Sunny days vs. cloudy days (Minneapolis, St. Paul: to live in, floor, best)

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by Steve Bowen

I moved here from Seattle a year ago after living there for 10 years. I feel like it is FAR sunnier than the climate data would suggest. It is not as sunny as Denver but it's a helluva lot sunnier than Seattle regardless of season.

Agreed.

I grew up in the TC and then moved to Bellingham for one year (90s). I found Western WA MUCH gloomier than MN. September was gorgeous in Bham, then the rain started on Oct. 1st and I didn't see the sun again for 60 days. Ugh. Despite the gorgeous terrain, I felt like I was living in a black and white TV program.

Both get less sunshine than is ideal for me, which I discovered living in sunnier places the past 20 years. Everyone's different on this question, but I do think it affects some folks deeply.

[Good Red Road]

Originally Posted by Staggerlee666

Most of us develop vitamin D deficiencies, our skin becomes translucent

Too Funny, I attended college in Minneapolis back when the Goth culture was ramping up. Women would actually dress to highlight their translucent skin in the winter time. Sort of a sexy vampire look I guess. (Insert fang emjoi")

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by atew

I've lived here 20 years and born/raised in Wisconsin not far from the metro. The weather has a nice mix of sunny days and storms, some years you will get a month or two of drought, some years a mild winter, and some years a nasty snowy winter. There's usually a couple weeks in January that is 15-20 below and your car won't start. I love the lakes and fall here, but hate the long winters. The cold season starts in October some time and doesn't begin to warm up until April. March is always a wild card. Could be 40-50 one day, and get 3 feet of snow the next week.

shouldn't even bother to reply to a one-post drive-by, but in the event someone stumbles onto your nonsense and thinks that might be true...that has never happened in the past 126 years

http://www.climate.umn.edu/doc/journ...even_snowfalls

Top Eleven Largest Snowfalls for Twin Cities

1. 28.4 inches: October 31 - November 3, 1991 (Halloween Blizzard)
2. 21.1 inches: November 29 - December 1, 1985
3. 20.0 inches: January 22 - January 23, 1982
4. 17.4 inches: January 20 - January 21, 1982
5. 16.8 inches: November 11 - November 12, 1940 (Armistice Day)
6. 16.7 inches: March 3 - March 4, 1985
7. 16.7 inches: March 11 - March 14, 1940
8. 16.5 inches: December 27 - December 28, 1982
9. 16.0 inches: January 20 - January 21, 1917
10. 16.0 inches: March 8 - March 9, 1999
11. 14.7 inches: March 31, 1985

However, if your talking about 3 feet of manure falling on us in August, yeah I can see that happening, sure

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

shouldn't even bother to reply to a one-post drive-by, but in the event someone stumbles onto your nonsense and thinks that might be true...that has never happened in the past 126 years

http://www.climate.umn.edu/doc/journ...even_snowfalls

Top Eleven Largest Snowfalls for Twin Cities

1. 28.4 inches: October 31 - November 3, 1991 (Halloween Blizzard)
2. 21.1 inches: November 29 - December 1, 1985
3. 20.0 inches: January 22 - January 23, 1982
4. 17.4 inches: January 20 - January 21, 1982
5. 16.8 inches: November 11 - November 12, 1940 (Armistice Day)
6. 16.7 inches: March 3 - March 4, 1985
7. 16.7 inches: March 11 - March 14, 1940
8. 16.5 inches: December 27 - December 28, 1982
9. 16.0 inches: January 20 - January 21, 1917
10. 16.0 inches: March 8 - March 9, 1999
11. 14.7 inches: March 31, 1985

However, if your talking about 3 feet of manure falling on us in August, yeah I can see that happening, sure

I agree with your general point that this isn't a particularly snowy area but it looks like #3 and #4 should be combined into one snowstorm totaling over 3 feet. We could also be charitable and assume that the poster was speaking in hyperbole.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Addams

Depends on your definition of cold. I would say that November and March are wild card, but for the most part still bearable. Dec-Feb are really the only winter months, where being outside isn't enjoyable.

Being outside in winter is enjoyable too as long as its not too windy or too far below zero. Its 25 degrees right now with a flurry and it feels great outside. I don't get cold in this weather, it has to be like -10 or so or single digits but with a strong windchill. If the sun is shining then it feels even nicer.

[Pincho-toot]

I don't think its too sunny OR too cloudy up here. I think its the right mix. Winter seems to be mostly sunny with the occasional cloudy and snowy day. Summer is full of fluffy cotton cloud days with lots of sunshine and the occasional rainy day and thunderstorm. I've only visited in spring, haven't spent a full spring yet but when I was here it was a mix of sunny, rainy and even snow flurries. Fall starts off similar to summer, the middle (October) was really sunny but late fall (November) was the cloudiest time. November started off really overcast with very little sun this past fall. I don't know how typical that is but that's the only time I actually started to miss the sun a little bit, and then we started having sunny days again.

Minnesota is known for being very cold in the winter, but what outsiders don't know is that super frigid cold (below zero) is not compatible with grey skies. The coldest days have crystal clear blue skies. The lack of moisture keeps clouds at bay. Cloudy days mean warmer lows because it retains heat better. Thankfully we're not like Seattle where its gloomy most of the winter, and thankfully we're not like Las Vegas. I don't wanna live in a desert.

[cornsnicker3]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Addams

Depends on your definition of cold. I would say that November and March are wild card, but for the most part still bearable. Dec-Feb are really the only winter months, where being outside isn't enjoyable.

I am outside all of the time during this time of year and love going for walks during lunchtime.

It is probably worth clarifying that the average person not accustomed to Minnesota wintertime would find Dec-Feb un-enjoyable outside, but I have anecdotally observed activeness to be high in winter here in Duluth. This may be a northern Minnesota thing, but I would be shocked if there is THAT much difference between the Cities and "da Nort".

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by cornsnicker3

I am outside all of the time during this time of year and love going for walks during lunchtime.

It is probably worth clarifying that the average person not accustomed to Minnesota wintertime would find Dec-Feb un-enjoyable outside, but I have anecdotally observed activeness to be high in winter here in Duluth. This may be a northern Minnesota thing, but I would be shocked if there is THAT much difference between the Cities and "da Nort".

I live in Sebeka and am there 4 days of the week. The other 3 I'm working in Eden Prairie. I've found that it is typically between 5 and 10 degrees different between the two. Not just sometimes, almost always.

Woke up this am in Bloomington with a fresh inch plus of snow covering the car. Yet driving west on 494 I could see the Moon in it's eclipse. Guess it cleared up just fine. Clear part of the day, sunny the rest. Like anywhere else in Winter we do have plenty of cloud cover. Also plenty of days with ye olde sun a shining.

[Citykid3785]

yes, for me, this discussion has to include a conversion around one's ability to enjoy the sun. In other words, if it's sunny 300 days a year (for example), but so cold that it's difficult to go outside and enjoy it, one may prefer a local with only 200 sunny days but more moderate temperatures such that they are outside more.

Specifically those days where you can see a Sun-dog in the sky.....tons of sunshine but -10 degrees, and thus I'm not outside to enjoy the sun as I would had it been 40 degrees.

[cornsnicker3]

Originally Posted by slamont61

I live in Sebeka and am there 4 days of the week. The other 3 I'm working in Eden Prairie. I've found that it is typically between 5 and 10 degrees different between the two. Not just sometimes, almost always.

Woke up this am in Bloomington with a fresh inch plus of snow covering the car. Yet driving west on 494 I could see the Moon in it's eclipse. Guess it cleared up just fine. Clear part of the day, sunny the rest. Like anywhere else in Winter we do have plenty of cloud cover. Also plenty of days with ye olde sun a shining.

I am not surprised at that given that Sebeka is inland, mid-northern MN. Sebeka is Zone 3b according to the USDA Zone map which implies a pretty harsh winter compared to the Cities.