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I am currently a student in Wisconsin. My family and I have lived here for about 20 years.
Its a wonderful place to live, overall. The people are genuinely kind, the schools (where we live) are good, and we fortunately live in a safe area. We are very fortunate.
Unfortunately, there are 2 things that have always existed, but in the past 3 years or so, have bothered us very much.
1) It isn't progressive - for instance, the state supreme court recently shot down gay marriage again. People are very dogmatic in their conservative ways. The exception to this is Madison, WI. Great town.
More bothersome:
2) The weather. My goodness.
Late October - February: Freezing. Literally. Halloween kind of sucks. By November, we have snow 3 feet high. Then, it gets so cold (negatives) the snow freezes, turning into 3 feet high mounds of ice. You obviously want to walk fast because it is so cold, but its hard because your limbs are stiff. If you ARE able to walk fast, then you end up sweating and being cold at the same time. Crazy.
The roads are dangerous, as are the sidewalks. Ive badly sprained a couple knees just walking to class. Shoveling is hell. Its normal for your eyelids to freeze together making it hard to open your eyes, and for your lips/hands to bleed because of the weather. Etc etc, you get the idea.
March-April: Gross. 40-50 and slush.
May-June: Random year to year. Could be 60 and cloudy or 80 and sunny.
July-August: Hot and humid. Not too pleasant, but it beats the preceeding months. Sometimes however, we can get a few weeks of 60 and clouds. Then back up to high 80s and humid. Mosquitoes everywhere. The evenings/nights, however, are orgasmic.
September-Early October - Heaven. Ranging from 80-55. Sunny. Trees in all their colors. My favorite time of the year in terms of weather.
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So as you can see, we have about 3 or 4 months of decent weather. Its very infuriating when you have to make tentative plans or change your plans entirely, because of the party. (Still waiting on the cutie in the apt over to throw her kegger outdoors. )
And, in the winter, its dangerous and depressing. Unless you ski, there isn't much to do outside. Cars, shoes, boots clothes get soiled with snow/dirt/snow etc. Not pleasant at all.
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So, that said how does Portland compare to Wisconsin in these months? We are looking for a place not too hot in the summer (70s-80s), and not too cold in winter(20-40). Snow is fine, so long as its not for 4-6 months. What are your guys' seasons like?
And the social climate as far as things that I mentioned in #2?
...... The exception to this is Madison, WI. Great town.
So, that said how does Portland compare to Wisconsin .......
Hi, Badger:
I moved to Portland last summer.
I lived in Madison from about 1968-1981 (3yr break in there somewhere for US Army). Portland is a larger Madison, IMHO. There are the very 'burb portions of Portland just like the far East and Far West side of Madison; very urban population in the central city. Portland comes across as a very young population. Portland has an enthusiastic following of the performing arts like Madison, albeit a Triple A minor league art city when compared to SF. Madison, as I recall, was of a double A minor league art city.
Politics of Portland are close to Madison, and politics outside of Madison is like the rural parts fo Eastern and far southern Oregon. Democratic Party voting is mostly along the Oregon I-5 corridor: Portland, Salem, Eugene. (Aside: Eugene is even more like Madison as It has a major University there, U of Ore.)
Oregon, like Wisconsin, is tucked away and seldom makes National News. Both states have a better than average Dairy Industry, Wisconsin of course being the top rated dairy production. Wisconsin sweet table corn is a lot better, IMO, but nothing you have tasted in your life will compare to the wide variety of Cherries (I have tasted 6 already, more to come), Apples (too many to count), way too many types of salad greens to mention. Oh, and IMO, Portland and Oregon's local microbrews and local beers, full bodied IPA ales, and a few pilsners, will give your Wisconsin old time beers a run for their money. And our smoked salmon is a special treat to savor.
Yes, Oregon's weather temperature wise is much more moderate than Wisconsin. But the bone chill damp weather in winter is still cold. Ground never freezes, so when the occasional snow fall occurs, it don't lasts too long. Drizzle rain from December to end of April most years per NOAA climate statistics. Sunshine peeking out only a handful of days from Jan-March. Spring rains and mild temps last into June. Summer, statistically speaking, doesn't start until after the 4th. (per local weatherman.) Fall weather arrives about a month after Wisconsin's Fall starts.
Portland has a high turnover rate of population, from what I can glean. A lot of people who move from southwest are not prepared for the overcast gloom and dark sky for months on end.
Oh, and I would compare swimming in the Pacific Ocean off the northern Oregon coast with swimming in Lake Michigan up near Port Washington: bring your wet suit.
Check the distance from the Arctic Circle to Portland, and also Arctic Circle to Green Bay. Speaking of which, you do understand there is no such phenomena like Green Bay Packers in Oregon, Right? The Pack is a cult in Wisconsin.
Others I am sure will tell you about the bad employment picture here. It is just as bad as the upper mid-west.
If you come to Oregon, bring an open mind. Portland is after all a left coast city, and they do things a bit differently. We are influenced by California even more so than Chicago influences Wisconsin.
Thank you Phil, this helps a lot! I think my family and I will certainly venture up there to visit before committing.
And yes, I will miss the Packers dearly should we leave.
I'll eduacate myself on Eugene, if that is even more like Madison than Portand.
Do you, overall, like OR or WI?
Questions for whomever:
-The women are? Nice, Stuck up, Inbetween? And looks wise?
-Do people smile and say hello to strangers on the street in PDX and OR in general? It is one of the things I love about Wisconsin, so I was just wondering.
-I have been told my friendly VERY laid back attitude would fit in well in the PNW. Is this true of the people, that they are laid back and/or friendly?
In Portland, I have found you can stop anyone and engage them in a friendly conversation for about a minute and a 1/2. That's it. Their eyes glaze over, and look to escape after much more that 90 seconds.
Making a more and deeper friendship takes a long time. In part because of the turn-over of population. I don't really know.
I much prefer Portland to much of Wisconsin. As far as Madison goes, if you're not part of the State Government or U of W system, your social status is more or less in limbo -- cocooned in neither adult nor youthful student, earning a modest wage. But that was some 30 years ago. I am sure Dane County has moved on past that snobbery of post Bachelor degree pecking order to determine one's social status.
Portland is Laid back. Seattle is where a lot of the hard core Type-A business professionals and MBAs end up. It works out like this: SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) caused by lack of PNW sunlight in March, April, May will just drain you of energy. Making most people lethargic. Many posts on this phenomenon. My point, if you are laid back now, even a mild SAD attack for a week or so, will make you even more drained. This affects you at work also.
Hi Badger, I once lived in the Midwest in a similar climate and can speak to this. I think you'll find Portland an improvement and a good fit unless the cloudiness is an issue for you. I know what you mean about it being dangerous to just walk down the sidewalk....with rain at least you can just put your foot down without watching each step! Worst case is you get muddy. I remember how walking was a very careful and slow business for many months each year.
About the friendliness, I wax and wane on my opinion about this one. When my life is going better and I'm in a more positive mood, people open up and I'll say yes, this is a friendly place. When I'm in a bad mood, well the people will hardly talk to me at all. Fair enough, right? But the base level of friendliness is okay but I find people won't reach out if you aren't clearly open to begin with. I think the Midwest is more friendly in a reaching out to you first kind of way. But this area is way friendlier than many other places I've lived.
edited to add: and if you are bleeding cause of the cold you need to amend your tactics, that shouldn't happen. Wear chapstick when outside at all times and gloves with high-tech insultation lining like thinsulate.
I am currently a student in Wisconsin. My family and I have lived here for about 20 years.
Its a wonderful place to live, overall. The people are genuinely kind, the schools (where we live) are good, and we fortunately live in a safe area. We are very fortunate.
Unfortunately, there are 2 things that have always existed, but in the past 3 years or so, have bothered us very much.
1) It isn't progressive - for instance, the state supreme court recently shot down gay marriage again. People are very dogmatic in their conservative ways. The exception to this is Madison, WI. Great town.
More bothersome:
2) The weather. My goodness.
Late October - February: Freezing. Literally. Halloween kind of sucks. By November, we have snow 3 feet high. Then, it gets so cold (negatives) the snow freezes, turning into 3 feet high mounds of ice. You obviously want to walk fast because it is so cold, but its hard because your limbs are stiff. If you ARE able to walk fast, then you end up sweating and being cold at the same time. Crazy.
The roads are dangerous, as are the sidewalks. Ive badly sprained a couple knees just walking to class. Shoveling is hell. Its normal for your eyelids to freeze together making it hard to open your eyes, and for your lips/hands to bleed because of the weather. Etc etc, you get the idea.
March-April: Gross. 40-50 and slush.
May-June: Random year to year. Could be 60 and cloudy or 80 and sunny.
July-August: Hot and humid. Not too pleasant, but it beats the preceeding months. Sometimes however, we can get a few weeks of 60 and clouds. Then back up to high 80s and humid. Mosquitoes everywhere. The evenings/nights, however, are orgasmic.
September-Early October - Heaven. Ranging from 80-55. Sunny. Trees in all their colors. My favorite time of the year in terms of weather.
--------------------------
So as you can see, we have about 3 or 4 months of decent weather. Its very infuriating when you have to make tentative plans or change your plans entirely, because of the party. (Still waiting on the cutie in the apt over to throw her kegger outdoors. )
And, in the winter, its dangerous and depressing. Unless you ski, there isn't much to do outside. Cars, shoes, boots clothes get soiled with snow/dirt/snow etc. Not pleasant at all.
----------------------------
So, that said how does Portland compare to Wisconsin in these months? We are looking for a place not too hot in the summer (70s-80s), and not too cold in winter(20-40). Snow is fine, so long as its not for 4-6 months. What are your guys' seasons like?
And the social climate as far as things that I mentioned in #2?
Thank you very much!
Ps - I love the ocean. And Brandon Roy.
Ok, I haven't been to WI in my life, but as someone who's lived here for 16 yrs, and been all over OR and WA both actually, let me put my 2 cents in here
Most of what philwithbeard said is true--Portland and its east-side suburbs for the most part ( along with Salem and down to Eugene is VERY progressive. ) The few conservative folks in those areas say it borders on socialism, however I disagree. Most of the west side of Portland and Beaverton/Tigard, etc are probably 50/50 liberal/conservative. Portland city limits is more like 80/20 liberal. Eugene is the most liberal city in Oregon--as you go south of it as well as towards Bend and eastern OR, the more and MUCH more conservative Oregon actually becomes--and I'm talking hard-core conservative ideals too. Still the liberal core of Portland metro always out-votes the # of those conservatives throughout the state every election cycle. OR hasn't had a conservative governor at least in over 20 yrs and last voted republican for president for Reagan ( along with the other 49 states that cycle ) in 1984.
I find it pretty easy to make friends here, but I am also very laid back as well and I can blend it almost any social group. I've grown up and lived in a few environments so I know how to socialize with certain folks. If you are anything like that, you'll fit in fine here.
The women? meh--not bad. Actually, and don't laugh at this, but of all the places I've been ( including southern California ) I'd have to say Utah has the hottest women around in the 10 or so most western states. Must be something about the Mormon church
Now getting onto the weather: Oregon is well-known for its dreary winters more than WI is for its cold winters. Not too many places in the US have more overcast, gray days than we do. When we usually get snow, it doesn't last ( maybe 2-3 days at most 95% of the time ) and get about 5-7 in over the course of an entire winter. Freezing rain is our biggest weather "downfall". We were lucky this past winter--no freezing rain events, but those usually occur about 2 times each winter and TOTALLY shuts the entire city down--OR does a hideous job of taking care of their roads ( thanks ODOT ) so when it does snow and freezes, there are ruts that are about 10-16 in high all over the interstate and freeways because OR doesn't believe in using salt or any chemicals to clear the roadways.
Yes, I actually moved here *because* of the weather. I love the rain. 16 yrs after moving here, I still love it, but I wish it were more spread out. We get about 28 of 30 days per month EVERY month from Nov to May that are overcast I'd say either all day literally, or surely most of the day, and the rain while it isn't down-pouring like most of the nation does when it rains, it is relentless from day to night--it is either rain or showers. June and Oct are usually transition months here. June this year was a record wet we've had in like 50 yrs I heard, but it is usually in the 70's on up and October is usually warmer than June sometimes ( when I moved here in Oct '94, it was 90, 93 and 91 my first 3 days here--the middle of Oct ) and from July-Sept, most days you won't even see a cloud in the sky. Sunny all day long temps ranging from 65-95 day and night. Thunderstorms in the Willamette Valley area are very rare. Eastern OR and the Cascade region gets them frequently. Tornadoes are not common but do occur in eastern OR too. Tornadoes in the Willamette Valley are even more rare, but the east side suburbs of Vancouver, WA seem to get one every year, oddly enough.
Flooding naturally, is a big concern here. 39 in of rainfall in 6 months has to go somewhere when the ground never becomes dry enough to soak it in. If you move here, stay clear of any river, lake, pond, stream or creek. Otherwise, you're asking for it each winter and will get what you deserve Not to be rude--just the way it is here each winter.
Yes, folks that move here from the SW are usually the first to whine about the weather and before Christmas each year, they're wishing they were back roasting in that area of the country. Lots and lots and lots of California transplants here. Not so much since CA has had nearing 20% unemployment rates ( OR is around 15% ) but close to it, which brings me to our gloomy employment around here.
Phil was right on that too. Not sure what WI is like, but here in OR, if you don't have a degree--say Bachelor's on up, it isn't going to be easy for you to first land a job, and secondly keep it for any length of time. Reason being that OR has a *astonishingly high* rate of temp staffing services. A lot of jobs now not only are you making $4-5/hr less than you were a few yrs ago, but you have absolutely no chance of getting hired on. Some folks I know have worked for the same temp staffing service for 8-10 yrs ( never w/ any benefits ) just because if they lose that job, it is working fast food making minimum wage flipping burgers. There was a report that came out 3 months ago on NPR that said the unemployment pic in OR was at 14%, but 15% of that 14% have a Bachelor's degree or higher and still looking for work. I stumbled across a receptionist position just a mere week ago that was looking for folks only with a Bachelors degree or higher, and it was paying $9-10/hr DOE. Believe it or not, they're getting folks with those degrees applying for that type of work ( most who's UI benefits are running out. )
Lots and lots of sales jobs too ( some of them are through temp staffing services, but probably less than half are ) so if you love to sell, you won't have a problem finding work.
I just wish I knew the gloomy employment pic here in this state ( OR I heard has always had a traditionally high unemployment rate compared to the rest of the nation--and really went up when most of the hi-tech places went under here about 5-8 yrs ago ) otherwise I would have headed to NE or IA myself then ( and now seeing the much lower unemployment rates in each of those states compared to OR, I'm really regretting it now )
Most folks here are nice, and for it being a metro ( you have to throw in Vancouver, WA--just north of us across the Columbia ) there are about 2.3 million people, folks here are nice for a city that size IMO.
From Portland, the ocean is about an hour and half away ( because traffic getting out there is always a mess, especially in the summer and 10x more if you're going on a weekend ) and it's an hour to Mt Hood hiking and skiing areas.
I'll try not to fault you for liking Brandon Roy but I've always despised the Blazers even before I moved here. Sadly, it is the only pro-sports team in the state. Basketball and Football are fairly popular sports here, baseball hardly at all, and hockey is almost unheard of around here ( even though the Canucks are just 290 miles north of here LOL )
I am also seriously considering moving to Portland. This is after considering the entire US. The weather is a concern and because of the obvious negatives I'd like to offer some of the positives we've come up with.
- dreary weather really makes you pay attention when the sun comes out and helps you not take it for granted (get OUT and ENJOY)
- there are a lot of activities that are motived/inspired by grey weather: cooking (soup), baking, arts and crafts, music, reading, meeting with friends for coffee, having a cozy fire, watching movies, journal writing, exploring museums, studying...
- you notice the passing of time more when the weather fluxuates
- you notice the beauty that can happen in nature with the different types of light
Honestly, I can understand that it is no fun to try to function with weather that can make things uncomfortable and difficult. However, there are products available for dealing with wet weather (boots, jackets) and you just make it not a problem.
I am coming from too much sun, too many biting bugs and too much heat. I also really want to know if anyone can suggest a location near by to drive to for a weekend with a sunnier climate. Does it make a difference to break up the gloom by going away every once in a while?
I know a few people who have moved to Oregon because of the climate. They're plant geeks who move there from colder or drier parts of the country. Oregon does have the North's mildest climates & nursery stock and landscaping are huge industries in Oregon. As long as the soils drain quickly in the winter & with the warm Willamette summers plants can really thrive.
The continual gloom is what drove me to SF. And I'm a Portland native who's spent about 30 years there. Maybe more.
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Not to be rude--just the way it is here each winter. 
