Dear Chicagoans (Pittsburg, Cleveland, Detroit: home, live in, moving to)

[Swandaddy]

Originally Posted by chicagobear

Well, it depends on how you define "winter" but often April is extremely cold when much of the rest of the country is warm. It is the most irritating thing about living in Chicago for me.

LOL one man's trash is another's treasure. Though I despise winter just as much as everyone else, I enjoy those April days in the low to mid 40's and into May when that fresh clean crisp air blows in off the lake, and the slow gradual rise of temperatures with it.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Drover

Uh... no, winter does not "typically last through April into May." In fact it's safe to say that it never lasts through April into May.

Well when I can put away the winter coat and I don't have to deice, use the furnace or see snow on Mayday, that is when winter ends to me. April is very cold. Not like January but cold.

[IEnjoyBeer]

Originally Posted by marothisu

That's not significant. It's noticeable for sure but nowhere near significant. I grew up in an area where the average low in the winter was around 0 F. That is a significant change. < 10 degrees though? No.



Agreed. I am not going to get into a doctor bit about how to stay warm via good blood circulation...as nice as the summer and fall are, if you hate cold weather then just don't move here period.

Move somewhere milder like San Francisco, or Los Angeles, or Miami, etc

I am from Western NY, and the winters are much worse than Chicago.

That said, I just loathe it in general. Chicago would be an improvement to our winters, but im just not sure if I wanna deal with it at all.

Its the only cold climate place id make an exception for cause its such an amazing city but im just not sure about it. Ill decide eventually though.

[ToBeSome1]

I don't know what the big fuss is. People make winter out to be the big bad wolf. Everyday we get closer & closer to not knowing how to survive on Earth. I'm mid 20s & my generation wouldn't know what to do with ourselves with no Internet access!

That said, my advice on how to handle winter if you're debating living in Chicago is to not dread it. You can get through it if you don't consider it to be a natural catastrophe. If you're elderly or have some condition, I can understand not wanting to put up with winter or extremely hot weather. But before reaching that point, I think if we learned how to live in all types of conditions, we are two steps ahead of the next guy.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna go run off to Antarctica, but more along the lines of: play the cards that are dealt to you (when it comes to weather). If you have a wonderful reason to come to Chicago, don't let weather persuade you otherwise. Good luck!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ToBeSome1

I'm mid 20s

And that accounts for at least some difference in perspective. Do another 20+ years of winter and for a lot of people it starts getting really old. Not to mention as people start getting toward retirement age their circulation becomes weaker, it becomes more difficult to regulate their body temperature, and the sensation of "cold" becomes more acute and sets in at increasingly higher temperatures. There's a reason why so many people who spent their entire life up north retire to places like Arizona and Florida.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Drover

And that accounts for at least some difference in perspective. Do another 20+ years of winter and for a lot of people it starts getting really old. Not to mention as people start getting toward retirement age their circulation becomes weaker, it becomes more difficult to regulate their body temperature, and the sensation of "cold" becomes more acute and sets in at increasingly higher temperatures. There's a reason why so many people who spent their entire life up north retire to places like Arizona and Florida.

When I was twenty-five, we looked forward to Chicago winters like they were an Olympic challenge. Today winter is the only thing that would ever chase me out of Chicagoland. I don't think that will happen though. I'll be here even when my diapers are frozen stiff and my walker is stuck in the snow.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Drover

And that accounts for at least some difference in perspective. Do another 20+ years of winter and for a lot of people it starts getting really old. Not to mention as people start getting toward retirement age their circulation becomes weaker, it becomes more difficult to regulate their body temperature, and the sensation of "cold" becomes more acute and sets in at increasingly higher temperatures. There's a reason why so many people who spent their entire life up north retire to places like Arizona and Florida.

Yeah that's the thing I didn't want to get into, and this is totally true. My grandparents retired to Arizona from NYC and when I saw my grandpa there a few months ago, it was near 100 but he was like "oh I'm kind of cold." Like uh it's 100+ out..it's not amazingly hot but cold? Come on.

Definitely helps though..blood circulation. I always wondered how the hell my dad, especially from Los Angeles and a former surfer type, could never be very cold in the winter in Minnesota. Kind of obvious to me now though.

[ToBeSome1]

Originally Posted by Drover

And that accounts for at least some difference in perspective. Do another 20+ years of winter and for a lot of people it starts getting really old. Not to mention as people start getting toward retirement age their circulation becomes weaker, it becomes more difficult to regulate their body temperature, and the sensation of "cold" becomes more acute and sets in at increasingly higher temperatures. There's a reason why so many people who spent their entire life up north retire to places like Arizona and Florida.

Agreed. As we get older, we have more needs & the right to retire where we want, I won't deny that.

I couldn't gauge the OP's age, and the perspective brought seemed to be strictly weather vs. actual needs outside of Chicago being a relocation option. Now if the OP said something about being wary of Chicago in winter because he has a bad knee or back, then yes, winter will be more of a challenge.

I'm just saying to be careful of picturing "bad winters" as one of Chicago's faults....I would just make sure to be taking into account what your needs are as well before getting the idea that you can't handle Chicago weather.

[IEnjoyBeer]

Originally Posted by ToBeSome1

I don't know what the big fuss is. People make winter out to be the big bad wolf. Everyday we get closer & closer to not knowing how to survive on Earth. I'm mid 20s & my generation wouldn't know what to do with ourselves with no Internet access!

Did you miss the part about where I said im from a place that has worse winters than Chicago? Im not new to it.

Im in my late 20s and have dealt with **** winters all my life. I hate cold and snow. Point of the thread was to see just how bad it gets in Chicago. I have relocation options, and Chicago is the only cold climate city I would consider.

[ToriaT]

I personally like winter. Its not a big deal to me. I really hate hot weather. Basically Chicago weather is pretty good from April to November. It starts getting colder and more wintry around Thanksgiving. It warms up in April. December is kind of a mixed bag and you are usually too busy with the holidays to notice winter plus there is a novelty factor. That leaves Jan Feb and March. The cold months. That is it in a nutshell.