Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls Weather you do or weather you don't... ;)

This current spate of very cold weather with lots of snow has led to a number of discussions on IRC between the north Americans and the rest of the world concerning... snow. Basically, do you love it or loathe it?

Some of us in the UK have been extremely envious of our Canadian and American FoLC friends currently living with six inches or more of snow, and have been eagerly watching the sky this week waiting for those long-promised snowflakes to fall, whereas the Americans and Canadians are groaning and longing for it all to melt, and wishing that UPS would ship it all over to us.

(Incidentally, if you'd like to see what just one inch of snow does to us in the UK, see here .

So... snow. Love it or loathe it?


Wendy

Snow? Ohhh, it's that white stuff that comes down during that strange season called 'winter'. Rather amused, I voted for 'other'. Yes, I love snow. But I happen to love the 4 inches we've had in the past 16 years that I've been in Alabama. Our winter here is more appropriately named 'January'. By next week I should be in short sleeved shirts again.

JD

&#9834 When the wise men gather together,
They wisely speak of the weather;
For any of them can see weather --
Whether it's rain, or whether it's snow.

But if anyone asks them weather --
Whether there will be change in the weather.
Then they all answer together,
"Weather is weather, whether or no!" &#9834



I'm sorry, what was the question?

Right, snow! I am happy to live in SoCal, where I never ever have to shovel snow, dig out my car, etc. But I do miss snow on occasion, and like visiting places that have it. For like a week. Then I want back to the warmth!

Snow isn't something we get to see often here in Athens (not lots of it, anyway).
I do like it, but I'm not like my brothers, who'll go out running to play with it. If I'm in, I'll stay in. If I'm out... I may throw a few snowballs

AnnaBtG.

As a born and bred Minnesotan, I feel obligated to chime in. We have recently got around 6 inches of snow here in the Twin Cities, and are in the middle of a week of all sub-zero temperatures. Never have I seen so many smiles on the faces of passerbys!

Bring on the snow!! Bring on the cold! I am going sledding tonight, and even though I won't be able to feel my toes, I will revel in our 6 months of winter (late Oct-mid April).

I had to vote for other. There's no in-between option. I like the snow, but only for a couple of days. It's fun to play in. It looks amazingly cool in the environment where I live. Plus, it's nice to cover for the paper or magazine.

I also know it causes major traffic jams here, with deadly crashes sometimes. Trains and busses are sure not to ride on time anymore (okay, one can wonder if they ever did to start with). So, with the promise of snow tomorrow, roads will be dangerous here. It's rather like the article Wendy showed. Actually, it already happened today, when there were just a few drops of snow.

But the real reason I want lots and lots of snow is because I want to play hooky from work. At the moment it's so boring and I'm counting the days till I'm done there (23 woohoo!). So a few days off for such a reason is wonderful. Plus, it means I can have snow fights with the neighbors. <g> Yeah, let it snow tonight!

Saskia

I also voted "Other".

I live in Puerto Rico and, obviously, we don't get snow here (or cold, for that matter.) But I feel I'm qualified to comment, as I grew up in upstate NY and went to college just this side of Canada. So...

Snow is beautiful. It's romantic, it's fun, it's "winter"! But I only like it when it's white, deep, and beautiful. When it's brown and slushy I hate it. When it means slipping and sliding on icy roads, I hate it.

Of course, the best part about snow when I was growing up was SNOW DAYS! For us kids, a nice deep snowfall the night before a school day was definitely reason to celebrate!

- Vicki

I'm plain sick of it. I hate shoveling it. One storm was enough for me. Hate looking at it.

/me sends it all to Wendy.

Snow! Now this is a topic I understand

I voted for ‘other’. I have a love/hate relationship with snow. Since the beginning of January, it has snowed and snowed and snowed some more - dropping six inches or more every time. I have had my road plowed five times so far this month. At thirty five dollars a pop, I have spent $175.00 on snow removal. Also, if there is too much snow, there is a danger of having your roof collapse. So when I think of that, I hate snow

On the other hand, last year we didn’t have much snow. Then, when the temperature dropped to the high thirties and even the forties (below zero), all the pipes leading to my house froze. I spent a small fortune putting in an emergency line so that I could have water. Some of my neighbors didn’t bother and it wasn’t until the end of May before they had water again. Snow acts as an insulator, keeping the frost from going too deep. Also, without the snow, the water levels are low and the forest fire threat the following summer is high. So when I think of that, I love snow

This year, we’ve been in the minus thirty to minus forty range now for about three weeks. So am I glad we have snow? Yes! (Is that more than you wanted to know? )

Other. Nice to look at, nice to walk in for the first few hours if you're not in a hurry, horrible after that.

Yvonne

Granted, we haven't had all that much snow this year, but this latest batch dropped about eight inches on me.

As a kid, with a red rocket sled I liked snow, but my affection for snow died the day I got a driver's license. I don't own and snowmobile, or do any skiing. Nobody skates outside anymore, and being old, I'm not terribly fond of shoveling. So, I don't like a lot of snow.

On the other hand... I HATE the bitter cold that we've been having in spades lately. We've been lucky enough to have some fairly mild winters recently, but this year has been brutal. This morning the wind chills were 30 to 40 below, and I got to go out to a job where I got to help unload a truck. It was at a dock, but we could only unload for about twenty minutes at a time, then had to close the dock door because the building facilities guy was afrain his pipes might freeze. Real fun.

I also have the pleasure of not having a garage for my car so it has to sit out in this weather. It would never start if I didn't lay out a 125 feet of extension cord so I can plug in the tank heater. (That's a small heating element installed in a car's oil pan to keep the oil viscous so the car will turn over, an absolute necessity up in these parts)

Yeah, I love the snow and cold... not.

Tank (who thinks Wendy and John are in for a bit of a shock when they finally emigrate to the Great White North)

I need to add a caveat to what I chose. I live in an area called the "snow belt" part of Cleveland. Stupid Lake Effect Snow -- Stupid Lake Erie. I hate snow. Hate it, hate it, hate it. From the first flake in September or October until the last flake in March or April, I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. I hate being cold, hate slipping on ice, hate scraping snow/ice off my car -- and EVERYTHING ELSE associated with the snow and winter.

- Laura

My feelings for snow have changed back and forth over the years. At first, I loved snow. We rarely got it, and when it snowed, school was cancelled. Then I moved from Southern Illinois to Northern Indiana. Where it snowed. A lot. Of course, it was a novelty, so I still loved it, especially when the snowplows put it all in the corner of the parking lot, and we could tunnel in it. Then, I got older and we moved around a bit, and I grew to hate snow. I hated standing in it, waiting for the bus. I hated sweeping off the sidewalk. And most of all, I learned to hate driving in it. Snow just isn't fun when you're driving home at 6pm on a Sunday night, the semi's are even pulling off the road, and you suddenly find yourself in the ditch facing traffic not 100 yards from your exit.

Then, I moved to North Carolina. It rarely snows here. When it is, it's a big treat. The city has no idea what to do, so the cancel school and salt the road. They don't own but two snow plows, so it takes a long time to get it off the road. Why does this make me happy? I think it's hilarious! I'm getting people calling into work whining "I can't come to work tonight, they're calling for snow." Not "the snow is 3 feet deep and I can't dig out my car" but "there's no snow yet, but they're calling for an inch of it at 11pm tonight." Or, they're already at work, look outside, and go "There's a snowflake, I have to go home NOW!" Wusses.

See why I love it?

Well, I chose other because where I live, we don't get snow, we get ice. There is a HUGE difference. When I lived in Ohio, I groused about snow being cold and whatnot, but I actually didn't mind it much. It makes everything look beautiful it's fun to play in. However, now that I live in North Carolina, winter storms don't mean snow - that pretty flaky stuff that piles up in your yard and is (relatively) easily scraped away from sidewalks, driveways and most importantly streets. No, no. In North Carolina, "snow" is freezing rain that covers everything - cars, homes, streets, etc - in a sheet of ice causing deadly accidents (over 2000 in my town in one day this weekend) and wide-spread power outages. It takes approximately a half inch of ice to start causing trees to collapse under the weight of it and power lines to snap. We were very, very lucky this year that basically everyone in this region maintained power. Last year we were without power (and therefore without heat) for a full week in sub-freezing temperatures. I honestly believed (and I'm not being melodramatic here) that I was going to freeze to death at least two of those nights. Finally we had to leave our homes and live in emergency shelters.

So, you can understand why I hyperventilate a bit when I hear them mention "snow" in the forecast and why I have to bite my tongue when people tell me we're "so lucky" to have been declared a State of Emergency. I know they are imagining mounds and mounds of pretty white stuff, but that's not even close. You can have my State of Emergency anyday.

Annie

I chose other, because while I actually enjoy all seasons (and thus winter too!) the snow and cold can get tiring. I love living in an area that actually has four seasons. That part is great. I will admit though to getting a little tired of winter earlier than any of the other seasons. Then again, I start to whine in the summer too. I can only take so many days of 110+ F temps. The same goes for our bout with -10 F and lower temps earlier in January. Snow is okay, I don't like icy roads. More than that, I hate fog. Because I live in a valley, we get stuck with too much fog. I did offer snow to others in IRC though. Was a bit tired of it after we got about 20" in a week or so. Now it has mostly melted. Yay! On to my favorite season, spring!

Jana

EDIT: Wendy, I just have to say that people who live in Seattle don't do so well in the snow either. It is a constant source of amusement to those of us that live on the east side of the state. It starts to snow and people will slow down to 30mph or actually leave their cars on the side of the freeway to walk. No ice or anything, just a bit of snow!

I live in Connecticut and we get a good deal of snow here every winter. Okay, so we get A LOT of snow every winter! Now, this bothers most people I know. Personally, though, I adore snow. I really do. The only downside is having to drive in it. All right, so that's kind of a big downside... but I still love it!
~Lauren

There are three kinds of snow I love: the first snow of the year, the snow that falls on Christmas Eve and hangs out over Christmas Day, and the snow that dumps fresh powder all over a ski slope.

There are three kinds of snow I hate: snow on Easter (happens here in Chicago, even when Easter falls late, like in April), snow that means a two hour drive to go approximately 10 miles, and snow that has hung around for weeks, black and gray and hideously ugly.

My husband is from Buffalo NY where it snows and within, like, a half hour, the entire town has been plowed, salted - everything and people go about their business. Contrasting to when I lived in St. Louis and if the weatherman even said the word "snow" everyone went out and stocked up on bread and milk and refused to come to work just in case one single flake might be seen in the air. Yes, Karen, I too know the pain of trying to chip two inches of solid ice off of my car's windshield. Ice-rain is the worst.

I think that this is a case of "the grass is always greener." If you don't ever get it, you wish you did. If you get it all the time, you stop appreciating it. I like to think that if I lived in Hawaii, I'd eventually grow weary of tropical breezes.

One thing I don't think I could ever give up is the color of the leaves in the fall and those first few daffodils that pop up in the spring. I'll suffer snow if I get the other three seasons to go with it because there's just nothing like that first day over 60 degrees!

Lynn

Buffalo is the only place I can think of that gets the dreaded Lake Effect worse than Cleveland! . . . but Cleveland still gets it BADLY!

- Laura

I am Ukraine-born, but having moved away to Israel at 2 year old I don't remember anything from there. Now, I grew up in Israel, and the only snow they have there is on some mountain in the north where everyone goes skiing and once in a while in Jerusalem. Since I lived right in the middle, I didn't get to see any snow until I moved to Canada, when I was about 12 or 13. Watching TV shows and cartoons where kids played with snow and built snowmen and threw snowballs I dreamed of snow for years!

Well, first winter here was maybe nice, with 3 inches of snow all winter, but this winter has been so brutal I can't stand it anymore.

Just the past week I was late to school 3 times out of 5 because of the bus, which made my friend say that TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) stands for take the car. Couldn't agree more.

Yesterday was the most horrible day yet. It snowed about 20 inches, and it is also screwing with my daily routines (for example, I can't take a shortcut through a park because the snow there is knee deep). And it didn't even turn out to be snow day! I haven't had a single one in all the time I've been in Canada yet and this is my third winter here! The snow is so cold, and it's hard to walk through (when there are 5 inches of snow lying on the sidewalk). I hate it. Really, Wendy, you should be happy because I'd switch with you anytime. At times like this I'm sorry I didn't appreciate the Israeli Climate.

Not to mention I had to walk against wind flow and snow in your face isn't very pleasant.



Does this look very appealing?!

Julie (who is happy to stay in but has an exam tomorrow at 9 AM )

What Annie said. I'm not particularly fond of snow, but I *hate* ice storms. We had a system go through on Sunday and the schools are *still* not open again. Even if it gets above freezing in the daytime, everything freezes solid again overnight. I've been complaining to everyone.

Let's just put it this way -- if forced to choose between a hurricane and an ice storm, I'd pick the hurricane.

PJ

Well, most of you know my thoughts on this one.

I've been complaining for years that we don't get the winters we used to when I was a kid and this one so far hasn't been any different. I want snow darnit!! White Christmasses, not rainy, mild ones! And the list of weatherpersons on my 'to sue' list has increased mightily this week after I was faithfully promised that the whole of Scotland would be mired in blizzards over the past couple of days. The entire country was white on the weathermap! They got my hopes up! Gits.

As it was we had a very light mini blizzard at luncthime yesterday, which lasted half an hour, and since then we've had blue skies, sun splitting the trees and it's calm as a millpond out there. I'm sitting here in the office at home with the window wide open, basking in the sun! It's not natural, I tells ya!

Still...we did get some lovely pretty pictures beamed up from London on the news last night... <sigh>


LabRat

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!!

I absolutely love snow. I look forward to it every year (and I live in a place that gets it, so you can't tell me, "Oh, you don't know what it's really like"), I do have some slight paranoia when driving in it, but as long as I can leave early enough that I'm not rushing, it's fine. And I won't even complain about the fact that the snow plow that is supposed to do our street never gets to it...all season. ), but it was sooooo beautiful! I was performing at a women's luncheon, but they had no power for their auditorium, so we were all in the basement of the church with generators and I had to dance on carpet. What can I say? It takes more than that to get me bummed about winter.

A lot of my friends say they don't mind the snow when it's pretty and white, but they hate the dreary gray sky we have most of the year here. <shrug> I don't know, I've never had a problem with gray skies. Rain, snow, thunderstorms, blizzards...bring 'em on!

Bethy (who has lots of snow this winter and is thus ecstatic)

Hello. I am lovin' the snow. I have to buy a new shovel though. It broke. I'm 26 and I plan on making a fort! Kids now don't make forts.....it's sad. No one plays outside in the winter now on my street (I grew up on this street).

It's cold here too. With the windchill it's in the -30s to -50s (Celcius). The freezer at my work broke. We had to rush all the product outside at midnight last night. I'm happy for the snow and cold to help out there. Felt bad for the fix it guy who had to be on the roof that was about four stories up with no windbreak He was cute too.

What LabRat said. <G>

I enjoy the snow and wish we got more of it, the way it was in the 1970's in the Great Lakes area when the ground was covered from late November through early March. Now, you feel lucky if you get one or two good snowfalls all winter -- I feel cheated! I want my winter!

Here in central Indiana, we got a total of three 1/2 inch dustings in December/January -- totally unfair! Finally this week, we got real snow. We have about 6 inches on the ground ... the light powdery stuff because it's been super cold (low tonight should go below 0 F; highs are around 10-20 F). I think it looks fantastic and I have even gone out for walks at night, the temperatures be damned. The only thing I'd like better if it were packing snow so my kids could make a snowman -- my son is turning 3 in March and has never made one! He's long overdue.

As I've been telling people this week, I'd be happy as a clam if it would just stay like this through all of February ... it can even stay cold like this, as long as we keep getting snow. Then when March comes, I'll be happy to welcome spring.

Bottom line, I love living in the Great Lakes area because we have four seasons. And I enjoy and appreciate each and every one of them.

Kathy

Snow! What's snow?

It's something that's never seen here, or for that matter, anywhere near here. Even in the winter!

Tricia

I love snow..what can I say? i'm a winter girl!

Wait! Wendy? Does that means that there's currently snow all over UK?

I'm just being curious 'cause...i'm heading UK for three days...strictly professionnal. But I'd like to know if I have to bring my snow boots or if regular shoes are okay

Carole (dashing to CNN weather channel)

Carole, don't get your hopes up. We had a small amount of snow this week and, as usual, the entire country completely over-reacted, cancelling flights, closing schools and generally claiming that normal life as we know it was impossible. :rolleyes: Actually, what made it worse was below-freezing temperatures.

Anyway, temperatures are above zero today and the snow - what little of it there was - is virtually gone.

Admittedly, I wore snow-boots to work for a couple of days, though that was largely because I could - I mean, after buying them in Canada I want to get some use out of them! And they did keep my feet warm. But they weren't really necessary from a snow point of view; only from a cold and slippery pavement point of view!

Oh, and if you want to know the weather forecast for where you're going to be, go to the weather page and type in the place you're going to. It's a pretty good site.


Wendy (who still sees unmelted snow on the university campus, but that's because we're on a hill so it's colder, and also because it's been walked on so much that it's hard-packed now)

I wouldn't dare...okay, I would if I was allowed some 'tourist' time, and as it's not :p

they better not do that tomorrow, or I'll be really upset... scratch that, I'll be mad. Believe me, it's a thing you don' want to experience!

I did bought some snow boots in Canada too...I tested them in NYC <g>. but I guess here, i'll go for my french or german ones. More comfy and stylish with a business suit

We had cold wether here too these last days, even snow but, it wasn't that much. It was more for the decorative look of it.

Thanks for the updated weather forecast

Carole

PS: Ireland was great!

Hmm...

Well, the kid in me loves it. Loves it loves it loves it loves it loves it <g>. We get TONS in Farneigh most years... big long hill + all the neighbourhood kids [and some adults, too! ] + absolutely no traffic + lots of metal trays = happy, happy Sara for years and years <g>. There used to be at least seventeen snowmen/women on our front lawn, and nobody could leave the house without getting ambushed.

Of course, now that I've grown up I can see how foolish and childish that is

As an adult... well, when you live literally in the middle of nowhere and the roads are treacherously dangerous *already*, snow [and the ice that comes with it] is a freaking nightmare. Tiny car, big tractor, mound of snow, black ice, dangerous bends... *shudder*. I wouldn't wish it on anybody! I remember one time in particular, when I skidded on a patch of ice and hit off the kerb four times, on both sides of the road. Thank goodness there was nothing coming!!

So I'm in two minds this year <g>. Looking up at the sky, wishing it to snow, at the same time begging it not to Then again, it could be a welcome excuse this year to stay inside all day and paint the pretty snow-capped hills behind the house...

Sara

I live in New York, it is depressing. Snow and Cold and Ice and freezing weather sucks! If I never saw another snowflake for as long as I lived I wouldn't miss it one bit. I want to be in Hawaii or California where it is sunny , dry and warm all year. I get winter depression every year. There is some medical term for it. It has to do with the lack of light. I can not imagine what those poor people go through who live in Dark six months out of the year. Also I feel sorry for people that live in a cold climate all year.

Not only that, but for old people it is a nightmare. You can slip and break bones. People who break their hips die within 5 years usually.Your joints ache and you have to bundle up uncomfortably all the time. You can't get warm and it is dark and grey most days.

I hate it, I want out of NY. I am going to HAVE TO BUY A WINTER HOME IN ca, IF IT KILLS ME.

Anyway, that is my two cents on the matter<g>

Laura

We're all forgetting about the best part of having a brutal winter.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

For years to come, you can tell everyone you know that you remember when...

ML

I forgot to mention that my best friend is from Siberia, and so every time I tell her that it's cold outside she starts telling me that back in Siberia, when it gets up to -10 C it counts as warm. I guess it's all relative, because I had to get used to this after living in the Israeli climate for pratically my whole life (which was no fun).

Julie

We got snow! Lots and lots and lots of lovely snow! It's a whiteout out there. Whoohoo!!!

#Happy days are here again!
#The skies above aren't clear again...


LabRat (who'll admit that she only likes it so much these days because she has no need to go out in it and can watch it all from the cosy comfort of indoors. Might feel differently if I had to slog to work on Monday through that. <G> )

To heck with winter. I'm done with it. This is the second straight January here in Boston where we've had average daily temperatures hanging in the single digits Farenheit. This January was one of the three coldest months ever recorded in Boston (those records dating back 110 years or so). With the windchill it has been absolutely miserable, often getting as low as -20 F (-26 C). It's been a bit warmer this week - it's funny how balmy 20 F (-6 C) can feel when you're used to -20.

I grew up in upstate New York, where we got tons of snow from October to March and I liked it as a little kid, because it meant snowball fights. When I was ten, we moved to southern California, which is where I lived until I left for college seven years ago.

For all those wondering if you get tired of nice weather, the answer is no. You never get tired of it. My parents call all the time to tell me how wonderful the weather is. Every day it's 'gee, it was nice today, about 75 (22 C)and sunny, so we went for a walk on the beach.' This is in December. They get some rain in February and that's what they call winter. If they really feel the need to see snow (which they never do) they can drive an hour and a half to the mountains and go skiing. I'd move back to southern California in a heartbeat if it weren't for work. Why is the financial capital of the world in New York City and not San Diego, CA? What were they thinking?


Rac

I haven't been anywhere near an Internet connection for two weeks, but I'm back shortly since I'm spending part of this weekend at Wendy's. And I can definitely answer this poll since we had snow in Manchester last week, for which I was extremely happy. It only lasted for a couple of days, since the Manc drizzle made it turn into sleet then ice (it hasn't always been funny walking to work in the morning on the very slippery pavement). Nevertheless, I love snow. Back in my part of France, we rarely ever get any (I think the last time we had snow that sticked to the ground for a couple of days was six years ago). So you can imagine how excited I was on Tuesday evening, when huge snowflakes started to fall and cover everything.

Kaethel

I love snow. I spent much of my childhood living in northern Virginia where it snowed reliably during the winter. Snow days off from school were a regular occurrence. Since leaving home for college, I'd been living in southern California and in the Pacific northwest, neither susceptible to much snow.

I miss it. This winter, we actually got enough snowfall/ice that we were stuck in our house for four days. While that isn't fun, I did like the fact that our kids got to see snow and play in it!