Tell Me Why Snow is So Bad

[Catwoman]

I've lived my whole life in the South. I've only seen it snow on a handful of occasions and it melts quickly without any time to even build a snowman. It is apparent that many of the snowbirds flee to the South in the winter to escape the snow and cold. We are considering the villages but Florida is exactly the same weather I've lived in my entire life. I want to experience something different! I'd like to make snowballs, have a white Christmas, ride in a sleigh, build a snow fort and have to bundle up! I feel like I've missed out on a big part of being an Earthling! My husband did take me skiing once so I could see real snow but there was a heat wave and the snow wasn't falling! So, I want to know from any Northerners what it is that makes it so bad that no one wants to stay there for the winter. Give me some things to think about before we make the decision to move to the villages for good instead of heading up north to experience four seasons!

[asianthree]

I love the snow, I go out after midnight and watch the snow fall. Sometimes there is lightning and the sky lights up with the beautiful snowflakes.

Fall is second with the trees ablaze with reds, yellow, orange, purple.

We keep our home up north to enjoy in the summers and I go back for some winter months.

[redwitch]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

[BobnBev]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

You said it all, and saved me the trouble, thanks.:bigbow:

[Mikeod]

When I went into the Navy, I had to go through an orientation course at Bethesda Naval Hospital. There I met another new officer from San Jose, CA who was being assigned to Brunswick Maine. Since I was being sent to the San Francisco Bay Area from my home in New England, we talked frequently about what to expect in our new homes.

Around Christmas, we got a card from him telling us how much they enjoyed their first White Christmas. Around Easter, we got another card asking “When does the snow go away?”. Didn’t have the heart to tell him.

Anyway, be careful what you wish for.

[retiredguy123]

Suppose you have an important doctor appointment tomorrrow and you get 24 inches of snow? That doesn't happen in The Villages.

[Abby10]

I've lived my whole life in the South. I've only seen it snow on a handful of occasions and it melts quickly without any time to even build a snowman. It is apparent that many of the snowbirds flee to the South in the winter to escape the snow and cold. We are considering the villages but Florida is exactly the same weather I've lived in my entire life. I want to experience something different! I'd like to make snowballs, have a white Christmas, ride in a sleigh, build a snow fort and have to bundle up! I feel like I've missed out on a big part of being an Earthling! My husband did take me skiing once so I could see real snow but there was a heat wave and the snow wasn't falling! So, I want to know from any Northerners what it is that makes it so bad that no one wants to stay there for the winter. Give me some things to think about before we make the decision to move to the villages for good instead of heading up north to experience four seasons!

I may have a deal for you. If we manage to get moved to TV in the foreseeable future, we may very well still be stuck with our home up north. (I say stuck, my husband probably not so much). So while we're both in TV for the entire winter, maybe we can rent you our house up north during that time period and you can get your snow fix. In fact, if you want to experience fall too, no problem. We have a lovely tree lined street and beautiful woods behind our house.

Oh, did I mention I have great neighbors up here too? If they like you as much as they like us, they'll even invite you for holiday dinners.......:D

My husband made me edit to mention the nice large 2nd story solarium enclosed jacuzzi that we have at your disposal. It's really fun to be in that while the snow is falling.......preferably with wine on the side.

[villagetinker]

The above replies said it all. Spent my entire life in PA, saw 24" plus snows, so deep and heavy that roofs collapsed. Lost a set of relatively new tires due to rutted roads (32 days of below freezing weather and LOTs of black ice). I was lucky, no accidents in snow or on ice but a few close calls.

IMHO, rent a place up North for say 2 or 3 months, November to February, you will really appreciate TV afterwards.

PS I was in PA for almost 65 years, I had the neighborhood snow blower, I took the bus to work and I remember standing in -40 degrees waiting for that bus. I also have a lot of pictures of various snowfalls and good memories, but I would not go back.

[ureout]

I spent 49 yrs in and around Syracuse NY which averages about 125 inches a yr. which is about 30 more inches than Buffalo gets.. it's not just the snow and cold it's also the dreariness from the constant cloud cover.. you can go weeks without ever seeing the sun..

[EPutnam1863]

Suppose you have an important doctor appointment tomorrrow and you get 24 inches of snow? That doesn't happen in The Villages.

Yes it does - during storms. An appointment can be rescheduled. No sweat.

I am sure a lot of you hire gardeners year round. We hire snow plowers just for our driveway just for four months or so. Yes we use salt, and there are car washes to wash our cars. The only thing we do have to watch out for is ice, and we use cleats on our muck shoes. When it is too cold, we spend our time inside our comfortable house with a roaring fire in our fireplace. I indulge in indoor activities such as sewing, computing, trying out new recipes, reading, and art.

I am sure you spend a lot of time inside your house when it is too hot and humid to go outside.

Best of all, we get to enjoy the four seasons. We have something to look forward to and something to put behind us. We like some seasoning in our seasons.

Yes heating bills can be high. So can AC bills.

[Matzy]

I lived for a certain time in Berchtesgaden (job-wise), Germany. Snow from September until April are a "normal", to drive up the hill (23%) every day with temperatures down to -45 Centigrade by 10-50 inches of snow gave me the lesson to prefer seeing snow through tv in TV.

[Nucky]

Dear OP. There are no words. It is just an experience that you must experience. It’s exciting for sure.

Let us know what you think after you give it a try.

[dewilson58]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

Good list............don't forget about getting older and SNOW = Falls. Hips, Wrists, Backs, Heads, Arms.

:pray:

[fw102807]

Good list............don't forget about getting older and SNOW = Falls. Hips, Wrists, Backs, Heads, Arms.

:pray:

And shoveling...never ending shoveling over and over and over driveway walks and roof like Groundhog Day

[queasy27]

Catwoman, you might consider a city like Denver that can get a considerable amount of snow throughout the winter months but which usually melts within a few days.

I've lived in ND and MN where the snow stays for five months -- the fun of it starts to wear on you. Scraping ice and snow off your windshield after work or after parking to run errands isn't pleasant. Spending part of your lunch hour sitting in the car and running the engine if there are no plug-ins for the block heater. Having to install a block heater. Accidentally leaving a case of soda in your car and having half the cans freeze and explode. Slipping/falling on snow and ice. Sliding into parked cars while driving on snow and ice.

It's not cheap to outfit yourself for winter! Sweaters, coats, gloves, hats, boots, thermal underwear, muffler, snow shovel or blower, salt, etc. The windshield scrapers are cheap.

[Trayderjoe]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

You said it all, and saved me the trouble, thanks.:bigbow:

I have met people who have not seen snow, as well as people who had never seen an ocean. Seeing and playing in snow is fun....in the short term. However, I too agree with Rewitch's post. I will also add losing your heat and worrying about frozen pipes. We lived in Michigan and came home from vacation to find our house at 40 degrees and getting colder. Our furnace had failed and we couldn't get the plumber in until the next day.

I was telling someone that the happiest day of my life was when I sold my snowblower. My wife had a funny look on her face....I wonder why? :jester:

Oh, and when it is 30 below, this emoji doesn't shiver anywhere near enough to match how cold it is.....:cold:

[John_W]

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words.

https://media.angieslist.com/s3fs-public/styles/vertical_large/public/snowicesalt_0.jpg?itok=fJLNO8wz

https://accuweather.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d61044/2147483647/resize/590x/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faccuweather-bsp.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1b%2F1b42f241b6c9ec1d6d0a00 c6e67bf6ea%2F650x366_01300127_screen-shot-2014-01-29-at-8.22.24-pm.jpg

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/MCFPE1/cars-parked-in-parking-lot-covered-in-snow-during-snow-storm-salt-lake-city-utah-usa-MCFPE1.jpg

https://archive.sltrib.com/images/2017/0122/weather_012317~0.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ftNFJv4VIA/VtoMojgvoRI/AAAAAAAAO8A/HFYSkZKkejw/s1600/IMG_7710.jpg

The Villages in January

http://happyvillager.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/How-was-The-Villages-FL-Car.jpg

[ColdNoMore]

Based on 40+ years of experience, I much prefer taking a vacation during the dead of winter to the snow/cold and coming home to where it's warm...than the other way around.

[Topspinmo]

It's only bad if you're a whimp:ohdear:

[Abby10]

C'mon, you people are scaring off a possible future business prospect for me........:1rotfl:

[tomwed]

Let's say you are with a bunch of friends and you need to make a beer run.
It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 70.

option 1--snow
option 2-no snow

which one is easier?

[Topspinmo]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

Actually salt only bad for the unpaint surfaces, the bubbling you see from the inside out.:duck:

[Abby10]

Let's say you are with a bunch of friends and you need to make a beer run.
It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 70.

option 1--snow
option 2-no snow

which one is easier?

Depends - does one of your friend's have a truck with a plow on the front?

[tomwed]

Depends - does one of your friend's have a truck with a plow on the front?
no
Is that what it takes to buy a 6 pack?

[thomp679]

Let's say you are with a bunch of friends and you need to make a beer run.
It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 70.

option 1--snow
option 2-no snow

which one is easier?

Depends on the time :boxing2:

option 1 -- stores are open 24 hrs a day even during the snow
option 2 -- store close by 9:00

[tophcfa]

Snow is fun when you are young, are cold tolerant, and have good knees. Skiing used to be my favorite past time, but with my knee replacement (and another one in my future), those days are long gone. White fluffy snow is beautiful, but then the temperature gets warm during the day and freezes at night and it becomes dangerous ice. And shoveling, plowing, driving, salt, etc..... all are not a good thing. I tried to make my TOV name coldnomore, but it was already taken!

[Kirsten Lee]

Snow is wet, messy, cold and turns from white to dirty gray. I have lived through winters where the sun did not shine for 2 weeks. Where the skies are gray and the snow is dirty. Where it is so cold, that your car does not heat up for the first 10 minutes. I have driven to work in the dark and driven home in the dark at 4:00pm. In 32 years of work I have had one snow day. Snow is fun for kids. When there are big fluffy snowflakes falling it looks pretty but those big fluffy flakes probably happen twice a winter.

[big guy]

We lived outside of Cleveland Ohio for 34 years. If snow was that bad, we wouldn't have lasted that long. When our children were in school and we were working, winter passed quickly and we didn't mind it. We looked forward to the blizzards and snow events and the unusually cold weather (minus 25 degrees was the coldest). We just got out the Chinese checkers, Monopoly and Scrabble and played marathon rounds of each game. We lived next to a park where the rangers would build fires in barrels at the top of the sledding hills. Sledding went on day and night, probably 9 am to midnight. As adults, our kids always went sledding on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, when there was snow. Even after they married, they all went to the park to sled. But they all moved away, we retired and the winters began to be something we dreaded. Mostly, we dreaded the long gray days and the gray Lake Erie to match. In 2007 I said, "I don't think I can look at the gray sky and the gray lake all winter". We left for Florida soon after and visited everyone who had ever said, "Come for a visit". And that was the year we discovered The Villages.

[Carl in Tampa]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for trrain or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

Slips and falls with injuries to wrists, arms, backs and heads. Car crashes on clear ice on roadways that snow tires cannot handle. Traffic jams that stretch for miles when a semi-tractor jack-knifes. Heart attacks brought on by shoveling snow. Days that are so cold that heat pumps cannot keep up and even the "emergency heat" setting on the thermostat is ineffective. Head and chest colds. Grey, bleak, overcast days that cast a pall on your mood as the once-white snow on the ground turns to a dirty grey slush from urban air pollution.

When I moved from Maryland back to Florida, I left three things sitting in the middle of my garage. Two snow tires and a snow shovel.

[rjn5656]

Snow is nice. But after 60 years of it, Florida is a nice change.

[NotGolfer]

Oh let me list the ways.....snow can begin in late Oct. and stay til April. Ice is THE worst along with the frigid cold. Fear of falling comes right behind this!!!! We had 3 record snow-fall winters in a row in our midwestern state....over 100"....prior to our move here. It was REALLY bad up there, from what I hear this past year!!

It got tiresome to have to rise early to blow and shovel the walks and driveway before work only to have the job all over again after getting home. Driving in it is tiresome and many times dangerous. It's pretty for sure but once one ages----doing the "fun" stuff isn't so fun anymore. We'd rather shovel sun!!

[valuemkt]

I would nicely say to the OP that you are probably not Villages material .. Like one of the other posters, I grew up in Syracuse, went to college in Rochester NY and then moved "south" to the Binghamton / Endicott NY area, where I got only 2/3 of the snow that the first two cities received .. 88 inches / year at the time .. Also had a work gig that took me through the Catskills regularly.

My wife is tired of me telling folks that the day I had the biggest smile on my face is when I gave my brother my 7.5 HP John Deere snowblower .. That;s when I moved to Atlanta .. I actually like seeing blue skies and daffodils in February .. If you still like shoveling, stay put .. there is nothing wrong with that .. Someone has to stay back and turn out the lights

[collie1228]

I would nicely say to the OP that you are probably not Villages material .. Like one of the other posters, I grew up in Syracuse, went to college in Rochester NY and then moved "south" to the Binghamton / Endicott NY area, where I got only 2/3 of the snow that the first two cities received .. 88 inches / year at the time .. Also had a work gig that took me through the Catskills regularly.

My wife is tired of me telling folks that the day I had the biggest smile on my face is when I gave my brother my 7.5 HP John Deere snowblower .. That;s when I moved to Atlanta .. I actually like seeing blue skies and daffodils in February .. If you still like shoveling, stay put .. there is nothing wrong with that .. Someone has to stay back and turn out the lights

I think that Syracuse natives and/or long term residents are recognized experts on snowfall. According to Wikipedia, Syracuse averages over 123 inches of snow each year. That's over ten feet for those of you who are math deficient. And if you go fifty miles north to Redfield NY, they average over 350 inches a year (in December over 62 inches fell in 48 hours). I suggest that if you need a tutorial on what's bad about snow, spend a winter in Central NY. I think that only then will you know. I retired in 2012 and fled to Florida to escape the Central NY winters (never mind the calendar - they start in November and end in March or April). Needless to say, I love the Florida winters.

[leftyf]

I'm from Michigan and I would like snow a lot better if it were cold and didn't get more than 4 inches deep.

I would suggest you become a reverse snowbird and go to Michigan for your vacations in Jan or Feb. You will get your fix you need.

[DonH57]

Only when I worked on commercial HVAC did I truly hate snow and ice. The tool of business was a shovel to get to the unit on the ground or roof. If it wasn't a flat roof I'd have to harness to the equipment.

[thetruth]

I've lived my whole life in the South. I've only seen it snow on a handful of occasions and it melts quickly without any time to even build a snowman. It is apparent that many of the snowbirds flee to the South in the winter to escape the snow and cold. We are considering the villages but Florida is exactly the same weather I've lived in my entire life. I want to experience something different! I'd like to make snowballs, have a white Christmas, ride in a sleigh, build a snow fort and have to bundle up! I feel like I've missed out on a big part of being an Earthling! My husband did take me skiing once so I could see real snow but there was a heat wave and the snow wasn't falling! So, I want to know from any Northerners what it is that makes it so bad that no one wants to stay there for the winter. Give me some things to think about before we make the decision to move to the villages for good instead of heading up north to experience four seasons!

I am an ex-NEW YORKER.
I went to college in SYRACUSE. SNOW? They get 120 inches of snow per average year. THAT IS 10 FEET.
Imagine the winter. What is the weather today? Answer SNOW. I was out once and it was TWENTY BELOW ZERO.
That can be life threatening. As you breathe you can feel the mucus in your nose freezing.

Perhaps, like our heat. Snow is pretty IF, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET TO WORK OR WORK OUTSIDE.

A walk down the beach in a snow storm- I do miss it-A LITTLE.

[fw102807]

This says it all

[Nucky]

This says it all

That’s what I was trying to say! You said it way better.

:bigbow:

[Abby10]

I am an ex-NEW YORKER.
I went to college in SYRACUSE. SNOW? They get 120 inches of snow per average year. THAT IS 10 FEET.
Imagine the winter. What is the weather today? Answer SNOW. I was out once and it was TWENTY BELOW ZERO.
That can be life threatening. As you breathe you can feel the mucus in your nose freezing.

Perhaps, like our heat. Snow is pretty IF, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET TO WORK OR WORK OUTSIDE.

A walk down the beach in a snow storm- I do miss it-A LITTLE.

I think that has a lot to do with it. I have been noticing on this thread that those who are saying how much they dislike it also add on that it's because of HAVING to go out in it for one reason or another, and the driving aspects. It is without a doubt beautiful to watch a fresh snowfall from the inside out and then going out and enjoying the absolute silence that can result, especially after a heavy snowfall and no one is out yet.

Having said all of that, I could do without it. But I grew up in the mountains where I experienced a lot of snow and nary a problem getting around because we knew better how to deal with it and there were fewer people and obstacles to get around to clear the way. Now that the weather has shifted, I'm experiencing heavy snow in the city and suburbs.....not as much fun and much more difficult to deal with. We'll see if I miss it but I doubt it.

[EPutnam1863]

Oh let me list the ways.....snow can begin in late Oct. and stay til April. Ice is THE worst along with the frigid cold. Fear of falling comes right behind this!!!! We had 3 record snow-fall winters in a row in our midwestern state....over 100"....prior to our move here. It was REALLY bad up there, from what I hear this past year!!

It got tiresome to have to rise early to blow and shovel the walks and driveway before work only to have the job all over again after getting home. Driving in it is tiresome and many times dangerous. It's pretty for sure but once one ages----doing the "fun" stuff isn't so fun anymore. We'd rather shovel sun!!

Heat and humidity can start April 1st and stay until mid-November.

[photo1902]

Heat and humidity can start April 1st and stay until mid-November.

So what’s the downside? Shocker, it gets hot in Florida.

[JSR22]

Heat and humidity can start April 1st and stay until mid-November.

I love the weather in FL and detest the cold and snow. I play golf 3 afternoons a week and drink alot of water. I have no problem with the heat. When I get home I jump in the pool and relax.
Mid September it starts cooling off. October is one of the most beautiful months in TV.
There is not anything to convince me to move move back sno,ice and extreme cold. I love living in sunny weather.

[fw102807]

Heat and humidity can start April 1st and stay until mid-November.

Yup that's what we're here for.

[asianthree]

I thought most hired the snow guy for the drive. My heating bill dead of winter is never more than $125. Cars of choice, Jeep, Rover, never missed an appointment or day of work because of snow for 50 years, that includes all the 24 hour calls.

Some love to ski, snowboard, and just love the snow. Others not so much. We are able to keep homes in north and south, and in between. I love that first white snow, and if you own the right clothes cold is not a big deal.

[fw102807]

I thought most hired the snow guy for the drive. My heating bill dead of winter is never more than $125. Cars of choice, Jeep, Rover, never missed an appointment or day of work because of snow for 50 years, that includes all the 24 hour calls.

Some love to ski, snowboard, and just love the snow. Others not so much. We are able to keep homes in north and south, and in between. I love that first white snow, and if you own the right clothes cold is not a big deal.

It is when you get 4 feet at a time. Snow guy may as well move in for the winter and was of no use until the roads were cleared. Places are closed and streets and parking lots are blocked. Power is out and generators are running. Our heating bills were several hundred dollars a month. We not only had to clear the driveway but the roof as well so that it would not collapse. I never want to see it again.

[dewilson58]

Catwoman, I've never seen a cat that likes snow.

[Abby10]

I thought most hired the snow guy for the drive. My heating bill dead of winter is never more than $125. Cars of choice, Jeep, Rover, never missed an appointment or day of work because of snow for 50 years, that includes all the 24 hour calls.

Some love to ski, snowboard, and just love the snow. Others not so much. We are able to keep homes in north and south, and in between. I love that first white snow, and if you own the right clothes cold is not a big deal.

I'd like to know what kind of heat you have. Ours is always much higher than that even if we are using firewood to supplement.

[Nucky]

Our last year in Jorsey was approximately $4200 in heating oil and the electric budget was $325 a month.

Couldn't get a person to shovel even if you stood on your head and spit Chicklets, at any price. A girl who lived across the street had m mercy on us and saved us many times.

I always dreamed of the calls to Jorsey to bust on them after the snow. I couldn't do it when the snow arrived. It would have been Cruelty!

[tomwed]

Our last year in Jorsey was approximately $4200 in heating oil and the electric budget was $325 a month.

Couldn't get a person to shovel even if you stood on your head and spit Chicklets, at any price. A girl who lived across the street had m mercy on us and saved us many times.

I always dreamed of the calls to Jorsey to bust on them after the snow. I couldn't do it when the snow arrived. It would have been Cruelty!I agree.

[DangeloInspections]

Growing up and spending my whole career outside of Rochester NY, I personally do not miss snow. Folks who have not lived there think snow is like a Hallmark card, pretty snowflakes lazily drifting down to earth, so magical.

Yes, it can be. However, most of the time it accumulates, turns dirty, icy and gray. Gray everywhere. For weeks. No sun. Every car coated with salt so bad that if you get real quiet, you can HEAR your car rusting.

Old people having to decide if they will "Heat or Eat".

Walk across the carpeted living room and kiss your wife, you get such a big shock your lips blow off. This is from the air being so dry folks get nosebleeds. And you go through a box of kleenex every few days by the constant sickness.

Starting your car 30 minutes before you leave just so you can see through a 6' circle on your windshield to drive. Getting up an hour earlier than you have to just to shovel or snowblow the driveway, praying you can leave before the snowplow buries you again. Brushing off your car and scraping ice off the windshield.

Wrecking tires, hubs etc, from all the hidden potholes. Getting your studded snow tires on and off. Having your door locks freeze.

Going outside when it was so cold it hurt even to breathe.

Pushing shopping carts through ruts, potholes, etc.

Ice damming causing roof leaks, etc.

Keeping the hydrant in front of your house shoveled out, so if your house had a fire the fire department could FIND your hydrant.

Having an icestorm knock your power out so your basement floods from your dead sump pump, your pipes freeze because of no heat, and you need emergency shelter.

So...yes, I do miss the snow every so often, but not that much. I do miss that it can look pretty sometimes, and I miss cutting my own Christmas tree and dragging it through the snow. Some folks love snowmobiling, skiing, etc, etc. Some love the change of seasons....I miss the fall...the color of the leaves, the smell of them, the crisp apples, etc.

Florida is not for everyone, but I now like living here more than I miss some of the great things about the north.

Up north, it was cold all day, all night for months with NO break. At least here, with A/C in our houses, our cars and our stores, etc, , the summer months are bearable. Everyplace has it's good and bad points, and no place is perfect for everyone.

I like up north, and I love it here. Great we live in such a great country that we can even make that choice freely.

Frank

[CFrance]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.
Add to that the snot inside your nose freezing your nose together, wind burn on your face and eyes running in the bitter cold wind. How about driving your car back into the garage with its load of dirty frozen slush around the wheels, then having that melt and make a huge mess in the garage, and you can't hose out the garage because everything will freeze.

Getting into a freezing cold car that you haven't been able to pre-heat because it was in a parking lot while you were shopping.

Walking the dog and having to stop every 50 feet to clean the snow out from between his toes.

Cabin fever. Lack of sunshine. Falling on ice while trying to get the mail at the end of the driveway.

Being cold to the bone.

Why not instead go off on a winter vacation for the month of February somewhere in the tundra and see how you like it before committing to buying.

[CFrance]

Heat and humidity can start April 1st and stay until mid-November.
And snow and cold in Michigan can start end of September and last until beginning of May.


At least in Florida you have sunshine when you walk outside. It was the dreary gray days that got to me in Michigan. Endless. It has been proven to affect people's moods.

[asianthree]

I'd like to know what kind of heat you have. Ours is always much higher than that even if we are using firewood to supplement.

Hi efficiency Trane duel stage room control. Have gas fireplace but rarely use it. We downsized after kids went to college, and now have a tiny home only 2400sf with a 1800sf basement.

Winters are not what they used to be. Our oldest lived in Alaska for 7 years, and now in St Paul. He laughs when people complain about the snow in StPaul.

For us Depending on depth of snow what car comes out of the garage. Cars now with remote systems can be started from anywhere. When you are on call snow can not be a factor.

Of course we have choices on what weather we enjoy some don’t. We love the winter as well as summers up north to enjoy the lake without a gator. I get it as you get older you don’t want to deal with cold or snow. Not sure I will every get to the stage of only enjoying two seasons.

[Schaumburger]

This would be my ideal winter: Sunny and warm until midnight on Dec. 25. Then an inch of snow and temps in the mid-30's for 24 hours on Dec. 25. Then the snow magically melts on Dec. 26, and temps. return to 70 degrees with daily sunshine for the rest of the winter.

I am approaching my 58th winter season in the Midwest snow zone :( If I never see another snow pile or ice on the sidewalk I would be very happy. Snow was fun to play in as a kid, but those days are long past. What I dread is having to allow an extra 60 to 90 minutes to drive to work or get home from work because of snow. Can you tell by now I don't like snow?

Thank the stars my 88 year old father finally decided to hire someone to plow the snow off of his sidewalks and driveway a few years ago. The last thing we need is him falling and breaking a hip while trying to save money plowing the sidewalk or driveway himself. The worst part of winter for him is not leaving the house for 3 or 4 days at a time because of snow and ice -- very isolating for him. Hibernating in the house from December through March is not how I want to spend my golden years. But to each his or her own.

[Abby10]

Hi efficiency Trane duel stage room control. Have gas fireplace but rarely use it. We downsized after kids went to college, and now have a tiny home only 2400sf with a 1800sf basement.

Winters are not what they used to be. Our oldest lived in Alaska for 7 years, and now in St Paul. He laughs when people complain about the snow in StPaul.

For us Depending on depth of snow what car comes out of the garage. Cars now with remote systems can be started from anywhere. When you are on call snow can not be a factor.

Of course we have choices on what weather we enjoy some don’t. We love the winter as well as summers up north to enjoy the lake without a gator. I get it as you get older you don’t want to deal with cold or snow. Not sure I will every get to the stage of only enjoying two seasons.

Thanks for responding. Maybe having to hold onto 2 places for awhile will be a blessing and not the curse I feel it is. At least we're still young enough to manage it.

[asianthree]

Thanks for responding. Maybe having to hold onto 2 places for awhile will be a blessing and not the curse I feel it is. At least we're still young enough to manage it.

Actually we have more than two homes. We have great people who watch our homes, and take care of things for us. It’s nice to not have to pack a bag every time we travel. In the next 5 years or so we will probably pair down to two

[Abby10]

Actually we have more than two homes. We have great people who watch our homes, and take care of things for us. It’s nice to not have to pack a bag every time we travel. In the next 5 years or so we will probably pair down to two

Thanks for the encouragement. Nice to hear some positives to it. I think the key is as you say having people to look after things for you. We have great friends and neighbors here so I don't think that will be a problem.

Keeping things on topic here, at least it will give us time to see if we miss snow.......or not. :laugh:

[asianthree]

Thanks for the encouragement. Nice to hear some positives to it. I think the key is as you say having people to look after things for you. We have great friends and neighbors here so I don't think that will be a problem.

Keeping things on topic here, at least it will give us time to see if we miss snow.......or not. :laugh:

What’s nice about two homes is when the snow gets to much, ya just get on a plane. You will adjust well.

[valuemkt]

Frank, great post .. I forgot about the joy of the snowplow undoing 45 minutes of hard workclearing the driveway and depositing another round of snow and ice chunks to clear .. and of course waving thanks to him in NY style

[manaboutown]

What’s nice about two homes is when the snow gets to much, ya just get on a plane. You will adjust well.

As long as the airports are not shut down due to weather...

[manaboutown]

Growing up and spending my whole career outside of Rochester NY, I personally do not miss snow. Frank

Thank you for your detailed post most of which I have edited out, Frank. It brought back memories.

I took a job with Eastman Kodak in 1970, lived in Pittsford, worked up by the lake. I remember the winter commutes. It felt like I was taking my life in my hands at times as the windblown snow coming down was so visually obstructive I could not see 10 feet in front of my car. My boss had lived in the area all his life. I could not believe how fast he drove on an all white interstate until he told me it was salt, not snow and ice. He had his cars Ziebarted but my cherry 1967 SS Camaro convertible with the 375HP 396 soon started to rust. It made me sick to my stomach to see it happen.

The first winter we had 144 inches of snow, double the average year. The sun shone through the heavy cloud cover only a few minutes per week all winter long. I drove to work in the dark and drove home in the dark most of the long winter.

After I realized what it was like living there I found another job in a tolerable climate with lots of sunshine between winter storms in Los Alamos, NM. It was colder there than in Rochester at times because of the elevation but it was a dry cold, not a damp cold. There is a difference!

As for my time in Rochester I tell people it was the longest 20 years I ever spent in 30 months.

[Abby10]

As long as the airports are not shut down due to weather...

That happened to me a few years back. Thankfully I was "stuck" in Florida instead of up north. Didn't mind that one bit! :)

[jebartle]

Guess it depends on whether it's the first or last day when it's icky!

[Chi-Town]

Why is snow bad? Because it has to be cold first. Freezing cold.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[tomwed]

Why is snow bad? Because it has to be cold first. Freezing cold.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
best answer so far

[photo1902]

best answer so far

Amen to that!

[NotGolfer]

I forgot to add....try driving in Winter sometime. You think it's bad here? Folks drive crazy then spin out on the ice. Ice-covered roads are THE worst. Sometimes we not only had snow BUT freezing sleet (rain) that stuck to everything. At times the power would go out. One year that I remember---all the southern third of the state of Wisconsin had NO power for days. Try that in frigid winter. Oh the snow is pretty and I used to like to watch it fall (from inside where it was warm). I used to love to snow-mobile and to down-hill ski---but I was young then too. Also to ice skate and slide down hills---even more young then. BUT to bundle up to just go out for the mail, to have those sets of clothing plus boots (which track in all the ice and crud). Do NOT miss any of it anymore. Year around shorts and sandals are the way to go these days.

[DangeloInspections]

As for my time in Rochester I tell people it was the longest 20 years I ever spent in 30 months.

Yup...I do not want to get off topic, but there are good and bad things about everyplace, including here. I miss the fall, the apples, the GREAT pizza places you cannot find anywhere here, Beef on Wicks, Garbage plates, etc, etc.

Getting back to snow, I do not miss kicking hundreds of pounds of ice and snow off my car, the crazy ways people park in parking lots when no lines are found, bundling up like an eskimo, sitting down before you open that RG&E monthly bill, chopping ice off the roof, walking under massive icicles praying one does not fall and impale me, Having someone who does not know how to drive in snow rear end me, even when I know how to drive in the snow, watching out for "Bridge freezes when wet" signs, etc, etc.

Frank

[manaboutown]

Yup...I do not want to get off topic, but there are good and bad things about everyplace, including here. I miss the fall, the apples, the GREAT pizza places you cannot find anywhere here, Beef on Wicks, Garbage plates, etc, etc.

Getting back to snow, I do not miss kicking hundreds of pounds of ice and snow off my car, the crazy ways people park in parking lots when no lines are found, bundling up like an eskimo, sitting down before you open that RG&E monthly bill, chopping ice off the roof, walking under massive icicles praying one does not fall and impale me, Having someone who does not know how to drive in snow rear end me, even when I know how to drive in the snow, watching out for "Bridge freezes when wet" signs, etc, etc.

Frank

I LOVED the summers. We used to water ski on Lake Canandaigua after work as the daylight lasted so long. I enjoyed fishing on the St. Laurence River up in the Thousand Islands, crisp air and the color of the leaves in autumn.

What I observed and could not comprehend when I first arrived in June was seeing people up there during summer cramming in back to back activities (and summer seemed very short as it actually snowed lightly in early June one year) as they of course knew a long winter was coming. I laid back and didn't understand why until my first winter. Growing up and through college I had mostly lived in Albuquerque, NM and spent time in LA and San Diego. I moved up to Rochester after spending six years in the D.C. area which I enjoyed; it had some winter but not enough to trouble me back then. Boy did I find out about living through a long cold snowy winter!

[Henryk]

Snow tires. Shoveling snow. Salt on roads bad for car paint. Shoveling snow. Heating bills. Driving on ice. Shoveling snow. Freezing while waiting for train or bus. Shoveling snow. Salting driveway. Those are the reasons I refused to ever live in snow as an adult. Snow is great to play in but stinks to live in, especially as we get older.

OMG, I totally agree. However, I simply loved watching when it was snowing; it was exceptionally therapeutic. It was beautiful. When Robert and I lived in Provincetown (not Providence) we had windows on three sides and expansive forest views. I LOVED watching the snow while making gallons of (I froze it) a long cooked something, such as chicken stock, pasta sauce or even a time consuming supper.

The reasons we moved are:
Ptown population dropped to about 1,500 during winter (from up to 60,000 on Fourth of July).
25 out of 160 restaurants are open in winter—five are REALLY good.
In winter of 2015 we had so much snow (loved it). Temperatures went to 20s, a stayed there for a month. Couldn’t use the front door entrance until May.
In March 2015 I broke my ankle checking for frozen pipes for a neighbor. Robert hurt his back trying to push the truck (!) out, with me, so we could drive. Last straw. Hello, Villages!

I do miss it. A moderately heavy snow storm is a beautiful thing.

[CFrance]

OMG, I totally agree. However, I simply loved watching when it was snowing; it was exceptionally therapeutic. It was beautiful. When Robert and I lived in Provincetown (not Providence) we had windows on three sides and expansive forest views. I LOVED watching the snow while making gallons of (I froze it) a long cooked something, such as chicken stock, pasta sauce or even a time consuming supper.

The reasons we moved are:
Ptown population dropped to about 1,500 during winter (from up to 60,000 on Fourth of July).
25 out of 160 restaurants are open in winter—five are REALLY good.
In winter of 2015 we had so much snow (loved it). Temperatures went to 20s, a stayed there for a month. Couldn’t use the front door entrance until May.
In March 2015 I broke my ankle checking for frozen pipes for a neighbor. Robert hurt his back trying to push the truck (!) out, with me, so we could drive. Last straw. Hello, Villages!

I do miss it. A moderately heavy snow storm is a beautiful thing.
Up until the part where you hurt yourself, you were causing me to recall with pleasure the blizzards at Lake Michigan that snowed us in, the bread-baking-stew-making marathons, and watching football in front of the fireplace. Bundling up and walking on the beach, breathing through my scarf till it froze.

But those were some days here and there, usually in the beginning of winter. Overall, unfortunately, the bad outweighed the good parts for us.

[asianthree]

As long as the airports are not shut down due to weather...

So far snow was never a delay for us, the hurricane delayed us by 2 days, but that was going into Orlando.

The only other airline delay we had was 2 day delay after 911, but everyone one was a no fly, so I try not to dwell on that airport closure

[mtdjed]

You might like snow when after a winter with 199 inches of the stuff, you are praying for one more snow storm in June just so you can break a record. Could this happen?


For those who want to experience a winter, try it for a month just like you would want to try any other place. Then if you still like it, try it for another month. And if you start praying for more, you might want to move further north. If you find yourself going south for the winter, you might not like the snow, but rather the place in summer.

[collie1228]

I still vividly remember my first visit to Florida. It was probably in the late 70's, in February, and I was visiting my snowbird parents who lived in St. Cloud. I left the Syracuse airport in a driving snowstorm after waiting out a several hour delay, landing in Orlando. I was a smoker then, and decided to walk outside for a smoke before arranging for my rental car. I can still feel that beautiful, bright Florida sun on my face, palm trees everywhere, and the soul warming 78 degree temperature. My thoughts then were, "Why in the heck do I live where there is snow and ice?"

[stan the man]

I spent 49 yrs in and around Syracuse NY which averages about 125 inches a yr. which is about 30 more inches than Buffalo gets.. it's not just the snow and cold it's also the dreariness from the constant cloud cover.. you can go weeks without ever seeing the sun..

:bigbow::bigbow:

[Northwoods]

If you've never lived through a winter I suggest you do it! After one winter you will really appreciate the warmth and sun of The Villages.
A snowfall is very pretty. You can sit by a fire and look out at the snow. OK... now that it has stopped snowing, what are you going to do? Cross country ski? Downhill ski? Go to the gym? (you can do that here and the pool here is outdoors in the sun). You can't play golf, bocce, tennis, pickleball, shuffleboard, etc. because there is snow on the ground (unless you do it indoors). Just remember when you do anything outdoors you have to bundle up. It can get cold. Really cold. I can remember going out to walk the dog in below 0 weather. I had on snow pants, ski jacket, ski mittens, boots, a scarf, a hat that covers my ears and a face mask (yes... because it's really cold and you don't want frostbite). It was windy... I didn't make it 10 minutes and it was so cold I had to come back inside. My eyes watered from the cold so I had "ice" on my eyelashes.
There is so much more... black ice, ruining my shoes because of the white line from road salt, having nothing to do...
I lived in a 4 season climate my entire life. Snow is pretty - I don't miss it. Autumn leaves are pretty - don't miss it a bit.
On Facebook, I see all the people from my hometown in March and April complain about winter and wonder when spring will come. There's a reason for that...

[Steve9930]

I've lived my whole life in the South. I've only seen it snow on a handful of occasions and it melts quickly without any time to even build a snowman. It is apparent that many of the snowbirds flee to the South in the winter to escape the snow and cold. We are considering the villages but Florida is exactly the same weather I've lived in my entire life. I want to experience something different! I'd like to make snowballs, have a white Christmas, ride in a sleigh, build a snow fort and have to bundle up! I feel like I've missed out on a big part of being an Earthling! My husband did take me skiing once so I could see real snow but there was a heat wave and the snow wasn't falling! So, I want to know from any Northerners what it is that makes it so bad that no one wants to stay there for the winter. Give me some things to think about before we make the decision to move to the villages for good instead of heading up north to experience four seasons!

I think you should go North for a month in the height of snow season. A fresh snow is absolutely beautiful. Do those things you mentioned. You will have fun. Depending on where one lived up North the Snow is not the real problem. Its the lack of sun and the bleak grayish environment. NO green to be found just a brown and gray all around. Look at this for about 5 months and it will just depress the H out of you. I lived near the Great Lakes and the Lake effect was depressing. Gray sky, no sun for months at a time. As you get older the cold weather takes more energy to cope. The lack of moisture in the air dries out the skin. However when spring arrives its amazing to see life come back from the long sleep.

[Mama C]

My reason to move was because Indiana has a lot, I mean a lot of gray days where you may not see the sun for weeks on end...........depressing

[Tom52]

After 63 years living thru upper midwest winters I've had enough. Think about not seeing sunshine for weeks at a time. This is most depressing. Minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit quickly freezes your extremities and frostbite happens real quick to any exposed skin. Cars are difficult to start, if they start, and take a long time to warm up. Snow shoveling gets old real quick and lots of seniors die from heart attacks while shoveling snow. Driving on ice covered roads is scary and dangerous. God forbid sliding off an icy road an getting stranded in the middle of the night. When it gets really cold the water pipes in your home can freeze up and break. Ever hear of cabin fever? It is real. Our main exercise comes from our daily walks of 3.5 miles. Too cold in the winter to do that so we have to use a treadmill which I really dislike to walk on.

Oh, did I mention that I fell on the ice last winter and spent five days in the hospital?
I will gladly trade Florida winters for upper midwest winters every year.

[JoelJohnson]

Blizzard of 1978! I didn't get home for week and didn't get my car back for another week! Very long story, but it was an adventure.

[billethkid]

Born and raised in Erie, PA....'nuff said!! I remember my father saying if we had less than 50 inches of snow by Christmas it was a mild winter.

I can think of no reason to go anyplace where there are no palm trees.

[porger]

Mainly it's the ice and the real threat of slipping and falling.

[Brandigirl]

Grew up in NJ and lived in WI for 13 years. Also lived in WPB, FL and San Francisco area for many years. I have lived it all. When I was younger, I loved the snow, snow skiing, snowmobiling, playing with the dog in the snow etc. Now that I am older, I don't want to deal with it anymore. Go to the grocery store or Mall in winter and come back to a freezing car. Better have a mud room off the garage as in the winter, the floors get very dirty, especially if you have a dog. Shoveling the sidewalk and driveway. (If you can pay someone, then this may not be a problem and we have but they don't always come by when you need them too as they are busy plowing other people's homes). Also can get Ice jams at your gutters of your home that can over time cause problems. The salt destroyed the muffler on my car. Had to get a new muffler when I moved here. Traffic hazards when driving too. I am not fond of the summers here but I treat the summer here as I do the winters in WI, Stay indoors here except to run errands June-Aug and stay indoors in cold Dec-Feb. Best for you to rent somewhere in the winter first and see if you like it.

[twoplanekid]

People of all ages here seem to enjoy snow at all times of the year. Picture taken this last Saturday while on a visit in Homer to stay with good friends.

[stan the man]

Although I do not stay in the villages from June until October. I guess I am a snowbird but I do take one trip back in the middle of the summer just so that if the idea of ever spending a summer in the villages .................

[ColdNoMore]

People of all ages here seem to enjoy snow at all times of the year. Picture taken this last Saturday while on a visit in Homer to stay with good friends.

Nice pic, where was it taken? :cool:

[Henryk]

Blizzard of 1978! I didn't get home for week and didn't get my car back for another week! Very long story, but it was an adventure.

THAT was a blizzard. We lived in Winthrop. You could pick up fresh fish in the street near the water. We WALKED through the tunnel to see a movie in Boston. Winthrop is a peninsula, so when the governor closed the roads it only took one cruiser at each of two entrances/exits.

I worked for First National Bank of Boston. The data center staff in Dorchester were trapped and raided the officers’ dining room to feed the staff. If I remember correctly, the bank was closed for FOUR DAYS.

[twoplanekid]

Nice pic, where was it taken? :cool:

Explorer Glacier off of side road on the way to Homer from Anchorage

[Yung Dum]

If you have to clean snow and ice off your car in the morning before work, then drive on icy, treacherous roads to get there then do the same to get back home you may not see the same beauty you see now. It looks much nicer from here.

[ColdNoMore]

Explorer Glacier off of side road on the way to Homer from Anchorage:coolsmiley:

[Cedwards38]

Bone chilling cold.
Icy roads causing treacherous driving conditions.
Damage to trees and other landscaping.
Hindrance to emergency services.

[bonrich]

Soft Christmas card snow, lovely! Nasty horizontal snow bad!!

[2BNTV]

Bone chilling cold.
Icy roads causing treacherous driving conditions.
Damage to trees and other landscaping.
Hindrance to emergency services.

Not to mention falling and getting hurt.

A friend of mine had a heart attack shoveling. RIP - Serge

If one has lived in a snow state, one gets tired of all of the above.

It's not fun!!!

BTW - I hate snow!

[jojo]

Except for the first hour of snow, there was nothing to like. In addition to what others said, I hated the filthy garage. Our cars would drip muddy snow and the whole garage was a mess. I love my epoxy floor down here - can walk out in socks. I found cold painful. I love the heat down here in the summer. I can go in the golf cart every day. I play tennis or golf every morning and am in the pool several afternoons. I'm sorry it's getting toward fall because cooler weather will be coming here. January is too cold for me.