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How bad are the winters in Rochester from a snow standpoint?
Specifically, are there numerous snowfalls throughout the winter or is it more a few major snowstorms each winter that lead to the large snow totals on paper?
Is the snow more powdery or does it tend to be icy?
What are the average temperature ranges from the months of November through March?
I like a lot of features of Rochester to raise my kids, but the winter is the only thing I am hesitant about, but I need more info. For reference, the winters I am accustomed to are from downstate NY, central NJ, Lehigh valley, PA and Dayton, OH. Thanks in advance.
1. both. We tend to get numerous light snowfalls throughout the winter with one or two big storms
2. neither. Most of the snow around here is lake-effect snow. Not powdery, not icy...more like big and wet.
3. November and March typically have high temps in the 40s/50s with lows in the 20s/30s. December-February typically have highs in the 30s and lows in the teens. But there will be some days where the high temps never make it out of the teens or even single digits and a few days where it will warm into the 40s or 50s in that period.
The thing to keep in mind about the areas of Upstate that are in lake effect snow belts is that the highway departments and residents know how to handle snow and winter weather. The road crews are on the ball and mostly get after the snow when it starts. Most drivers remember their winter driving skills after the first snowfall.
Given as much snow as these areas get, the schools don't close very often, and workplaces even less. It's got to be a really nasty situation with heavy snow and high winds to really impact large areas, and those might happen a couple of times a winter in the Rochester area and more frequently in Buffalo's southern suburbs.
The good news is that Upstate doesn't get much ice. Believe me, I live in a very snowy, hilly little city and with AWD, I don't fear driving to work snowy days, but I've already told my boss he won't see me if we get ice. I've been late to work once in 14 years because of icing. I'll take a foot of snow to a quarter inch of ice any day.
The thing to keep in mind about the areas of Upstate that are in lake effect snow belts is that the highway departments and residents know how to handle snow and winter weather. The road crews are on the ball and mostly get after the snow when it starts. Most drivers remember their winter driving skills after the first snowfall.
LOL YEAH RIGHT
Rochesterians are fuggin terrible when it comes to driving in ANY kind of inclement conditions, whether it be rain, snow, sleet, or even drizzle. I take 490 West out of the city every day at 4pm when traffic is a little lighter than rush hour traffic, and even in regular ho-hum rain people still feel the need to do 40mph. It's freaking ridiculous. Add in any type or amount of snow and it might as well be a gridlock caused by a sink hole created by the hand of God himself. There are very, VERY few drivers I encounter on my daily driver that know how to drive in the rain or snow, and just slightly more seem to know how to drive in even nice weather.
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