<p>How hard is it for students from southern states to adjust to the very cold Pittsburgh winters? I really want to apply to CMU, but I live in Florida and I'm a little concerned. I'd love it if a Carnegie Mellon student from a southern state would give his/her take on this.</p>
<p>It’s all up to the individual. One of my really good friends came from San Diego (possibly some of the best weather in the country) and never got used to the weather in Pittsburgh. He hated the snow, rain, and constantly changing temperatures. He swore he’d go back to San Diego after graduating. He’s current in Chicago working on his PhD.</p>
<p>My uncle’s wife is from Hawaii originally, and moved out to the east coast after she was 40. She absolutely loves the variations in weather and loves to go out in the snow to play with her daughter (also a Hawaii native who loves the east coast).</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is cold, but it’s nothing like you’d see in Buffalo, Michigan, or any of the upper plains states. Biggest thing I’d say is if you don’t like wind to get a head band to cover your ears and a scarf for your neck. Also, buy cold clothes before the season hits, otherwise you’ll be trying to buy a CMU sweatshirt for $50 with everyone else from a warm state when the first cold snap his in October.</p>
<p>I came from southern California and absolutely hated my first winter here. After the initial coolness of snow wore off, it was disgusting, dirty, freezing, windy, and overall miserable. Second winter I discovered the magical thing they call ‘North face’ and stopped being freezing, so now I’m a little more of a winter fan. You get used to it after a year and then it’s not a big deal anymore.</p>
<p>However, I still think Pittsburgh snow is pretty cumbersome (the city can’t be bothered to shell out for road repairs or for snow plowing) and I definitely don’t want to live here beyond my graduation date.</p>
<p>It will be an adjustment but not that bad. I have lived in Ohio my whole life and am married to a Pittsburgher. Our D1 is attending school just north of CM. She bought a Lands End coat with a -30 rating for around $40. Just get plenty of sweaters to wear under, good boots and you should be fine. You truly are not outside for long amounts of time, you are young your body will adjust in no time. Probably your body will adjust quickly enough and going back to Florida in the summer will be a bit harder. Pittsburgh itself is awesome, I love anything ethnic and so you can find all of that there. The Strip district is so much fun to explore. The transportation system is wonderful. I tried to talk my D1 into going to school in Pittsburgh but she wanted a more rural type of campus and not one in a city.</p>
<p>Weather changes every other week in fall/spring, but you’ll survive it. Winters are cold, summers are hot. Just make sure you have some warm clothes for the winter, and some for the heat.</p>
<p>How does Pittsburgh weather compare to, say, Philadelphia or Boston?</p>
<p>I’m from a distant suburb of Philly and I’d say the weather is pretty similar. It’s a little windier, gets a little colder in the winter, and you tend to get a little bit more snow due to moisture off of the lakes. In exchange summers are a little cooler and you don’t get the remnants of hurricanes very often.</p>
<p>Both my brother and I went to school in Pittsburgh and felt the city seemed to have exceptionally large rain drops, as well.</p>
<p>My Florida sister-in-law went north to college and has lived in New Hampshire for the last 30 years. She still grumbles about the weather, but has taken a if you can’t beat them join them attitude. She learned to ski, looks forward to skating on the local ponds and enjoys the fall colors. </p>
<p>I don’t think the cold is that much of a problem in Pittsburgh, but more the fact that they have more than average amount of rain. Just learn to dress appropriately.</p>
<p>It rains a lot and it’s usually cloudy, but it’s not that bad. As long as you bring a jacket and an umbrella it’s fine.</p>