# Tell me about living in a northern state **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801 "2009-11-24T17:36:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/41 "2009-11-25T11:58:55Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’ve always lived in the Northeast, and quite frankly, I always found Upstate New York and New England dark, cold, grey and isolated in the winter. I remember reading once that Rochester NY had fewer sunny days than Seattle WA .. and coming from that area, I would tend to agree. I find it is amazing how many people suffer from rampant SAD in the area. I love the area, it can have great natural beauty, and the people can be great, and some of the area foods are great [speidies from the southern tier, grape pies, syracuse salt potatoes, fresh cheese \curds, beef on weck … /drool] Granted, people can be jerks. Weather can suck. Food can suck. But that can happen everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/42 "2009-11-25T12:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Tell me about living in a northern state Winters are cold and snowy; spring, summer, and fall are glorious. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/43 "2009-11-25T13:09:05Z")
If you wind up in a ditch, be cool. Don’t call for help right away. There are guys who drive around in pickups with 4WD and they carry chains. They’ll pull you out for free. They enjoy doing it. If nobody shows up in 1/2 hour, then call for a tow. Learn to love the winter. Take the kids sledding or find a toboggan run. Learn to ski. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/44 "2009-11-25T13:11:27Z")
The [Albright-Knox Art Gallery](http://www.albrightknox.org/) is worth the move in and of itself… There’s some very good skiing to be had near there in both western New York and Pennsylvania. D’ye like hockey? The Buffalo Sabres are pretty good; much better than my local amateur hockey team out of their depth The Pathetic Remnants, I mean the Betrayers of a Proud Tradition, I mean the Toronto Maple Leafs. Buffalo has long taken a lot of abuse that is hugely undeserved - I think they take it and keep quiet so the place doesn’t get overrun. More fantastic stuff just across the border than I can begin to describe. Even Niagara Falls, Ontario has a second downtown that isn’t horrific - just down river there’s great theatre, good wineries that are only getting better, some of the best eating in Ontario and some really fascinating history. Not to mention some strange, glowing city across the lake that’s got some concerts and shows every now and then. And of course, if you need help moving in, just shout and a bunch of us Ontario-based dopers will rustle through our sock drawers, dig out our passeports and watch you wrestle that couch up the stairs while complaining about the quality of the beer. About winter - I’m with **dhkendall** and **CatWhisperer** - Buffalo winters are a piece of cake. Of course, it helps me that winter has always been my favouritest season. I’m actually jealous that Buffalo gets so much more snow that Toronto. You’ll never know how fantastic winter is until you try some! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/45 "2009-11-25T13:25:45Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Not so much anymore. When I was a kid in Michigan I sometimes had to wear my snowsuit over my Hallowe’en costume because it was so cold. Now I’m in Canada, it’s the end of November, and my neighbor’s flowers have started to bloom again. This “spring” weather is downright creepy! The key words in both sentences was up to. This summer Wisconsin had only about 10 days total that were summer like. The rest were colder. Bad for the many crops that need hot weather. Good for the people that like days under 80F. The apples taste blau this year. They are not loaded with sugar and flavor. They taste like store bought that were shipped from Washington. September, October and November were nicer this year and enjoyable. I love not having hard frozen ground and snow outside this year. Had we had our near September 1 frost many farmers would have had nothing as the corn wasn’t past having soft undeveloped kernels thanks to no heat all summer. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/46 "2009-11-25T13:29:01Z")
Pro: no fire ants. Con: snow. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/47 "2009-11-25T16:18:14Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Winters are cold and snowy; spring, summer, and fall are glorious. And then there’s mud season, and those gray-rust colored weeks in November and March. I can’t find this poem my father sent me but you would appreciate it–it’s about the poet stepping out in early November in that grayness, and not feeling like seizing the day. By the end he is inspired enough by the barn and vista to “seize every second Tuesday”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/48 "2009-11-25T18:01:52Z")
Is this the poem: [Vermont, Early November](http://peacebestill.typepad.com/everything_you_never_care/2008/11/a-little-billy.html) by Billy Collins. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/49 "2009-11-25T18:19:40Z")
Heh. I know exactly what he means. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/50 "2009-11-25T18:59:34Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Is this the poem: [Vermont, Early November](http://peacebestill.typepad.com/everything_you_never_care/2008/11/a-little-billy.html) by Billy Collins. YES! Thank you – I got it in my PO box around 11/3 and it was PERFECT! Apologies for the misquote above. ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/51 "2009-11-25T21:34:04Z")
[quote=“dhkendall, post:17, topic:518801”] Oh, I’m sorry, but this Doper who has lived in Winnipeg for almost 30 years is just sitting and laughing his ass off. 😃 You Americans don’t know winter. 😃 [QUOTE] Lake effect snow from the Greats Lakes makes winter something of a different than winters inland. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/52 "2009-11-25T21:48:56Z")
[quote=“2ply, post:51, topic:518801”] [quote=“dhkendall, post:17, topic:518801”] Oh, I’m sorry, but this Doper who has lived in Winnipeg for almost 30 years is just sitting and laughing his ass off. 😃 You Americans don’t know winter. 😃 > [@](#): > > Lake effect snow from the Greats Lakes makes winter something of a different than winters inland. Yes, but I don’t think the snow is what us prairie dogs are laughing about. From the Wiki article [Geography and climate of Winnipeg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_and_climate_of_Winnipeg) - “According to Environment Canada, Winnipeg is the coldest city in the world with a population of over 600,000.” Compare the chart of average daily high and low temperatures for [Winnipeg](http://www.livingin-canada.com/climate-winnipeg.html) and [Buffalo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo,_New_York#Climate) - the daily average high in Winnipeg is colder than the daily average low in Buffalo. Buffalo gets more snow most years, but Winnipeg is way harsher in terms of temperature and wind chill. And we sneer at anyone who can’t take it, even though we bitch about it to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801/53 "2009-11-27T05:07:00Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > \ > And we sneer at anyone who can’t take it, even though we bitch about it to each other. Exactly. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-living-in-a-northern-state/518801.md?page=2)