@am9799 It’s not always cloudy in the winter. We are in Chicago and it’s -4 regular temperature here right now but the sun is shining. One doesn’t go out for long periods of time but it’s really not that bad and quite beautiful! I think college is a great time to try something different if the student is up for it. Four winters for the four years one is in college could be pretty fun for a student who has never lived in cold weather. Just put layers on and go outside!
@momofsenior1 my D21 is with you! Her weather concerns are nothing too hot and too humid!
It’s not the question of learning to deal with rain, snow, wind or cold; human beings can adjust to pretty much any weather. But since my kid knew he would most enjoy his 4 years at a temperate weather place, he didn’t apply to many colleges at a location that did not possess an ideal weather. He doesn’t ski or anything. I also once considered living in Seattle but quickly gave up the idea when I experienced very frequent rain while I was visiting there. I need to be able to walk and hike outside pretty much any time.
On the other hand, I would never want to live up in the high hill or mountain, or right near the ocean due to weather related disasters. Living in a boring, flat Southern CA suburb fits me fine because I can travel to exciting places, including skiing at Big Bear Mountain.
Mild weather was a big consideration in his college application process and decision.
The weather I was concerned about was the weather in my own area at the time when my kids’ colleges closed for winter break.
When the semester ends, the dorms close and students must leave. But what if there’s a snowstorm?
If the storm is in the college’s area, the college will probably make some sort of makeshift arrangements for students who live on campus and can’t get home because of the weather. But you can’t expect them to do this if the storm is in your home town instead of the college town. And some hotels in college towns will not rent rooms to college-age people.
I was so glad when my kids moved off campus.
When my son went to Connecticut for college, his Christmas present request was “warm clothes”. Keep in mind that we live in Colorado. Yes, we have snow and cold, but the damp cold on the East Coast was a whole diffent animal. When he was in high school, he usually wore hoodies to school in the winter with no winter coat. Fast forward several years…he now lives in Menlo Park. When he was home for Christmas, he mentioned several times how cold it is here!
It depends on if it is a turn-off to the kid. One of mine wanted four real seasons- she applied to schools in New England and the mid-Atlantic region, and will be attending one in PA. My other wants a more temperate climate and plans to only apply to schools in CA and the Carolinas. I may not think weather matters for school, but they do and they get to decide that so I support them in it. It’s not like there aren’t tons of colleges in every type of climate.
Weather wasn’t a factor for me but is for my D19. I grew up in MA, went to high school on CT (where w played field hockey even if it was snowing!) and college about 30 minutes south of the Canadian border up in NY. I was fine used to the cold, grey days and the sun setting at 4pm.
D has gown up here in FL and visited MA every winter. She does not like the cold at all! I have told her that she would adapt pretty quickly and that if she went to school up there she would get better winter clothes so she agreed to look at a few schools. She ruled out all of the middle of nowhere schools - they were too hard to get to from FL but also she said if she was going to try olive in the cold she did not want to feel stuck in the country. She did decide to apply to BC because she says at least she would have a lot to do during the winter. (plus my family is right there which is a bonus!)
After this past trip over Christmas I think she has ruled it out though (if she gets in…) mostly because of the early sunsets - she hated it being dark before 5. It’s funny, I grew up with that but don’t really remember it - when I visit now it drives me crazy!
@Sue22 My dad and brother went to Bates but I don’t know if they ever did the lake jump - I will have to find out! I do remember them telling us about it on the tour and D19 said there was not a chance she would be doing that. :))
Student here. I noticed this thread in the recent posts.
I grew up in the sub-tropics (in Asia but similar climate to Florida) but really wanted to live in a place with seasons for once, so only applied to schools in New England and one in the chilly part of the Midwest. I got two coats (one wool and one parka) and a pair of boots (Bean Boots) between my birthday and Christmas and looked forward to the “adventure”. I’ve really enjoyed learning to dress for winter and also all the fun winter has to offer–late night sledding with friends, building snowmen, and especially ice skating. Yes we do get sub-0 here occasionally (like last Monday) but you get used to the more moderate winter temps and learn to prepare for the really cold ones.
Since there are great schools in every region, it’s really up to what you want and fine to let it guide your choices–but there’s no reason to be “worried” about it.
Me? No. But D20 refuses to even look at colleges where there is a fair amount of cold and/or snow. Anything above the Mason-Dixon line is already off the table.
I see this as a reverse of people not wanting to go to college in the South because it’s hot. You get used to it.
@socaldad2002 , it really depends on how affected a person is by the weather. Some people aren’t bothered by cold and snow; others are. I could never again live in the PNW because of the relentless gloom during certain seasons. To me, that’s worse than frigid temps and sun, which we frequently get in New England after a big storm blows through.
For a student going from hot to cold climates, it does take a few weeks to adjust, and you may not know what clothes you’ll need for bitter cold until you’re in it. When I went off to college from northern California to Massachusetts, I thought the parka I used for skiing at Lake Tahoe would be sufficient for the winter. Wrong. I called my parents and told them I needed a serious down coat or a plane ticket home. They didn’t know anything about LLBean back then, so they ordered from a company in Canada. I had that coat for at least 10 years.
ETA: I still hate the climate in New England, but it’s home and I’m used to it.
Once they get used to it, on a warm January day (almost any day sunny and above freezing), I see students strolling across campus (Northern Plain) in flip flops and shorts, including those who’ve come from California and the deserts of Nevada. And seeing somebody revel in snow for the first time, like a group of international students from Africa, is pretty cool. They get used to it. And believe it or not, there are those us who prefer the cold and wonder how y’all can stand the hot sun day after day. I’ve had skin cancer once already, like I want MORE sun exposure?
We are hardy Chicagoans. One kid was briefly considering college in Arizona. She was given a joking mini-lecture by another parent who said “Don’t do it! Midwest kids CANNOT HANDLE all that good weather! You need weather where you’ll stay inside and study!”
It was funny.
If you are going to be concerned about weather you should also be concerned about earthquakes and wildfires at UCLA and Berkeley, hurricanes and floods at Rice, tornadoes at WUSTL and Vanderbilt etc.
Many people do feel colder in the same temperature as they get older. That may be why senior citizens move to warm places like Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii, and why mothers and grandmothers are always nagging kids to put on jackets even though the kids do not think it is that cold.
In the midwest our weather can change dramatically within 24 hours. I’ve seen tornado’s one day and snow the next. My dd loved fleece lined tights in this weather. Nanook of the north is the fashion in Chicago in these temperatures.
Referring to Colorado…
Young and male tends to correlate to greater cold tolerance, so it is not surprising that they and their parents have different ideas about dressing for the weather.
I lived in Pasadena, Washington DC New York, Boston, East Africa and numerous other places, and have enjoyed them all. I still have fond memories of the blizzard of '78 that cancelled classes and had us building snow tunnels and igloos in the courtyards of our dorms. Not to mention the ski jump on the library steps! My SIL grew up in Florida and how lives in NH she’s learned to love ice skating on the ponds and skiing in the winter. The ponds are lovely for swimming in the summer too.
IMO the worst weather is the super hot muggy stuff you’d get in DC in the summer. Winter weather is great for brisk walks, and except for a few really windy and wet days, it’s mostly not something you “endure”, it’s fine. Really.
I can’t imagine spending more than a few hundred on perfectly adequate winter wear.
BTW, I just came back from checking some exterior measurements on a house. I didn’t even bother to put on gloves.
@homerdog Have you seen the forecasts for next Tue and Wed? :-SS
I’m with @TomSrOfBoston! I’m originally from the NE. The tornadoes in the midwest totally freak me out. My daughter, who grew up here doesn’t think anything of going into the basement when the siren sounds. Normal to her.
@MWolf I know! Not worried about us adults. More worried about the dog and how to keep him warm enough outside!