Northern neighbors...

[MAKmom]

how in the world do you survive all winter??

My goodness, it is pretty darn cold here, but wow, I could not begin to imagine having to deal with snow on the driveway, streets, etc. I guess if I had grown up in the north I would be used to it, but it must tack on quite a bit extra to your day with getting to work, etc.

It is awful! I hate it but we are stuck. We have a business here that is thriving & we have to wait until retirement to join you.

 

[dislal]

And I often wonder how folks from the south can stand the oppressive humidity, huge insects, horrible drivers, crazy hurricanes, etc.

Snow is a fact of life but we really only get a few major storms each winter and the kids love it. As one of my friends put it - you can't make sun angels, you can't make sunmen, and you can't make a sun-ball and hit your friend in the face with it. Plus, sledding is awesome. You should try it sometime!!!

I agree with all of this. I have had enough of the snow this year already, but I would never move to where the seasons don't change I absolutely LOVE fall.

 

[Tigger2252]

I also live in Upstate NY so I'm accustomed to tons of snow and neverending cold. We get well over 100" of snow every season, so I really hate living here in the winter. The other seasons though, they make up for the one crappy one. You can't beat autumn in New York! That being said, I can't wait until retirement so we can leave for the winter and not return until we don't need a snowblower or a heavy coat. I will be home for Spring, Summer, and Fall but will boogie when there is a hint of snow in the air.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

And I often wonder how folks from the south can stand the oppressive humidity, huge insects, horrible drivers, crazy hurricanes, etc.

Snow is a fact of life but we really only get a few major storms each winter and the kids love it. As one of my friends put it - you can't make sun angels, you can't make sunmen, and you can't make a sun-ball and hit your friend in the face with it. Plus, sledding is awesome. You should try it sometime!!!

Love this! Right on!

I have read through this entire thread and I think I am the most Northern of all y'all!

Winter is indeed a beautiful season! I believe that is all in your attitude and outlook how winter affects you! If you don't enjoy winter sports (ie, skating, sledding, skiing) it can be a long colld season with very little to look forward to!

Today it is -31C with the windchill where I am! That is cold! Yesterday was a nice break from the endless cold snap we have been having over the last 8 days! There was very little wind and the temps got up to about -13! That was a NICE day!

When you live in a Northern climate, you just learn how to dress for the weather! When we go outside we wear many layers. I personally don't enjoy too many diofferent winter sports but I do LOVE sledding with my kids and we even manage to go skating a few times each winter!

I try not to complain. I can't do anything to change it and it just makes it last that much longer!

'Cause the alternative (living down south) isn't very attractive.

I love all four seasons and could never live somewhere that you have one season all year long.

It's our "normal"...and an everyday part of life (at least in the winter).

I like this too! Up where I am, we joke that our city has only 2 "seasons" - Winter and construction!

 

[Nancyg56]

I live in Northern Ct and winter has not been too bad snowwise this year. It has been COLD though! I get through winter by hibernating. I only go out if I have to.

Years ago Dh adn I took teh kids to Fl for Christmas. It sounded so good at teh time, we spent a week in daytona beach, visiting area attractions and then off to Disney for the rest of the time. We swore we would never do it again. We loved the weather but there was no snow for Christmas. We hated it.

 

[jen0610]

Born and raised here in IN and I have to say, it wasn't until I got past the child stage of all the fun stuff you can do in/with the snow and became an adult that had to deal with snow issues, did I realize that I truely hate this stuff.

I hate - shoveling. Even the very small area we have, I am so glad DS is old enough to be sent out to take care of it and do it right.

I hate - having to warm up the car and clear off the car before you go anywhere.

I hate - having to either wear a pair of boots and carry shoe with me to change into or wear shoes knowing that you are going to end up with wet shoe and cold feet.

I hate - having to wear warmer clothing, then put a bulky coat over top of it. By the time you are fully dressed and sitting behind the wheel of the car, you have so much bulk on, it can make it difficult to drive.

Also, you have to wear the heavier clothing and a coat to go out an about in, but go into a store to shop and you will sweat to death, because they have their heat on so high to make it comfortable for their employees.

I hate - that because of the economy that plowing and salt/sanding the roads are being done less and less with each snow fall. And when they do plow, they are in such a hurry to get it down and the plows off the streets, it's a crappy job.

The only positive about this cold weather, is like someone else said, if you get groceries and you have another stop or takes you longer to get there, you don't have to worry about the cold stuff going bad.

 

[DisMN]

Just one more negative to add...I was reminded when I went outside to get the mail.
I hate how you can't walk a normal pace on the snow and ice. You have to hunch over and either shuffle or take really small hesitant steps to keep from falling even while wearing your clunky winter boots.
I dream of brisk walks with my head held high....

did I mention I hate winter?

 

[LindaG4458]

I remember those heavy snow days in the 60s! They were heavier and more frequent than more recent years. NH knew how to handle them, though. After one semester break in the late 60s UNH was open and the roads in NH were cleared and passable. MA students didn't get back for an extra week. My roommate tried driving from Stoneham. She didn't even make it down her street.

This year we had to leave for FL in late October instead of January and I really missed the snow! We had already bought our ski passes and were looking forward to skiing until mid-January, but family issues made that impossible.

I keep looking out the window here in FL and think about what a delightful day it would be on the slopes! Of course, the fact that the temperature is so low here makes it seem like a spring skiing day. If it stays this cold much longer we will need some our of winter clothes to be shipped down. We only brought a few heavier things in case of a cold snap.

 

[Tinkmom75]

I'm not. I'm tired and moody with no sunshine. It's cold, I have to scrape ice off my car. The roads are barely plowed no money for salt and dirt. I rolled my van a couple years ago on an icy road. I wasn't even driving that fast. I don't know if I will make it until spring. Then there is always that really wonderful lake effect snow event that can happen in April. Last summer it didn't even get very warm in West Michigan.

I too wish to winter in the south!

 

[taximomfor4]

DH's district and the kids' district are out of school today. The roads were just not safe in those areas. Here is a picture of what happened on the big interstate near my home. Many cars/trucks spun out on the slippery highway.

http://www.fox8.com/wjw-news-accident-photogallery,0,3531100.photogallery

 

[C.Ann]

And I often wonder how folks from the south can stand the oppressive humidity, huge insects, crazy hurricanes, etc.

I could never deal with the above - year after year!! Just the heat and humidity would be enough to do me in..

I love all four seasons and could never live somewhere that you have one season all year long.

I agree.. Just have to have my 4 seasons - each one has something so beautiful and awesome to offer..

And then there's the whole "snow" thing.. I can't even begin to imagine trying to get in the holiday spirit; baking Christmas cookies; trimming the Christmas tree; decorating outside; etc., where there's NO snow!! Somehow all of this taking place in an air conditioned home/kitchen just doesn't "do it" for me..

But then again - I was born and raised in the northeast - so it's all I know.. We're used to the cold - used to driving in bad weather - used to losing power - used to having the kids home for snow days - etc..

Once Christmas is over I'm always anxious for the snow to disappear so I can get back up to the lake again, but even at that, I would never trade my life in the northeast for a permanent life in the south.. The "sameness" day after day after day would eventually drive me bonkers - LOL..

 

[almburr]

And there is an up side. We have had quite a number of days where it has been -20 to -35 with wind chill this year. Some years it's been -40 without wind chill so when it goes up to zero and above it feels like a tropical heat wave and we're outside with just sweaters on.

I know that feeling. It hits 38 degrees kids want to wear flip flops. Ive been known to wear shorts and sweatshirt. It is great on those "hot" days to get outside.

 

[olena]

I think when you grow up here you don't think much of it. I know some people can't imagine how cold it gets, and the road conditions etc. Heck when I went to Houston for business travel I met people who didn't even have furnaces in their house and no basement...that to me was amazing.

I will however state a "comparison". Us Northern folk absolutely can't fathom the thought of not having snow at Christmastime. I was traveling to Florida one year around Christmas and I was amazed at the whole thing. Lights on the trees and windows and tree farms, but no snow? People BBQ'ing at CHRISTMAS? SERIOUSLY? That's just not right.

My brother's fiancee is Brazilian and he has spent the past two Christmas holidays in Brazil. It's summer and they BBQ and go to the beach for Christmas. He loves it! I have to sneak up north to WV for my White Christmas in the mountains. Boy, I sure did get it this year. We were snowed in, but it was beautiful!

 

[lillygator]

FL has had a few areas that had enough snow to make a teeeeeny tiny snowman. One of our local county schools was out today due to brownouts. It was 31 and ICE on my way to work per my SUV as was DH's. This is just so very cold to us natives who aren't used to this! My girls keep thinking the pool will ice over for ice skating.

 

[AKL_Megs]

This is so funny, because when it is all you have known, you don't think much of it.

Like this morning for instance, we woke up to snow. I asked DH (who had gone out to shovel) how much snow we got, and he said, "About two inches or so," and I said, "Oh, that's nothing." And I was dead serious.

 

[lillygator]

I guess it is "all you know".

But, it seems alot more work as well.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

I live in Tennessee, near the mountains so it's cold enough during the winter to have to scrape ice off your car most mornings. Seriously, I curse the winter EVERY SINGLE DAY until it breaks 70 degrees... so I have no clue how people up north do it! I think a move to Florida may be in my future.

That being said - I am in an especially unfriendly mood towards winter, because since the new year, we have gotten a lot of snow and ice, and since the temperature has stayed in teens/low 20s, it has all just frozen and not gone away. It is a slippery mess. I guess the difference here, like someone said, is we are not equipped to deal with that here!

Really... I am so sorry for you northerners. Stay warm!!!

 

[SaraJayne]

This is so funny, because when it is all you have known, you don't think much of it.

Like this morning for instance, we woke up to snow. I asked DH (who had gone out to shovel) how much snow we got, and he said, "About two inches or so," and I said, "Oh, that's nothing." And I was dead serious.

Two inches *is* nothing!!

 

[golfgal]

And I often wonder how folks from the south can stand the oppressive humidity, huge insects, horrible drivers, crazy hurricanes, etc.

Snow is a fact of life but we really only get a few major storms each winter and the kids love it. As one of my friends put it - you can't make sun angels, you can't make sunmen, and you can't make a sun-ball and hit your friend in the face with it. Plus, sledding is awesome. You should try it sometime!!!

I agree--I couldn't live in the south because of these things. Like others have said, we are prepared for snow. We could get a foot of snow and the roads would be cleared in less then a day. We enjoy the snow, sledding, skiing, etc. We have maybe a day or two all year where it is so brutally cold you really shouldn't be outside unlike the south where 1/2 the summer it is SO hot you can't do anything past 10:00am.

 

[Deb in IA]

I agree--I couldn't live in the south because of these things. Like others have said, we are prepared for snow. We could get a foot of snow and the roads would be cleared in less then a day. We enjoy the snow, sledding, skiing, etc. We have maybe a day or two all year where it is so brutally cold you really shouldn't be outside unlike the south where 1/2 the summer it is SO hot you can't do anything past 10:00am.

You can always put more layers ON, when it is cold, but when it is steaming hot, there is a limit as to what you can take off!!

I personally love the White Christmases here.

And it is true, what golfgal says - here we are prepared to handle the snow. All the road crews are out right as the snow starts, and continue to plow/salt/sand through the storm, so that the roads are cleared and drivable soon after it stops. And driving in snow is really not so bad, if you know how to do it.

Now ICE is a different story. I hate the ice storms.

By the way, after today, temps here are going to be ABOVE FREEZING for the rest of the week!!