<p>Minneapolis-Saint Paul occasionally gets cold, but it’s not nearly as cold as northern Minnesota, and its cold spells tend to be relatively short. </p>
<p>When it is -10 in MSP, it is of little consolation that it is -20 in northern MN and those people might be colder. </p>
<p>I spent 10 years in Wisconsin and skied in the UP. Yes, the UP is colder, but that didn’t make central Wisconsin a balmy winter. It’s cold. Five years in MN, also cold. People going to St. Olaf or Carlton should know that it is cold for extended periods Dec-Mar, just like people going to school in TX or FL or AL should know that it is hot in Aug and Sept. Really hot. I don’t function well in the heat.</p>
<p>The climate is just one consideration. For someone, it might be a major consideration and for others a minor one.</p>