Dear Tom,
I moved to Chicago several months ago and I've heard that winters here are brutal. Does the cool weather now mean this winter will be even more brutal than usual?
Tami
Dear Tami,
Take heart. A review of Chicago's autumn and winter temperature statistics in years past shows that a chilly October (such as we're experiencing this year) is usually followed by an abrupt temperature turnaround. Winter is cold, of course -- Chicago's winters are always cold -- but a winter with above-normal temperatures often follows an October with subnormal temperatures.
May we take exception to your characterization of Chicago winters as "brutal"? We believe that's too harsh. If you moved here from a milder climate, as your question implies, Chicago's winter weather will shock you initially, but you'll quickly become acclimated.
I moved to Chicago several months ago and I've heard that winters here are brutal. Does the cool weather now mean this winter will be even more brutal than usual?
Tami
Dear Tami,
Take heart. A review of Chicago's autumn and winter temperature statistics in years past shows that a chilly October (such as we're experiencing this year) is usually followed by an abrupt temperature turnaround. Winter is cold, of course -- Chicago's winters are always cold -- but a winter with above-normal temperatures often follows an October with subnormal temperatures.
May we take exception to your characterization of Chicago winters as "brutal"? We believe that's too harsh. If you moved here from a milder climate, as your question implies, Chicago's winter weather will shock you initially, but you'll quickly become acclimated.
i have been here my whole life....when does the acclimation begin?
I'm a Florida native and have lived here 20 years and never had a problem adjusting to cold. I couldn't take the heat and humidity, so I suppose we all have different internal thermostats!
Great news Tom! We need an Indian Summer of some sort this fall, we deserve some kind of break from this miserable weather... and tell Ron that he might need to get a thicker skin, Chicago winters are pretty easy compared to most...
Tom is correct that "brutal" is too harsh a term to describe Chicago winters, at least most of the time.
I will have to disagree with Tom when it comes to describing the past two Chicago winters. 2007-2008 was "brutal", and worse, 2008-2009 was simply monstrous. You can thank your lucky stars that you missed those ordeals!
I believe Tom is correct in his prediction that we may get a break this year; if not because of el nino, then simply due to the law of averages.
-Michael
The Farmer's Almanac is saying a brutual winter here, but You are saying it's going to be a mild winter, due to El Nino. Who should we believe?
Just how accurate is this "Farmer's Almanac"? Wasn't it written quite some time ago? Although I like to keep an open mind about the paranormal, I sincerely doubt that those almanac writers are able to predict the future accurately, simply by using a "black box" and historical trends.
I would put my money on where the science is. El nino should bring us a gentler winter this year. There's no question that it will affect us, as it has already made its presence well known. We had practically no Atlantic hurricanes, which is an effect of el nino, and California has already had a couple of major storms with copious rainfall. Whenever storms come into California and then travel east, the low pressure system with its counterclockwise flow will push warm air into Chicago. Therefore, instead of the relentless, nonstop "arctic express" (which we had to endure for the entire month of January 2009), our weather will originate from a variety of systems - therefore promising that there will be mild periods this winter, and not just the usual 50-day string of subfreezing temperatures.
By the way, just what exactly did the "Farmer's Almanac" predict for January 2009? Did they accurately predict the coldest month in 25 years?
Chicago doesn't have any real winters anymore. I moved here from Milwaukee (90 miles north) in 1984. It was about that time that I noticed winters becoming milder and milder on the whole. We still had some winters with at least a week or two of sub-zero temps when the lake would freeze completely over and the snow would crunch when walked on. One also had to dress in a "moon suit" that totally sealed outside air off, else even a tiny pencil hole could permit a totally bone chilling freeze beneath even the heaviest parka's insulation.
All that has changed. Now, most of winter is above freezing and the snow melts before it has much of a chance to really build up. The days of snow piles in the shade persisting through April are gone (or so it seems).
I, for one, miss those real winters. Nowadays, winter is wimpy.