What are the winters really like? (Chicago, Oregon: how much, live in, move to)

[kaydub]

My husband and I are considering a move to the Chicago area, and I keep reading in the various posts about how horrible the winters are there. I was just wondering how bad they really are. We currently live in Florida so of course compared to here the winters will be pretty bad, but I grew up in Canada and think maybe I can handle it

Can anyone give a brief synopsis of a typical winter in the Chicago suburbs? I guess just general info like how much snow you normally see, how cold does it get and for how long, etc.

Thanks!

[nanannie]

Better then Canada. A different planet then FLorida. It varies every year, we have mild winters, cold winters, zero and below snaps (no, does not last long), snowy, not snowy,dry and all could be in one year. Expect 30s in dec/jan/feb with occasional 10,20 40 50 degrees and not USUALLY a huge amount of snowfall. See, hard to explain. It is a WINTER season, no doubt. No one should move to Illinois if they cant handle winter/seasons.

[outtachicago]

I absolutely hate the winters here. It's not the snow that kills me. It's the cloudiness and lack of sun. I like the days that it snows. I love the snowfall on a quiet night. But waking up in the morning to nothing but cloudy skies and wind is very depressing. Especially when it's day after day. Sun is rare in the winters. Sometimes it doesn't snow for weeks, but it's dreary and cold. If you're from Canada, you should do just fine

[Avengerfire]

You will find what it is like in one of the 5,365 threads already posted on this in the Chicago,Chicago Burbs,and Illinois forums.

[cdc3217]

The thing that kills even lifelong Chicagoans is that winter lasts FOREVER.
The holidays can pull you through December. But once you hit January and realize that you have like, 12 more weeks of below freezing temps, 6 more weeks with minimal light, and three more months of gargantuan heating bills before "spring" arrives with highs in the 40's and 50's...well, that's a long time.

[irish setter girl]

I agree with the post about the grey skies. On a sunny and bright day, snow and 20 degree temps seems pleasant. When it has been grey and dreary for 30 days in a row that is when you say how much you hate winter.

[Lookout Kid]

I don't think winters in Chicago are that bad. They are worse in the Twin Cities, the Dakotas, Northern Wisconsin, most of Michigan, Buffalo, and Maine. Chicago doesn't get anywhere near the most snow in the lower 48, and we don't have the coldest temperatures either. I'd say we're sort of average for the northern United States, though New York and Portland have an easier time with extreme temps.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by irish setter girl

I agree with the post about the grey skies. On a sunny and bright day, snow and 20 degree temps seems pleasant. When it has been grey and dreary for 30 days in a row that is when you say how much you hate winter.

You would perish if you lived in the Northwest. Oregon has an entirely different species of people who tolerate 8-9 months of grey.

[At1WithNature]

the snow isn't what does you in. there will be a lot of dustings. but as far as 6+ inch snow storms, there are only a few of those from Nov. to March. What does you in is the ridiculously cold temps and the wind. Not to mention the ice. And yes there will be more ice than snow because what happens in the chicago area is one day it will snow, 3 days later it will be 45 degrees, and then 3 days after that it will be 20 degrees. So the winter goes from snow to soggy/muddy to ice back to soggy/muddy and the cycle continues.

also, outtachicago had one of the best posts of this thread. you'll be lucky to see the sun 3 times and 3 months...it's dark and cold every day...the sun is more rare than 50 degree days from Nov to March.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by outtachicago

I absolutely hate the winters here. It's not the snow that kills me. It's the cloudiness and lack of sun. I like the days that it snows. I love the snowfall on a quiet night. But waking up in the morning to nothing but cloudy skies and wind is very depressing. Especially when it's day after day. Sun is rare in the winters. Sometimes it doesn't snow for weeks, but it's dreary and cold. If you're from Canada, you should do just fine

Those night snows are magical.