[JGatti]

The recent weather has had me thinking of all the people I read and hear cry about how long winter is. Or how long it's cold in Michigan. I just wanted to post this and see if I am alone in my thinking.

There is cold and there is cool weather.

There is warm and there is HOT weather.

Then there is perfect weather.

Often I see people post complaints that winter is 7 - 8 months long. Do you consider November winter? How about April? October and November to me fall into the COOL weather category. Granted it's not often we are outside with T-shirts in November enjoying upper 60's. But October and November to me are hardly tough months to deal with.

For me December is when winter begins. January and February are also cold winter months. But often we get a bit of a break in March and get a little tease of what's ahead. Then it snows again. LOL But that's not always a bad thing.

I guess what I'm getting at is, do you get as tired as I do hearing and seeing people say it's COLD for 7-8 months out of the year while bashing Michigan? I personally think it's COLD for 3-4 months. Also at what temp do you feel it's cold? Anything over freezing is not cold to me, and I don't get bothered by COLD until it get's down around 10 or below.

[Tiger Beer]

Personally, I do feel like it is around 7 months of winter...

Mostly because comparitive to other states. Out in Oregon/Washington, their coldest months of winter (Jan/Feb) feels like our April in Michigan. So comparitively, it would be added as a month of winter, even though by Michigan standards, April feels pretty damn nice. Elsewhere that would be the heart of winter.

[malamute]

To me winter is when you can expect snow. So yes, Michigan's winters are very long. I think it comes down to the fact that some people love cold weather - can't get enough, others prefer warm weather. For others it can be more about the gray skies than the cold.

[Michigansnowflake]

I agree with JG, the toughest months are Dec thru Feb...with a nod to Nov and Mar as being *all bets are off* months. I love each season for what it brings and the special oppertunities to do those certain things you can only do at said time. i.e. snow-shoeing in Winter, mushrooming in Spring..etc.

The cold doesnt bother me much either, 32 isnt cold, 20 isnt cold....heck even 10 isnt cold.....the exception is when there is a howling wind, that makes it feel cold...it must be below freezing, in the neg. even before I start to complain.

Michigan isnt for the faint of heart, its a land for hardy people who love what Mother Nature dishes out.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Michigansnowflake

Michigan isnt for the faint of heart, its a land for hardy people who love what Mother Nature dishes out.

That's the same thing I say about temperatures over 90 -- Mother Nature dishes those out also but in different places. It's all in what people prefer, some people wilt when temperatures reach 75, others prefer the 75-95 range but don't prefer the 15-35 range.

It depends on what someone prefers for outdoor activities also, if you prefer bike riding, hiking in mountains, horsebackriding, you would prefer less winter. If you prefer cross country skiing, snowmobiling then you want more winter.

[michmoldman]

I love going outside when its below zero. I think it (in the words of Ted Nugent) cleanses the soul.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by michmoldman

I love going outside when its below zero. I think it (in the words of Ted Nugent) cleanses the soul.

I thought that was Fred Bear's line?

[Luzette]

I view Michigan as having very cold weather for far too long, and I don't see this as bashing the state. It's just the way it is here as well as all the other northern, northeastern, and parts of the upper mid-west. I remember just a week ago Colorado had a big snowstorm already so unless you're in the southern part of the US or southwest this is what you get. I used to work in a nursery struggling to keep plants outside alive in May. The north wind in early spring is colder to me than it is during the heavy winter months. I love the natural beauty of Michigan. I love it when we have 80 and 90 degrees in summer. We haven't had that in these recent years so that makes it harder for me to deal with winter. I'm not a big sports person except for jogging and walking. I'd much rather do that activity in just a tee shirt and jeans than having to bundle up in an arctic parka to be outside. There is only so much snow a person can walk in before it's almost dangerous trying to get through big drifts with ice in unknown places. I place winter as being 5 months long. I feel very drawn to Lake Superior as of late, but I don't think I could tolerate an even longer winter in the UP when I barely get through it here in the LP. I do get caught up on some reading during the winter which I do enjoy.

[canudigit]

I consider winter in Michigan to be from approx. mid-December to late March, but I live in the extreme southern part of the state. I have lived here and in NW Ohio, a few miles away, all of my life with the exception of living in a SW state for several months this past year. I used to be the loudest complainer about winter here in Michigan, and now, after experiencing the extreme other side of the coin, I am the biggest Michigan advocate you will ever meet, lol. Now I realize that 5-6 months of cool to cold weather with the leaves off of the trees and very little greenery is the price I must pay to live in this great, big beautiful state, and so I accept it and embrace it. And I now realize how totally boring it would be to live somewhere where the weather never changes, with the exception of the temp. going up or down 10-20 degrees. Autumn leaves, snow sparkling in the sunshine of a bitter cold January day, that special day each spring when you wake up and hear birds singing again and the grass seems to go from brown to light green overnight...I will never trade it again.

[lucknow]

I think it's cold when you spit and it freezes before it hits the ground. My wife and I were in Northern MN. last winter and it was -30. I was happy because the dogs could go out of the truck and play in the snow without getting wet. The snow dosen't stick to them or me at that temp. We mosied on up the road to Winnipeg and it was -40 there. Now that is getting close to the freezing spit territory but if it does not hurt me to breathe I like it. What I don't like is the climate we have here in southern On. It's just like Mi. The temp hangs around the freezing point for months and it's wet and slushy and dirty and nasty.