Where are winters the mildest? (Duluth, Rochester: house, live in, gardens)

[AKRelocation]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of winter - I'm moving from Alaska. However, it would be nice to be able to move down to Minnesota and be able to experience a milder winter. I've heard a couple of different opinions on this - one person said Deluth due to the effect of the great lakes causing more moderate temperatures - and another said southern Minnesota, in general, because it's further south. I compared my current city's winter temps to Rochester and they seem very similar, if not colder in Rochester. Sooo.... I'm looking for opinions of locals.

Thanks!

[fromupthere]

Having lived in Duluth and Rochester, I would honestly say Rochester is milder. Winters are shorter, less days with frigid temps, less snow accummulation. Plus Rochester is flatter than Duluth so that's nice (and don't believe people who say there aren't hills in Rochester - they just aren't steep like Duluth hills).

[Big George]

Originally Posted by AKRelocation

Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of winter - I'm moving from Alaska. However, it would be nice to be able to move down to Minnesota and be able to experience a milder winter. I've heard a couple of different opinions on this - one person said Deluth due to the effect of the great lakes causing more moderate temperatures - and another said southern Minnesota, in general, because it's further south. I compared my current city's winter temps to Rochester and they seem very similar, if not colder in Rochester. Sooo.... I'm looking for opinions of locals.

Thanks!

Not Southern Minnesota - at least not Southwest. It's high prairie, and the winds are absolutely relentless. Humidity is higher too.

Basically, Northern Minnesota gets colder, but doesn't have the strong winds and high humidity.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Big George

Not Southern Minnesota - at least not Southwest. It's high prairie, and the winds are absolutely relentless. Humidity is higher too.

Basically, Northern Minnesota gets colder, but doesn't have the strong winds and high humidity.

You're essentially right. Not SOUTHWEST Minnesota for the very reasons you gave. Southeastern Minnesota is easily the nicest weather in Minnesota. It's the farthest south geographically as well as being very hilly, thus you don't have the relentless winds that southwest Minnesota gets along with all of the Dakotas west of there.

[fromupthere]

Interesting discussion about the winds. Rochester is the 4th windiest city in the country. That being said, the wind doesn't have the same effect of course.

[xandrex]

I've been told the Twin Cities have on average some of the warmest temps in the state because of the city effect (or whatever it's called). All those buildings, people, and asphalt keep it a few degrees warmer. But I'm guessing that really the further south you go, the better.

I grew up in Duluth and winter can be harsh. Many people live over the hill, where the lake effect have much less power.

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by AKRelocation

Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of winter - I'm moving from Alaska. However, it would be nice to be able to move down to Minnesota and be able to experience a milder winter. I've heard a couple of different opinions on this - one person said Deluth due to the effect of the great lakes causing more moderate temperatures - and another said southern Minnesota, in general, because it's further south. I compared my current city's winter temps to Rochester and they seem very similar, if not colder in Rochester. Sooo.... I'm looking for opinions of locals.

Thanks!

The absolute mildest winters in Minnesota can be found in Winona, in the southeastern corner of the state on the Mississippi River. In fact, the average high for February is even a little bit above freezing.

Duluth, even in the warmest parts of the city, doesn't hold a match to Winona. Its average temperature in January is 6.1F lower than Winona's.

The same holds true for cities along the Mississippi or South St. Croix. Stillwater is only marginally cooler than Winona. Actually, there are two weather stations in Stillwater: one at a house almost on the river, and one four miles inland. The one four miles inland records temperatures 4.5F lower.

[golfgal]

There is plenty of wind in SE MN. The difference is that most people live in Rochester, Austin, Owatonna, etc. and you don't feel the wind as much in town. SW MN is more open and not as many buildings to block the wind. When we lived in Marshall, in town, you never felt the wind but as soon as you got to the edge of town, that was a different story. The actual air temps in SW MN are usually slightly higher. Today, for example, high in the Twin Cities of around 66, Rochester 68 and Marshall 71. Overall, you won't notice a difference day to day though.

SE MN has more extreme weather, more snow, more severe summer weather, etc.

[Minnesota Spring]

Southern Minnesota. The winters are shorter (ie. spring comes earlier, fall sticks around longer). For instance, I hear that they still have snow on the ground in Northern Minn. where ours has been gone for at least a week now (pretty much all winter has been snow free here actually, but that is not the norm.)
On the flip side though, some weeks during the summer can get pretty hot and humid (a lot of people from southern Minn. go to northern Minn. to vacation in the summer). Northern Minnesota has the lakes and pine forest, but southern Minnesota has some pretty nice lakes and some nice deciduous forest as well. Lots of nice bike trails and gardens around the Twin Cities and Southeast Minn.
Southwest Minnesota does have days where it is warmer than the rest of the state, but it does tend to be windier and less forested.

[sholomar]

winona, mn has the warmest winters in the state. And it's beautiful as well.

Winona, Minnesota - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia