Weather in Madison/Sun Prairie? (Wilson, Washington: how much, school, tornado)

[Ashca]

We are moving to Madison/Sun Prairie from Seattle in February, and I was wondering on a local opinion of the weather? As much as I research, it's always better to have a first hand perspective.

How much snow do you see in the winter? Would you say there's quite a few snowfalls, or a few that stick around due to cold temperatures? Are there many blizzards and consecutive days with heavy snow? We're originally from Canada and are used to sub-zero weather, so Seattle has been a major bummer with the weather- a good part of why we're moving.

What is summer like? Are there many thunderstorms? What is the severity? Are there many tornado's or warnings? Hail?

And while I have you here- what are most Wisconsin's opinions of Canadians? Do they like them or should we just say we're moving from Seattle and leave it at that? Are people pretty friendly and welcoming?

Thanks so much!!

[alfoa]

How much snow do you see in the winter? Tons. Unbelievable amounts, sometimes.
Would you say there's quite a few snowfalls? Yes. An understatement.
A few that stick around due to cold temperatures? Yes. You won't see grass for several months.
Are there many blizzards and consecutive days with heavy snow? Yes and yes.
What is summer like? Hot and humid.
Are there many thunderstorms? Yes.
What is the severity? Enough to knock out power and cause flash flooding.
Are there many tornado's or warnings? Yes. More warnings than actual tornadoes, generally in late spring/early summer.
Hail? Yes.
should we just say we're moving from Seattle and leave it at that? No, I would actually find you more interesting if I knew you were from Canada, vs. the US.

I'm a bit confused by your post. If weather is THAT important, wouldn't you have checked into it sooner? That being said, you will experience every type of unsavory weather event (except for a monsoon) in Madison. You will also experience plenty of nice weather. Don't know what else to say.

[ranger17]

The avg snowfall for this area is around 48-50". That of course can vary every season, some years will be less; and there has been a couple years with the totals over 100". And as temps normally arent in the 40's like we've seen recently, snow tends to stick around until spring, lakes frozen until then as well. Right now, my lawn is bare (and as we moved back from SC last fall, i am not complaining lol).
Summer temps here can range as well, it will have its normally short hot/humid periods, and can also have days just in the 70's. There can be strong storms and there have been tornados, there is a pretty good warning system here for that.

Asking those here about weather will get a variety of opinions, that can happen anywhere. Some like the cold and snow, some do not. Some think summers are long and hot, others not. It's all how one perceives it and what they may be used to elsewhere.


Oh, even though Russell Wilson led the Badgers FB team for a year i'd maybe wait until the wound from the NFC champ game heals a bit before wearing any Seahawks gear lol, that was a tough one to swallow.

[Ashca]

@alofa-

Thanks for your informative reply.

I clearly said "as much as I research, it's always better to have a first hand perspective". I have been researching for months leading up to this move. As I'm sure you know, internet can give conflicting answers.

[Ashca]

Thanks, Ranger. We're probably the only people in Seattle that didn't watch the game. The only reason we knew they had won was the fireworks going off- ha! We're hockey people!

I questioned the weather since I've been checking the forecast everyday and it hasn't followed the typical weather patterns. Glad it's not usually this brown and warm!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Ashca

We are moving to Madison/Sun Prairie from Seattle in February, and I was wondering on a local opinion of the weather? As much as I research, it's always better to have a first hand perspective.

How much snow do you see in the winter? Would you say there's quite a few snowfalls, or a few that stick around due to cold temperatures? Are there many blizzards and consecutive days with heavy snow? We're originally from Canada and are used to sub-zero weather, so Seattle has been a major bummer with the weather- a good part of why we're moving.

What is summer like? Are there many thunderstorms? What is the severity? Are there many tornado's or warnings? Hail?

And while I have you here- what are most Wisconsin's opinions of Canadians? Do they like them or should we just say we're moving from Seattle and leave it at that? Are people pretty friendly and welcoming?

Thanks so much!!

What part of Canada? Madison weather is similar if not a touch colder than most areas of southern Ontario. This Winter has been mild, at or above average. Last Winter was in the top 10-20 coldest with temperatures each month running 8-12F below average. On average, you can expect around 40+ inches of snowfall per season with high temperatures generally in the 20s during the core of the season.

[TrueTimbers]

People in Wisconsin are not as annoyed by Canadians as in Washington. (No direct border, and no major Canadian city to the north decending on the USA for.cheap.shopping and.gas.

So be a.Canadian..They will love it. Since I assume you are from BC you will have them.scratching their heads on how mild.the climate was.back home...

Hockey is good, so is flannel. Red and black or green.and.black hey? Ya?/aboot time fer a a cold one ya hey?

For.consistent winter from November to April, further north in the.state.is the place.to be. But you should get a few months down their.

Be ready for hot sleepless nights with thunderstorms, tornadoe warnings and.mosquitoes sucking the blood out of you.anytime you step outside.not. covered in DEET. Then of course their are the deer flies,.horse.flies,.black flies and deadly LYME ticks along with plenty of regular ticks.. All wanting your blood. (Worse.further north)

Enjoy.

Sunny and 60/today in western WA... Ah glad to be gone..

[Ashca]

We're originally from Edmonton & Calgary Alberta, but lived just outside of Toronto for two years (this makes us sound like we move a lot haha- we really don't, hubby just keeps getting offered bigger and better positions. ). I figured it would be similar to TO but without the lake effect, for better or worse. We love snow, and thunderstorms, and heat. WA has been the most monotone/boring weather state ever! Nothing happens- it's either 9 months of grey/rain, or 90 days of sun. Nothing fun! We ways joked that Alberta's weather was bipolar- and we loved it!

Hey now... It's "time for a cold one, eh" haha . I love how passionate everyone is about their beer and cheese (and I've heard there's a soup combining the two? Brilliant!). WA has been organic, gluten free, none drink, boringness. The beer out here is super high IPA- gross. Can't wait to be around people that like a good cold beer on a hot summers night!

Thanks for the replies, folks!

[Drover]

Yeah, weather in Madison is pretty similar to Toronto. In fact they're at nearly the same latitude, within a few tenths of a degree of one another. And of course they're both in the middle of the continent free from moderation from ocean currents unlike, say, Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver/etc. so they are subject to similar extremes (except maybe snowfall amounts) that can't really be captured by "averages." Yes there are thunderstorms, sometimes hail, and even the occasional tornado warnings.

Wisconsin obviously has a strong brewing tradition with breweries in big cities and rural towns alike. And while some local beers imitate the high-hop West Coast brewing style, overall the brewing scene is much more grounded in old-school European traditions, particularly German. If you just want to relax with a nice, clean, traditional Helles-style lager or a good old heartland cream ale, this is the place.

[Ashca]

Why are people in WI annoyed of WA? Is this just a Seahawk/GB thing or is there more to it?