The Truth About Chicago's Winters

VLOGMAS, DAY 17: In which I ruminate on the truth about a winter in Chicago.
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[@gl15col]

Spent 6 years stationed at Eielson AFB, AK in Arctic Alaska. Thing is , even when it was -50 the wind never blew, and you could walk the dog while watching the Aurora. The mountains glow on the horizon, even when the sun never actually comes up (gets up to just below the horizon, travels across for about 4 hours, disappears until 1pm the next day) but it is so beautiful you can love it even when the darkness starts to drive you stark raving.

[@wrinklesandsprinkles]

Thank you for your service!🇺🇸

[@leed119]

I also spent time at Eielson AFB. I lived in North Pole across the street from Santa's house. I was there for the coldest winner, -72 for three days and the record snow. 1988/89. Loved to watch the Aurora on the drive to work. (I was up but 0400 for work at 0600)

[@aniE1869]

I went to UAF I definitely prefer Alaska winters over midwest winter. At least its a dry cold.

[@annasteiger7817]

@@leed119 I lived there then too. I was in 7th grade. I think I still have the t-shirt they made about it being so cold.

[@lbh002]

I visited friends in Fairbanks in July. The sun set after midnight, but it really didn't get high in the sky. It just followed the horizon and was always in your face when driving. What an amazing trip.

[@billbeliakoff5589]

I'm a life-long Chicagoan and love our winters. I have a neighbor who has relatives just outside of Buffalo N.Y. who calls every time we get over 5 inches of snow and says "I see you got a dusting."

[@roudyman777]

I moved to Phoenix from Chicago when I was 19, been here for a decade now. I've never ONCE missed Chicago or ever thought about moving back. To each their own!

[@sarahheld3761]

I live in Ohio, and when I used to work I hated when I had to go to work in the dark just to end up coming home in the dark. I learned what seasonal affects disorder was. And yes the acronym is SAD

[@Margar02]

Hello, from Ohio

[@douglascampbell9809]

I've done the same thing nothing but darkness. I was working 2nd shift so I slept while the sun was up.

[@chrismaverick9828]

Done that. Worked numerous 7-5 shifts in winter, dark going in, dark coming home. Really works on your mental state.

[@sarahheld3761]

Yeah it really sucks 😔

[@Og-Judy]

I'm in Milwaukee metro area. I drop a bunch of extra vitamin D³ during the dark days of Winter 10000 IU keeps the groomies away. On the bright side , after the 21st December, we start getting minutes of Sunlight back from the abyss😁👍🏻

[@darlaflorence7428]

I lived in Alaska and 20 above was T-shirt weather. Came back to Arkansas and at 4o was chilled to the bone. Humidity makes a big difference.

[@tompinnef6331]

I am a retired firefighter. I remember a lovely January downtown fire. Temperature was -10Fwith wind chill of about -23F. We could only be up on the ladder truck ladder spraying water for about 10 minutes. Then had to come down a covered ladder with a fire coat covered with ice. Fond memories and glad I don't have to do that anymore. Take care - have a Merry Christmas season. May 2022 be better for everyone.

[@mikek0135]

A Firefighter? Thanks for your service!

[@michaelfrench3396]

2022 will be worse, but thanks for the warm wishes!😀👍

[@kyledavis4890]

Thank you so much. My dad and his dad were firefighters as well. They always said the winter fires were the worst because the water would freeze

[@johnhelwig8745]

Living in Michigan all my life, you learn to partake winter activities... cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even taking luge lessons (ref: Muskegon State Park). What I dreaded about winters and its snow and ice is driving in the stuff. Thankfully now that I am retired, I can adjust when I go out accordingly.

[@coltonbates629]

Oh my god, driving in Michigan winters. Legend has it that as soon as winter hits in Michigan, every experienced driver suddenly forgets what ice is and how it works, as is evidenced by the people going 25 in a 50 with 2 inches of snow on the ground.

[@timo4938]

Once the snow ices over disc golf is a blast.

[@chloeedmund4350]

Yeah, that's the worst part of winter is having to drive in the snow/ice.

[@lindabriggs5118]

When I was much, much younger I grew up in Los Angeles. I remember, with awe, looking north and seeing the mountains with snow on them on clear days. We had horrid smog even in winter, if you could call it winter in LA. When I got older and moved to a then small town in the Antelope Valley north of LA, I remember the excitement of seeing snow falling. I'd call my mother about how wonderful it was. I even learned how to ski. A few years later, I moved to Utah, in the heart of snow country. But as the years crept on, I came to dislike the cold, and soggy socks, muddy wellies, mopping the floor everything my kids came inside from playing in the snow, and from doing daily chores on our small ranch. Eventually, I ended up moving to Hawaii for ten years, and was in heaven. Winter in Hawaii was when you could turn off your A/C. Now I live in the Southern Appalachian's. It still gets cold but it doesn't snow much here. And being that I am much, much older now, I can relate to what my mom used to tell me when I would comment how I loved winter and snow. She say, "Snow, bah, you can keep it!" (I should mention, both my parents grew up in a small New England town near the northern tip of Maine.) 😆🤣😂

[@regsun7947]

About halfway through growing up we moved from my snowy-in-winter home to a warmer place. It was a shock to see brown grass instead of the beautiful glistening white. Occasionally we'd have a winter with much snow but overall over about the next forty years we waxed nostalgic and pined over the snow we missed. Then I had to return to the snowy place for most of a winter. Every few days I'd drive back home and every time I hit the rainy, brown valley I practically kissed the ground, so thankful to be out of that ice world. I still think snow is beautiful and it can make the most wondrous landscapes but I'm quite content with our little snow, which if we get any at all is usually gone by noon.

[@deantait8326]

I lived ny 1st 37 yrs in the SFV of LA. Then Spent 6 yrs of summer in Houston sweating... then to CLT NC for almost 30. Now back in Orange county CA as a caregiver for my 101 yr old dad... yikes I'm not interested in 29 more yrs. .

[@regsun7947]

@@deantait8326 Ooh yeah, where I live I do not like our summers, stinkin' hot 100F+ temps. It was fine when I was young, but now it's rough.

[@willkittwk]

@@deantait8326 God bless you for taking care of your Dad!

[@justathought88]

Linda Briggs that was a beautifully written comment.

[@FourFish47]

I was born and raised near Chicago. A few years ago I was getting really annoyed in social media when you talk about cold temperatures and someone from California would snarkily comment that they were enjoying 80° F weather. Then they started having mud slides, drought, fires, and whatever else, destroying 1000's of acres and homes. The warm south has hurricanes. Everyone has challenges, but what is life without challenges? There's beauty everywhere and a price to pay. There's something about surviving every winter that makes Spring so exciting and "fresh" every year. If we have to suffer through one season to appreciate three, so be it. If wild animals can do it, so can we. You're right - just make the best of it because someone somewhere else has it much worse. If you get a hankering, visit the Ice Castles in Lake Geneva. 🙂

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

I love the snow but hate the ice, particularly black ice! I’ve not broken anything, touch wood, but it’s always a fear in the back of my mind.

[@AeroGuy07]

December is a magical time! Twinkling lights, Christmas songs, decorations. January and February are cold, gray buckets of suck.

[@katelinnett9020]

That's why I leave my indoor Christmas lights up all winter...it helps keep my seasonal depression at bay. It's a therapy tool for me. I live alone, so it's not bothering anybody, and it cheers me on grey sucky days and long winter nights, so...yeah. Twinkle lights rock.

[@vincem3748]

Except groundhog day... Kind of

[@faeriesmak]

You forgot about March

[@AeroGuy07]

@@faeriesmak Depending on where you live March can be ok. I'm in SW Ohio and we usually get a week, sometimes two, of decent weather in March(we call it 1st false spring). But October can be like that as well. A few years ago I took two pictures 24 hours apart in late October. One day it was 75°F, sunny and beautiful. The next day it was 31°F and snowing.

[@EugeniaBurkes]

When I lived in Austin, TX, I described winter as 2 dreary days in Feb. Glad I wasn’t there last year for the big freeze.

[@johnstevenson9956]

Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas" when he moved to Los Angeles, after he became nostalgic for his time in New York.

[@61rampy65]

I endured Chicago winters for about 26 years, including the Big Snow of 67 and the Blizzard of 79. (Those last two were fun...for about 2 days). Now I've spent the last 38 winters in Phoenix. Now I freeze at anything below 70 degrees. I've become wussified, and I love it!

[@willkittwk]

The Great Winter of 1979 when all the climatologists were predicting the next Ice Age is coming.

[@21stcenturyfossil7]

@@willkittwk Actually, the vast majority of real climatologists weren't predicting an ice age in the very near future. But there were plenty of opportunists who cashed in.

[@stevesmart170]

Similar story except the burbs to San Diego. 22 years away from it. It was 42 this morning, and I'm still cold. That used to be carry a jacket just in case it really gets cold weather.

[@ABeautfulMess]

Please allow me to tell you about a winter in South Dakota..let's see our first blizzard was early October..it's -13 now..

[@mh0862]

You ain't seen a real blizzard until you've seen a Dakota blizzard.

[@ABeautfulMess]

@@mh0862 omg..I moved here 7 yrs ago from DC..There ain't nothing compared to South Dakota ok maybe Alaska. I'm not finding out. South Dakota snow is awesome compared to DC so adore it. Bring on the BLIZZARD

[@magenta4443]

Frozen nose hairs and early sunsets...the sun can't help it! You're funny, Lawrence! We live up north in Milwaukee, WI. I enjoy winter, but love spring more.

[@wrinklesandsprinkles]

I’m from Minnesota and yes we laugh at folks who complain of freezing winter at 45f/7c!😂🤣😂 Really…we’re just jealous!

[@kenbrown2808]

there is really no cold like 35-40 degrees and raining. as they say, it's not the heat; it's the humidity.

[@BadgerCheese94]

I am not jealous. I love MN winters. Winters in the 40s suck. Thats not winter... thats 3 months of extra November lol.

[@wrinklesandsprinkles]

@@BadgerCheese94 You’re a superstar! There’s not many whom love our winters. I cannot handle the extreme cold. Temps/windchills in the double below zero are ridiculous. As a matter of fact, temps in the 20’s have gotten to much to deal with the older I get.

[@ElicBehexan]

My folks were from New Jersey, I was actually born there. I didn't really complain about winters in Texas except when it was wet. My folks taught me how to drive in ice, even though we don't get a lot. Really, my major problem with Texas winters aren't the yo-yo weather, its the idiots who don't know how to drive on the ice!

[@risalangdon9883]

I was born and raised about an hour and a half from Chicago. Lived in the middle of nowhere. Survived many harsh winters including the winter of 78. I moved to the southeast about 22 years ago now and haven't had to touch a snow shovel since. Don't miss it at all.

[@southpaw487]

I'm in NJ and remember that winter of 78 very well. I'm sure we were not as bad as you had it, but it was bad.

[@DawnandTygie4ever]

I live in southwest Michigan, and remember the winter of '78 well. I was pregnant with my 2nd child. Everything was closed except the grocery store, where my husband worked. He had to walk a mile to work. People drove snowmobiles, pulled toboggans and sleds, and walked to the grocery store for the necessities. Oh, and we had no power and no generator. You don't forget that!

[@timothykissinger4883]

I was living in Louisville Ky when the Blizzard of 1978 hit.It was Louisville s only blizzard ever recorded.

[@dutchgram3799]

Embracing winter is the best thing to do! Get out and see things. Go to chili cook offs or take A track yo Holland Mich. Stay in a hotel a few blocks away from the train station. Walk around their downtown where the streets and side walks are heated. Always fun places to eat. Find out where people are ice fishing in Chicago. Watch the para sailors on smaller lakes. Go sledding. When you get out more you really enjoy the season and being home on the days it is too cold to go outside ( or if there is a blizzard), you have a day home to snuggle with a warm beverage and a book totally guilt free !!

[@jovanweismiller7114]

I lived in Edmonton, AB, for several years. One night it was about -40 with a windchill of -55. I was doing a walking paper route and I stopped in the apartment halfway through it. My roomie asked what was wrong? I said, nothing. I was getting hot and sweaty. I needed to take a layer off. Now, I live in SE Nebraska. When people complain about the cold, I laugh and say, 'Cold? It doesn't get COLD here!'

[@sirpercarde709]

And two years ago, my job sent me up to Grande Prairie when the highs were minus 50. No wind but after a week of those temperatures, I was happy to get back to Edmonton.

[@BretAHart]

I'm just a bit north of you (Milwaukee) so Winter is very much the same here. I feel the same way about it's magical start, and then I've nothing other than my birthday in late February that makes it extraordinary. Maybe I should embrace Winter too...

[@awlabrador]

When I lived in Chicago, I experienced two weeks of gorgeous Spring weather and two weeks of gorgeous Fall weather each year. The rest of the year was blistering hot and humid weather (mostly humid) during the Summer and, yes, nose-hair freezing weather in Winter. What I really hated during Winters was all the static electricity that kept building up on my body and then electrocuting myself with bright, visible, painful sparks every time I discharged on anything metal. I slightly pulled my shoulder muscles once in reaction. To this day, I have mild PTSD about electrostatic discharge.

[@John_Fugazzi]

It's 46 degrees tonight in San Francisco, which we experience as freezing cold. But I spent a few years in Chicago's North Shore and know exactly what those real winters are like.

[@sandihj]

One of my most treasured memories is of driving north on Lake Shore Drive at about 2 am on New Year’s Day and marveling at the incredible beauty of the mists and ice and waves on the lake in the moonlight. Amazing!

[@kyledavis4890]

I used to hang out in an apartment on lake shore drive near navy pier. Fond memories of winter spring summer and fall in Chicago.

[@mcoffroadinaz4075]

You need to learn a new term called: Being a "snowbird." During the winter nastiness, you need to be exploring the southern states.

[@ErikPT]

Reminds me of the Great Ice Storm of 2006. You should have seen how many new students popped up that year! The following year a majority of the northern students remained in North Texas

[@christine1373]

I was in downtown Chicago December 2017 and then right outside the city for January and February and I can say I’d never experienced such a cold winter. I’m from the middle of Illinois and it gets cold but nothing compared to lake effect cold. And the icicles on the houses were gigantic!

[@neighborhoodcatlady6094]

My mom always complained about the winds from Lake Michigan. 🥶

[@BlackSmokeDMax]

Lake effect in the winter actually keeps it a bit warmer than further inland.

[@faeriesmak]

The lake actually keeps us warmer all Winter..and it delays Spring a bit depending on where along the Lake you live!

[@christine1373]

@@BlackSmokeDMax I did not know that thanks!

[@christine1373]

@@faeriesmak I didn’t know that thanks!

[@bluegreenglue6565]

Thanks for such an inspiring message. Neil Peart said, "There is no 'bad' weather, just inappropriate clothing." Learning to live with the seasons rather than fighting them makes life so much easier. It takes a bit of investing, and the willingness to forego fashion and image for the sake of comfort and safety.

[@CharlesGriswold]

Sometimes "appropriate clothing" is an entire house.

[@bluegreenglue6565]

@@CharlesGriswold That is true!

[@asielb]

Never really thought about it, but you're right. The reason Jan/Feb Chicago is unbearable is because there's nothing more to distract you from it, like Christmas does in Dec.

[@BadgerCheese94]

Skiing, ice skating, hockey, snowmobiling, ice fishing... This is why I refuse to live further south than Minnesota. Plenty to do as long as you have enough snow/ice and are outdoorsy

[@laurabuchanan2180]

I was briefly a Chicago resident. I highly recommend finding your way to an upper floor in a building in the Loop and capturing wild images of the frozen lake and river! My apartment was a couple blocks from the lake. Snow seemed to be falling 24/7. It was quite beautiful, like living in your own personal snow globe. Horrible for mental health though. 🥴😅

[@IntriguedLioness]

I also lived a few blocks from the lake... I remember the cannon fire sound of the ice cracking on the lake. I remember snow flurries in and around the loop. I remember icicles on my muffler over my face as we would walk down Michigan Avenue. I cherish all these memories because wherever I live, currently Seattle, and people say brr it's cold... I can say... You Don't Know Jack!

[@kyledavis4890]

True, but at least you have Chicago style pizza

[@BustedJunkStudio]

Born and raised in Chicago, left there 40 years ago when I was 30, experience enough of it to appreciate my current home in San Diego. It gets cold here too, last night it got down to 40F...brrrrrr!

[@pacmanc8103]

Damn - you must be inland a bit.

[@frankmenchaca9993]

I too was born and raised in Chicago and joined the Navy in 1961 to avoid the draft in the windy city. Sea duty took me to various climes including several trips above the Arctic circle and the cold and the lake wind in Chicago still sends shivers down my spine. Luckily I've been in San Diego since 1981, and watch Chicago weather from afar with schadenfreude.

[@ravenford8626]

Living in Florida I've never really had a winter, but when the temperature does go down it's a wetter kind of cold that can seep into your bones.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Winter has never been my favorite season. Some years back I decided to make a list of things I like about it to remind myself, after Christmas has passed and it gets...trying. (I love coming out of midnight Mass and finding it has begun to snow big fluffy flakes. 🥰) Let's see 🤔 1. No mosquitoes. 2. Don't have to get up as early to see the sunrise. 3. Extra refrigerator/freezer space (the car or screened porch) when having a party or family get-together. 4. The hard cold means we don't have the plethora of creepy crawlies that they do down south. 5. The cold air really helps clear sinus congestion, like breathing in an ice pack to reduce swelling. (🤔 There are a few more I can't remember offhand.) Merry Christmas 🎄

[@southpaw487]

Love #3 and have used it!

[@mtbdawg4987]

You can’t have it all. I love the change of seasons and even snowfall up until Christmas. Then the cold gets old and the realization there is about 3 more months of it. The secret is to save your vacation time for a mid-winter getaway. Going somewhere nice in February for a week or two makes all the difference. When you get back your almost into March, the days are getting longer again and optimism returns with spring on the horizon. Those early 5 pm sunsets are what i really dread most.

[@sharonsmith583]

Most of the time the winter weather in Atlanta is pleasant. If we do get an inch or two of snow, though, we all immediately go into an insane frenzy.

[@funo6581]

It’s been almost 30 years since I’ve been to Chicago. At that time my home state of Utah was experiencing the most snow we’d had in over 40 years and we have very snowy winters. There was over 5 ft. of snow in our front yard. Our son built an igloo by just digging out the snow from underneath. People ended up in the hospital while attempting to get the snow off their roofs before their roofs collapsed. Even though that was the winter conditions I was departing from.. I still remember the bitter utterly bone chilling winds coming off of Lake Michigan like it was yesterday.

[@paulebailey]

I've been to Nome, AK in January. Never have I been so shaking cold as.i was on a 7 degree day in Feb in Chicago. That wind just kills you..

[@lauribleu7558]

The US has such a large variety of climates. I grew up in the Los Angeles area where winter is extremely mild and a blessed relief to summer. I spent about thirty years in OH, both mid and northern. I was there during the blizzard in the mid 70s. Streets and roads became tunnels plowed through high snow tunnels. It was then I learned to aim my car into a snow bank when I saw a car ahead skid out of control. I also vowed never to own a car too heavy to push out of a snow bank. In Northern OH, there was the phenomenon of lake effect snow, something I am sure you are well aware of. Now I live near Portland OR, where snow is relatively unusual and the people here tend to panic when it does.

[@dianavp9054]

Portlanders panic, not because of the snow, but because of the ice. Whenever it snows here, it seems that ice follows, which just means cars careening all over the danged highways and interstate freeways (which are not free ... meaning often a dead stop), causing lots of accidents. A few years ago, a friend was driving home through Portland, after a storm. It took her 7 hours to drive 15 miles and get off the freeway. Gaah!

[@spiffyspits3605]

I love winter, no matter how I endured. It's the chance to practice driving prudently on ice, to practice dragging with my feet on slippery slopes, a chance to help rock the car out of ruts for the driver, buy extra gloves, scarves, hats to give to others when a need arise, be ready to give a pack of tissues to someone with running nose, a chance to offer hot drinks to people coming in from the cold...generally building up my endurance to winter coldness.

[@cindyknudson2715]

I like your list.

[@lordrayden3045]

Grew up 80 miles west of Chicago, the weather can really be something

[@danieloutloud9151]

Having lived in many different States in the U.S. , I find that if you're a child ( below driving age ) or retired and not forced to endure it , snow can be enjoyable , mostly .

[@lesterstone8595]

It's expected to be 80 degrees F in Houston on Christmas.

[@srice6231]

I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for 4 years and the people there do embrace winter for the most part...unless it is 40 below zero. But we would go watch sled dog races, cross country ski in the city, some would snowmobile on the bike paths. My students would have outdoor recess until it got below 20 below zero. Once it got closer to Spring and the temperature got to 32 degrees my husband and I would bundle up and read on our porch. We sometimes would go outside in the middle of the night to watch the Aurora. The key was to keep on living! Now I live in Utah and we actually do much less outside in Winter.

[@EugeniaBurkes]

My 1st job out of college was teaching in a TX high school 8 miles from Mexico. Most of the students had never seen snow. One afternoon the principal got on the PA and announced it was snowing in Alice, 1 ½ hours away. There was a stampede as EVERYONE, well almost - I’m from north TX and had seen lots of snow and ice, mostly ice, - ran to a school bus or car and headed north. Reports the next day indicated they saw white mush falling from the sky but melting as soon as it hit something. Still, my students declared the most exciting day EVER.

[@dianabarreras6872]

I endured 81 degrees in Jacksonville Florida today, had to struggle not to fire up the air conditioner! Additionally it rained for about 30 minutes in the afternoon. Don't worry about me tho I'm tough, I suffered through...

[@lmtellsho6283]

I weep for you, here in Michigan.

[@lynntaylor9681]

I live in Wisconsin. That sounds awful. Although I prefer the cold to being too hot. I always stay inside when it's in the 80's here in the summer and put the air conditioner on when it's in the 70's.

[@ronsparks7887]

I live in Florida, too. I'm sure none of you want to hear about my Winters. If it's any comfort, at least you don't have to deal with six month long Amazon rainforest type summers. Or hurricanes.

[@carolynhotchkiss4760]

After being born and raised in the wilds of the north suburbs of Chicago, living through the Blizzard of '67, moving to northeastern Indiana, living through the Blizzards of '78 and 82, I have every sympathy for you. And I also am going to allow you to do all the winter embracing for me, which I will watch as I sit on my deck in Los Angeles, enjoying the sun and the (relative) warm weather. Thank you for your service!

[@rosesmith6925]

I live in Florida. My favorite part of winter is watching Snow Fail videos from removing snow from roofs, falling through the ice, flying down the hillsong a frisbee, slipping down the front steps, cars sliding down the driveways to UPS driver on his belly spread eagle trying to slide the package up toward the house 😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@datafilehunter1682]

I have seen snow in Florida.

[@coldinaugust]

An hour away from Syracuse, NY, so very snowy and we also have more super cold (-20F) days than I remember as a kid. I've tried to make that commitment to enjoying (or at least tolerating) the cold, and I've found that good winter wear helps, and motivation and/or a buddy like my dog helps. Some winters I do better than others (and I ALWAYS use a light therapy lamp). Good luck!

[@themoviedealers]

Syracuse, the snowiest major city in the continental US, thanks to the Lake Effect.

[@coldinaugust]

@@themoviedealers yep. Lots of people get into snowmobiling or skiing or snowshoeing. I might try cross country skiing again this year (they're loaning them out at our town park).

[@marielange9077]

Syracuse has the highest annual snowfall of all cities (I suspect of 100,000+ population, because Oswego's snowfall is higher) in the entire U.S., not just contiguous states. Our average snowfall is 123 inches.

[@bweaver265]

Thank you for your videos. My wife and I enjoy them. We have travelled from Michigan to London for the holidays and will be returning home through Chicago the first week of January. We are hoping to avoid a Lock Down for Christmas, and are trying to see and do everything possible to visit as many places as we can. So for Britain is an amazing Country. Merry Christmas to you and your wife. Hopefully we will all have a Happy New Year.

[@southpaw487]

I grew up in NYC, but have lived in NJ for more than 40 years. For my job, I traveled all over the world and in varied climates for 30+ years before I retired. I love winter and can't imagine living without the four seasons. I RV'd in Alaska the summer of 2004. I loved it, but it was very eerie to camp alone on BLM land with no one around for miles and the sun never setting. Very weird, but I enjoyed it. Thank you to those who have served there.

[@michelekendzie]

You are absolutely correct about perspective. I grew up and lived in southern California until I was 29. Then, I moved to Virginia, where I have lived for the last 21 years. It took me over a decade to acclimatize, but I have. I used to think 50 degrees F was freezing cold. Now sometimes I go out in the same temp without a coat. I still prefer warm weather, but I've learned to live in temps as low as the 20's.

[@timriehl1500]

Grew up in Mississippi so I was totally unprepared for winter in NYC--standing on exposed subway platforms and at bus stops in the dead of winter with bone freezing winds. Took me three years to learn how to dress for winter. Now I'm in Pennsylvania and every winter I think I'm going to channel my inner Viking, but he always turns into a wuss and I end up spending winter on the sofa with a hot mug of coffee and lots of videos about Vikings.

[@LindaC616]

Did 33 years in MI and WI. Now on southern coast of New England. Saw a smidgen of snow a few weeks back. 40s now, though windy. If only people knew how to drive in the tiny bit of snow we *do* get, I'd be grand. Laurence--snowboarding. Come on, give it a try!

[@jillbos]

Stay warm Lawrence. I was born a fish out of water. I can’t stand the cold and I grew up in Michigan. Now I live in Boston. Why I moved here God only knows.

[@darrinmckeehan5697]

😂🤩

[@zuzax1656]

Maybe you missed the really bad roads?

[@paulebailey]

That brought a smile to my face. I gave up Virginia to enjoy Phoenix, which I like, but now with no water it's back to Seattle. Rain and Winter have their pluses.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

Could be worse. You could be experienced a Winnipeg winter.

[@Hogtownboy1]

yes it ends in June and starts in sept

[@NorthernLibrarian]

I was planning to visit a friend in Winnipeg. She said to be sure to come between winter and mosquito season then gave me about a two week window.

[@bonniewehrle5184]

Left balmy London for frozen Chicago in December 2006 & lived there until May 2010. Had 3 in a row of the worst winters on record. Moved back to Kentucky where I grew up for cold but manageable winter weather. 🥶☠️

[@deezynar]

It almost never snows where I live, but it does get hot in the summer. A few things about heat, you never slip on it and fall, it doesn't cause your car to run into a ditch, or other cars. You don't have to shovel it, or scrape it off your windshield, but you do need to put a windshield shade in place when you park to keep the steering wheel from reaching melting point. As hot as it gets in the summer here, it cools down enough overnight so you can do yardwork or go for a bicycle ride early in the morning. San Diego, California, has the best year-round weather in the country, better than Hawaii in my estimation. But the cost of living there is too high for me.

[@michaelfrench3396]

Couple things about the cold. You can always put another log on the fire, put on more clothing, or a heavier jacket. When it's hot, you can get naked. If you're still hot, tough. 😂👍😉

[@BadgerCheese94]

The cold doesnt cause you to slip and fall though... The ice does lol You can have it be super cold but no ice because of lack of water/moisture. I live in Minnesota. They plow and salt the roads here so its rarely a problem. I can list a bunch of problems of heat though, having lived 23 years in hot climates... The heat makes you sweat too much, too many bugs, diseases, hot places often have higher crime, riots actually are worse in heat waves, hot places often have higher poverty rates, if its in an arid place-- less access to water. I will take my balance of 4 seasons and the pluses and minuses they all bring. In summer, I love a nice warm day at the lake. In winter, I love a nice fresh snowfall with hot cocoa.

[@deezynar]

@@BadgerCheese94 It's interesting that you bring up sweating, there is nothing worse than putting on clothes to stay warm, then sweating like a pig and freezing in your own sweat. I don't need a lesson on layering in cold weather because I layer like a champ, and it doesn't help. I walk down the block and I feel myself get warm, I remove my windbreaker to cool off, but the sweat has started and the garments I still have on get saturated. I'm now freezing because the perspiration has removed much of the insulative power of the lower layers. After freezing for a while, I finally stop sweating and put the windbreaker back on. The sweat starts again. When it's summer time, and the heat is at its maximum, I stay inside from mid-morning until after sunset. It works just fine, and I never slip on any ice. As for bugs, we have very few of those here, but they are horrible in places where it gets really cold.

[@BadgerCheese94]

@@deezynar Lol I grew up in FL, spent most my early 20s in Texas and been living in MN since 23... The only bad bugs here are ticks and mosquitoes. I aint ever seen a roach. In FL, you can keep your house spotless and still have an infestation. Also Florida has invasive lizards... Eww... I wouldnt be surprised if they end up having xenomorphs running around cuz if its creepy, crawly and gross... Florida has it

[@deandupont5503]

Flip side... As a former desert-dweller, I find the UK definition of "hot weather" to be *hilarious.* I mean, 30⁰C (85⁰F) is a stifling heat wave? 🤣 Oh baby, that's sweater weather in the Mojave.

[@RitaBowen1]

Living in NC our winter's are pretty mild most of the time. We do have snow once or twice a year some ice and sleet.

[@greeneyedmimibostian3013]

True . Very warm lately.

[@RitaBowen1]

@@greeneyedmimibostian3013 yeah shorts and a Tee yesterday long sleeves and pants today!

[@Mountlougallops]

Yep. Cleveland Winters are beautiful. I’ve almost always had a dog so that I’m forced to go out in it daily. My most recent dog passed this past May. 14 years of not wanting to go out but doing it anyways and then finding it was a beautiful day for a walk after all, are sorely missed. I guess I’ll just have to get another dog…when I’m ready.

[@carolpeterson6756]

We lived in North Dakota for six years. When our daughter was in 7th grade, they go to Winter Survival Camp. They could not pack any cotton clothes. They had to be nylon, silk and also wool. Also, they learned how to layer clothes to stay warm. I tried it, when I used to take the bus. Mittens with gloves underneath. Thick pants over nylon leggings, nylon top under a wool sweater and two pairs of wool socks. Of course a wool hat and a hood. I've waited outside in -60° wind-chill dressed like that. It wasn't fun, although I survived. Chicago and North Dakota are both windy, hence the wind-chill is brutal. Stay warm you two. ❄️❄️

[@CNC-Time-Lapse]

Eastern Michigan here, just off Lake Saint Clair. It's cold as per the norm this year... as you mentioned, having a job that requires being in the weather makes winter by far the worst season to deal with and pretty much a major inconvenience. About the only positive thing about this pandemic seems to be for a lot of us is working from home. This has resulted in winters not really being a big deal. Now, when I look out the window and see snow on the ground, I don't find myself questioning why I live in a northern state so much. I hate winter just a little bit less now... but I still hate winter. lol

[@douglascampbell9809]

I'm in Northeastern Minnesota. I know a couple people in Alaska. The last few years there were days where it was colder here than in Alaska. Not many but enough that it was noticeable.

[@shannen7917]

Spent my teen years in the Chicago area and couldn’t escape the weather fast enough. The moment I graduated high school, I left my family behind and moved to Arizona, never looking back. There are lots of us Chicago survivors here thawing out in the desert heat so I feel as if I’m in good company. Loved living there for so many other reasons, but the weather was enough to drive me away forever.

[@susanfarley1332]

I lived for a year in Glenview, Illinois when I was 10. I remember a pretty nasty ice storm that left a 3 inch layer of ice on one side of telephone poles. After that there was a lot of snow. I discovered that ski pants do not keep you legs warm, rabbits make paths of stamped down snow in the woods (and if you can scare them off the path they flounder in the snow and it's easier to catch them) , and never tease your little brother when he's holding a snow shovel. After walking in snow all winter you kinda walk funny when it melts away, at least until you are used to the bare ground again. Spring is glorious and summers are a lot nicer than summers in South Carolina. And Glenview is around 30 miles from Chicago. Autumn is pretty nice too.

[@playme129]

I lived and worked in Chicago for over 30 years. "Wait a while the weather will change" was what we used to say. Some winters were a lot colder than others. I now live in Ohio on Lake Erie with the same type of winters. Love the Great Lakes 365 days a year.

[@OldMan_PJ]

When I lived in Northern Illinois I grew to hate the ice but loved the snow. I walked out (on accident) into -35F once with a -45F wind chill in a t-shirt and shorts, lasted about 3 seconds before I was running back in. On the other hand I found 0F to be no problem unless the wind was blowing. -5F was when it started to be a problem. I remember my first winter there was a white Christmas, 2nd was a blizzard (that was fun.) Every year after that would make you think there was something to this whole global warming thing.

[@pauldevey8628]

I'm from OTtawa and our winter weather is similar to Chicago's. We do however don't have as much wind or snow and we do have a lot of sunshine in January and Feb. The lack of clouds however means these are the coldest days of our year. THe sun and sky and sunsets are intense. Also, being inside feeling the rays of the sun during these months can be intense. I love winter but not everyday is enjoyable. Enjoy it!

[@terryomalley1974]

You live in Ottawa, Ontario and say you don't get as much snow as Chicago? I find that hard to believe, since I lived in Ottawa for three years and the city often gets at least 3 feet of snow on average in the winter.

[@pauldevey8628]

@@terryomalley1974 I looked it up, you are right! It just seems like Chicago has more snow, maybe because of the narrow streets in the city. Chicago also gets more sun than Ottawa. My perceptions have been tempered away from reality. Love both cities. I will take the cold and sunny days over northern europes relentless rain and cloud.

[@pjschmid2251]

I’ve lived in and around the Chicago area most of my life. Beginning in the 60s and 70s through the current day and I have to say winters have been getting milder in general. Sure we’ve had a couple super cold blasts about few years ago but overall it’s been much milder than I remember. I mean I bought snowshoes during the big snows we had a few years back and haven’t been able to pull them out for years. That’s just not the winters I remember.

[@tamaragonzalez2227]

Well where I live we have had two seasons of the coldest and longest winter ever. When that happens it reminds me why I am so glad I moved to South West and out of Michigan where I was born and lived till I was in my mid twenties. The cold literally hurts me physically and I always get sick from it.

[@faeriesmak]

That’s true. The winters have been mild and the Summers have been wet. It’s not the same as when I was a kid in the 80s.

[@ronalddobis6782]

I grew up about a mile from Chicago's southern border and I remember the park's ice skating rink being ready around Thanksgiving, early December at the latest, during the late sixties and early seventies. They stopped flooding the park in the nineties because of the freeze/thaw cycle becoming more frequent. The temperature had to stay in the twenties at minimum for at least a week to harden the ground before they flooded it. It got to where they couldn't keep the ice for more than a couple weeks before it thawed and melted.

[@21stcenturyfossil7]

Milder beginning in the 60s and 70s? I dunno. 67 was the year of the Big Snow, although otherwise that winter wasn't especially harsh. But 76-77, 77-78 and 78-79 were rough, each year more brutal than the previous. The early 80s weren't much better for periods of heavy snow and intense cold. But there's no doubt that real winter has been coming weeks later over the last couple of decades although it doesn't seem spring is consistently coming earlier.

[@ka9dgx]

The coldest Chicago winter days have the deepest blue sky imaginable... they make great photos for as long as your finger is still warm enough to push the shutter button.

[@Bad_Wolf_Media]

I'm not in Chicago, but I am down the road a little bit from you (Quincy, IL, if you feel like grabbing a map). Last week our weather was 70F, and then we had one storm system move in and now we're getting around 50F, and about 25F overnight. Eventually, winter will get here for real.

[@debbiesims138]

Same here in Iowa.

[@emilywhitfield2780]

Read where the UK got hit by Winter storm Arwen a couple weeks ago!!! Really paralyzed parts of the country!! Hope your family back over there faired alright!! I live in Missouri and our winters are mostly mild but we have had our share of winter storms and frigid temps!!! Stay safe!!!!😊😊😊

[@revsla]

I feel your pain. I hate being cold. When my husband finished his PhD and was ready to upgrade his teaching career, I told him I would go with him anywhere as long as he stayed below the Mason/Dixson line. That being said, I love Chicago and visit as often as I can...just not between September and April.

[@paulebailey]

Sept is perfect I think.

[@californiahiker9616]

Having lived in the Central Valley of California for decades, I’ve seen snow here only once. It stuck around for less than an hour, but caused quite a sensation! The Sierra Nevada mountains are close by. (90 min or so drive). In Winter, I go up once a season, usually to Yosemite NP, and enjoy a snow day. It‘s kind of magical! I grew up in Germany, where we often had severe winters. I remember going to school on icy sidewalks. Can’t say I miss that! But we also had great fun as kids, going down hills with our sleds. My German friends who still live in the town I grew up in, tell me snow has become a rarity. As usual, great job on the video, Lawrence!

[@anderw2]

I'm getting setup for ice fishing this year. Never done it before, but it sounds like a good way to spend a Jan. or Feb. day in Minnesota.

[@erics607]

As long as you have a shack that will keep you warm, and plenty of alcohol, you should be golden! Also good to have friends with to help pass the time.

[@abchaplin]

I live in Ottawa, Canada, which is about as far north as Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I don't care how cold it gets; I can always dress for it. It is when the TV meteorologists promise "wintry mix," a vile sequence of snow, followed by freezing rain, followed by rain, that I say "to Hell with it" and stay home. I also know there will be sunny days early in February with dawns before I awake and dusks around supper time. That will show us that winter's back is broken and we have survived. I will get my bicycle out in March.

[@patrickchambers5999]

I'm from Chicago and as a child delivered the Chicago American newspaper all year long on my bicycle though sometimes when the snow was really deep all I could do is walk it on my route. Came home many a night soaked but still didn't mind the cold or how wet I was. Now at 75 I really don't like the cold and snow, when we have it.

[@svenska81]

I grew up near Buffalo NY, lived in Chicago for a decade (76 - 86) and it’s what you make it. I love the stark contrast of bare branches against a gray sky, skiing, hot chocolate liberally laced with peppermint schnapps, coffee liberally laced with B&B, hot buttered rum…there’s a theme developing. And never drive after being liberally laced.

[@dcarter6952]

I'm in So Ca. and walked around all day in a t-shirt, My hats off to all of you who put up with Chicago style winters.

[@thizizliz]

Having lived in central Minnesota, the 'burbs of Minneapolis, Memphis and Los Angeles, I am happy to have made the change to the high desert near a national park. We get a wee bit of snow each year & fantastic views of it on the mountain tops nearby. Freezing nights warm into sunny days and dry streets.

[@irishpixierose]

When I was a little girl we lived in Minnesota for five years. Snow and ice on Easter. I loved it!! Then Germany and more snow. Most of my life was spent in NJ with snow & ice ❄ in the winter. Now NC and we have had a few icy snowy winters. Not at the moment though.

[@GoingGreenMom]

Northern Indiana is probably similar to Chicago. It was grey and cold rain when we lived in TN with about a week of ice, and a couple days of snow. After 25 years I'm still not used to Indiana winters, but more so than when we moved.

[@BadgerCheese94]

I grew up in Miami, Florida where it hardly gets under 45 let alone below freezing... but when I was 15 we visited Tennessee for New Years and I saw snow for the first time and I realised I needed to be where the seasons exist. Well when I was 20 I moved to Texas which is far more seasonal than Florida but not exactly a winter wonderland. At 23 I moved to Minnesota and this is where I have proudly planted my roots. I love the winters here, esp Christmas time but yes, EVEN January and February. We have opportunities for pretty much every winter activity. We may lack mountains but we have enough hills and enough frozen lakes to go around. The cold doesnt bother me like the heat does. Extreme cold can be unpleasant but extreme heat makes me hate life lol. My first time visiting Chicago was in winter. Though I did not find it that cold there was soooo much snow it was beautiful!

[@timothykissinger4883]

I live in Kentucky, you can't beat having 4 seasons,never boring

[@janiec3915]

I live in the northeast and I love it! I've visited Chicago just a few times and I love it. The first time I visited was many years ago smack in the middle of January, walking down Wacker Ave feeling like I was getting smacked continuously in the face by that wind! Thank you for your great videos!

[@robertmayer7678]

Survived 65 winters in the Chicago area. Retired and after 5 years asked myself, why am I still here. Moved to Arizona. High temp today 68 and lots of sun.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

My childhood was divided between the Chicago suburbs and New England. Both places have long, cold winters. I remember my socks and mittens becoming cold and wet in both places. The older I grow, the less I like the enduring the bitter cold and the short winter days, shoveling snow and slush, walking on icy pavements, living in a gray winter world that's devoid of life or color, ... Winter should be reserved for Christmas cards.

[@gwillis01]

In my Midwest neighborhood we spend the winter waiting for the ONE BIG STORM which usually comes in January or February. The storm dumps six inches of snow on the ground. Otherwise, the main threat is sleet or freezing rain.

[@kathyrutherford4485]

The dead of winter is dull, that’s why I leave my Christmas lights on well into January. But then The Winter Carnival starts in St Paul MN and reminds me spring will return.

[@nancylindsay4255]

Our Christmas tree stays in the living room with us to give light, color, and warm memories well into February. This is in Madison, Wisconsin.

[@mh0862]

Watched the fireworks during a snow storm in St. Paul one year for the Winter Carnival. That was fun.

[@joeheid4757]

Least year we here in PA got 27" of snow just a few days ago. That I can do without

[@sharonpearson]

As a Chicago native, I find myself cursing when the temperature dips below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and a foot of snow is dumped in the city. I prefer the winters when it's mild like it has been lately

[@aarmybrat76]

I live in south Alabama and we have much warmer winters than a lot of states. I have my air conditioner running because mother nature decided that we needed a reminder of Summer. I like cooler weather but would not care for lots of snow. Be safe and God Bless.

[@Derek.Duquesne]

Born and raised in New England! Our weather is different by the day. And I love it!

[@ramsien]

Base-layers, mittens, dry socks and a hooded jacket are the best points of focus I can offer to anyone facing a cold climate for the first time. It makes outdoor activities much more easier... to weather.

[@maccifyme]

As a person from northern Sweden, I view myself as somewhat of a cold-winter expert. And I'd say, I very much prefer really cold winters with dry, crisp air and lots of snow (which makes everything so much lighter even though we only have a few hours of daylight) over milder, humid, dirty, windy winters where everyone who does not get depressed should get a medal. I always like to imagine what life would be if I moved somewhere else, and I always end up in my mind in either Finland or Canada because of my need for real winters...

[@jenna6149]

Winter has become so unpredictable in New England. It was 60 the other day and then we had a wailing wind snow/sleet storm night before last. Were it not for the fact that I hate summer with the passion of a thousand suns I would feel more compelled to complain about snow, sleet, snirt, and slush and walking my dog every day multiple times a day. I have become of the mind that I can always put more clothes on, there is only so much I can take off. Winter every day over summer.

[@xStarlicax]

Wind Chill, that what makes winter so sucky :) The snow and temperature are manageable, but that arctic blast of bone freezing cold, just makes me want to hibernate.

[@gwesco]

In 1976, the company I worked for sent me to a month long training session to Chicago in February. Being an Arizona desert rat, I had to borrow a parka from a co-worker who used to live there. I have never been so cold in my life and will go to any means to prevent it from ever happening again. Oh, and to top it off, the heating in the motel we had to stay at had no thermostat! It was a switch on the wall that was either on and roasted you or off and you froze to death.

[@paulebailey]

I live in Phoenix and had the same thing happen. In February. I swore never to return. And I Haven't.

[@paulebailey]

But I learned you leave the heat on and open the window. It's can be quite nice.

[@justinadams2010]

If you plan a trip somewhere warm in February, it gives you: 1) Something to look forward to 2) A warm vacation 3) Short few weeks of winter left when you return. Also, Chicago is a major travel hub

[@Maxid1]

I kind of miss the ice storms. There's nothing you can do when you step out your front door and side off the porch, across the yard into the street. No possibility of getting hit by a car. because there's nothing running on all that wet ice.

[@lhead7226]

I live 70 miles west of Chicago in a small town by the drive in you visited. It is a frozen tundra, no wind break out here, but I love it as long as the polar vortex stays away. Btw my husband is one of those nutty people who takes dips in frozen lakes :-)

[@jphilb]

I’m in far north Houston,TX and it will be sunny and 80 on Christmas Day!! Love it!!

[@jameshaury2716]

Love that opening footage. I love the Chicago footage in general. In North Dakota we use block heaters to keep the engine warm and plug ins for battery charging so they do not discharge in subzero weather and freeze solid.

[@morg52]

When it's an unseasonably warm winter here in MN, we call it a Chicago winter.

[@staceyjohnson2929]

Pretty warm here in GA, especially this year. I'm not complaining at all! Stay warm!