[NicoleKu]

My husband and I will be moving to the area just in time for winter (good choice, right?). Climate data doesn't really give an idea of what it's like on the ground -- How much snow stays on the ground? And from what month to what month is it usually snowy? And what do people do outdoors during the winter?

I'm from the U.P., so I'm used to tons of snow, which allows for sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. I don't imagine those thing would be possible for lack of snow in the lower L.P..?
On the other hand, we've been living in Memphis, TN (where my husband grew up) for a while now, and any consistant snow is going to be a transition for us. So what should we expect?

[canudigit]

I live in SE Michigan, and my experience has been that every year is truly different as far as snowfall amounts and temperatures. Last winter, for example, was exceedingly warm for winter in Michigan. We had virtually no snow and the temps barely dropped lower than freezing on most days. The previous winter, OTOH, was quite snowy, with February being the snowiest month and several inches of accummulation over the course of the winter. I have lived in this general area for my entire life, and one thing that seems to be more and more the norm is that even during our snowier winters, the snow tends to come in spurts, so that we have several days/weeks in between where there is little or no snow cover on the ground after the sun melts it. I haven't been to the UP in the winter, but I picture that there is probably deep snow cover for weeks and months on end. Not so here.

I know that a lot of people in our area go skiing during the winter months, but the closest places to do that in SE Michigan are Mt. Brighton and Mt. Holly, which are really quite small. A lot of people will travel to the upper LP or the UP to ski when they get a chance. Sledding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing are not all that common here with the winters that we've been having, since you have to have a uniform snow cover to do those things and ours has been hit or miss.

In a nutshell, February is usually the snowiest IF we get snow, but you can't count on it. Much of the winter it seems anymore is just cold, with minor flurries or a light dusting of snow on the ground.

[michmoldman]

If you like Winter like I do...I wouldnt even call it a winter down here.

[zthatzmanz28]

Typical winters usually have an average of 4-6 inches on the ground at any given time. I would say an average month sees between 4-12 inches throughout the 30 day period. It is not unusual for the first snow to fall around Halloween and stay light for a few weeks. By December the possibility of more snow is greater. January can be one extreme to another. It tends to be colder so the snow in the SE can be lighter than February. By the end of February snow is becoming less of a factor. HOWEVER, it has been known to dump a freakish 6-12 inches in March. You are not completely done with the threat of snow until Easter.
I have been told last winter had so little snow, folks forgot where they stored their snow shovels?

[NicoleKu]

Thanks for the replies! That gives us a good idea of what we're getting into. Seems pretty manageable. Just having a white Christmas sounds good to me right now. Just doesn't feel the same without it..

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by NicoleKu

Thanks for the replies! That gives us a good idea of what we're getting into. Seems pretty manageable. Just having a white Christmas sounds good to me right now. Just doesn't feel the same without it..

Since we get a lot of snow questions, let me post this again.
http://www.weathermichigan.com/images/miavgsnowfall.jpg

[notdeconcentrate]

I would just add that the closer you are to a Great Lake, you have to also keep in mind the Lake Effect snow you are bound to experience. I know people who do those same winter activities you listed (I pretty much stick to sledding & ice skating) and snowmobiling is pretty big where I am. The ski resorts make snow if there isn't enough.

[canudigit]

But down here in SE Michigan, we have the opposite of lake effect snow most of the time, in that we're on the western end of Lake Erie so the lake effect snow from that lake ends up in Cleveland and Buffalo, since it moves in an eastward pattern. We are a bit too far from Lake Michigan to get any but the smallest amount of that lake effect snow, so lake effect snow isn't a big factor here. We have also not been having many white Christmases lately. The pattern for the past several years is that if we get any snow at all, it is almost always in January, February, and early March. This past Christmas it was in the mid-50s for highs. We were at my Mom's house and we went for a walk in lightweight jackets. I have to admit, I rather enjoyed it, since December is normally cold, if not terribly snowy. For the past several years, people down here who have snowmobiles and want to use them usually have to go up north, because there hasn't been enough snow cover on the ground here to snowmobile safely.

[notdeconcentrate]

Originally Posted by canudigit

But down here in SE Michigan, we have the opposite of lake effect snow most of the time, in that we're on the western end of Lake Erie so the lake effect snow from that lake ends up in Cleveland and Buffalo, since it moves in an eastward pattern. We are a bit too far from Lake Michigan to get any but the smallest amount of that lake effect snow, so lake effect snow isn't a big factor here. We have also not been having many white Christmases lately. The pattern for the past several years is that if we get any snow at all, it is almost always in January, February, and early March. This past Christmas it was in the mid-50s for highs. We were at my Mom's house and we went for a walk in lightweight jackets. I have to admit, I rather enjoyed it, since December is normally cold, if not terribly snowy. For the past several years, people down here who have snowmobiles and want to use them usually have to go up north, because there hasn't been enough snow cover on the ground here to snowmobile safely.

Somehow, I missed the SE part. Sorry!

[danielj72]

DetwahDjs snow map should help alot. How much snow you get depends on how far SE you are. If your in Monroe you wont even see 40 inches in average winter, and snow melts almost as quick as it falls. Brighton?? youll get a bit more, and if you are north of Flint and Lansing you may see 50 inches or more a year, and it doesnt melt as much. Of course north of Flint and Lansing really are not SE mi anymore so I doubt youll be that far out into lower mi. Metro Detroit winters are the mildest in the state, our "Bannana belt" but compared to Memphis Tn Detroit is like the tundra.