sunny days in winter. You will also spend almost every day before work clearing the snow off your windshield so be prepared.

Lake Effect Snow is huge. It will snow constantly. All different kinds of snow. Yeah, winter storms are constantly in the forcast, but you become so used to it that you don't even notice. It is just a part of winter. Unless there is a huge blizzard, people's days do not change very much. In Chicago, I hear people complain about how much it snows and I can't help thinking, "haha, that cute..."

I believe that winter in both places are not distinctly different in length. Like in Chicago, it depends on the years. There has been snow on the ground for Halloween (both this is extremely rare) and the same for the spring months.

Chicago is a lot colder then GR. I was told that and I noticed it myself (chiberia aside). Although, I don't think it helps that there is such a large group of people who take the CTA, bike or walk in Chicago. So, it may seem even colder. In GR, you really have no choice, but to have a car, which you can warm up. All of this being said, I would not say GR is warmer, as in can cheat and not wear so many winter clothes. Remember, it has to be a certain temp to snow and it snows a lot lot. It can and will get below zero, just not as often.

Overall, I think your impressions are right. In GR, the snow is the problem and in Chicago it is the cold.

I don't wear many winter clothes to begin with as my body loves cold. Once it gets above 75 though I start crying and roll into the fetal position. But then I get out of it because it's so hot being in the fetal position.

Of course it needs to be cold to snow, but it doesn't need to be very cold in order for a city to be very snowy. Syracuse is the snowiest city (I think) with a population of over 50k in the US and it's definitely not the coldest.

Anyway, people in Chi LOVE complaining about winter. A LOT.

Have you noticed that our summers here in Chi are quite cloudy?

[mjlo]

I'm not sure where you're getting that Summers in Western MI are more comfortable than Chicago. That may exist on the lakeshore to a small degree, but compare Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo humidity and temps to Chicago there is little to no difference. As for winter the Lake has a big effect on temps, Where it's 12 degrees in Milwaukee it's 33 in GR. Last winter not withstanding the average daily high hovers just over or just below freezing in a typical scenario. The cloud cover is also a result of the colder air blowing over the warmer lake which creates all the lake affect snow and some of the cloudiest winters in the country.

Attached are the climates of Chicago and GR for comparison. Biggest difference in temps is Chicago is about a degree warmer on average in July and August. However Grand Rapids is slightly more humid throughout the year with the biggest difference being in August and September it is noticeably more humid. Also Grand Rapids gets twice as much snow. So if you like snow move on up haha. Otherwise it's kind of splitting hairs.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by mjlo

I'm not sure where you're getting that Summers in Western MI are more comfortable than Chicago. That may exist on the lakeshore to a small degree, but compare Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo humidity and temps to Chicago there is little to no difference. As for winter the Lake has a big effect on temps, Where it's 12 degrees in Milwaukee it's 33 in GR. Last winter not withstanding the average daily high hovers just over or just below freezing in a typical scenario. The cloud cover is also a result of the colder air blowing over the warmer lake which creates all the lake affect snow and some of the cloudiest winters in the country.

Attached are the climates of Chicago and GR for comparison. Biggest difference in temps is chicago is about a degree warmer on average in July and August. However Grand Rapids is slightly more humid throughout the year with the biggest difference being in August and September it is noticeably more humid. Also Grand Rapids gets twice as much snow. So if you like snow move on up haha. Otherwise it's kind of splitting hairs.

This is all correct.

[Michigantown]

Originally Posted by mjlo

I'm not sure where you're getting that Summers in Western MI are more comfortable than Chicago. That may exist on the lakeshore to a small degree, but compare Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo humidity and temps to Chicago there is little to no difference. As for winter the Lake has a big effect on temps, Where it's 12 degrees in Milwaukee it's 33 in GR. Last winter not withstanding the average daily high hovers just over or just below freezing in a typical scenario. The cloud cover is also a result of the colder air blowing over the warmer lake which creates all the lake affect snow and some of the cloudiest winters in the country.

Attached are the climates of Chicago and GR for comparison. Biggest difference in temps is Chicago is about a degree warmer on average in July and August. However Grand Rapids is slightly more humid throughout the year with the biggest difference being in August and September it is noticeably more humid. Also Grand Rapids gets twice as much snow. So if you like snow move on up haha. Otherwise it's kind of splitting hairs.

I don't think that has ever happened unless a cold front hadn't came through GR yet.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by mjlo

I'm not sure where you're getting that Summers in Western MI are more comfortable than Chicago. That may exist on the lakeshore to a small degree, but compare Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo humidity and temps to Chicago there is little to no difference. As for winter the Lake has a big effect on temps, Where it's 12 degrees in Milwaukee it's 33 in GR. Last winter not withstanding the average daily high hovers just over or just below freezing in a typical scenario. The cloud cover is also a result of the colder air blowing over the warmer lake which creates all the lake affect snow and some of the cloudiest winters in the country.

Attached are the climates of Chicago and GR for comparison. Biggest difference in temps is Chicago is about a degree warmer on average in July and August. However Grand Rapids is slightly more humid throughout the year with the biggest difference being in August and September it is noticeably more humid. Also Grand Rapids gets twice as much snow. So if you like snow move on up haha. Otherwise it's kind of splitting hairs.

Hehehe, just a two degree difference in that GR is 2 degrees warmer in January than Chicago.

It is splitting hairs, though I did read somewhere that the comfort index in GR is actually higher. Somewhere along 51/100 (where 100 is most comfort) and Chicago is 47/100. Or something of that nature.

I do think that Chicago tends to be cloudier in the summer and sunnier in the winter. Though most times I've been to GR it's always been cloudy save for one day.