<p>I'm from texas and considering the university of minnesota, but I'm not sure if I could handle the cold. What do yall do during the winter? I have heard you wear layers, but what about pants? How can you layer blue jeans? Do people still go out during the winter?</p>
<p>"Going out" in the winter pretty much consists of driving somewhere and going inside. You definitely won't want to be out in the cold for long periods of time - unless you're planning on sledding, skiing, or snowboarding that is. Your options for entertainment in the winter aren't all that bad...there's definitely plenty to do. If you want to be outside, things like skiing and snowboarding are pretty fun, otherwise you can do normal indoor activities like shopping. As far as pants go, a pair of blue jeans is fine for just walking around...usually it's only your torso and extremities that get cold, despite the layering. The buildings here are designed with the weather in mind, so you really never have to walk to far outside before you can continue indoors to your destination. The University's underground tunnel system is pretty useful in this regard. </p>
<p>I've lived in Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky in addition to Minnesota, and the weather here is the worst by far; you'll definitely learn to appreciate the summer. That being said though, it is tolerable. Getting used to the cold isn't as bad as you would think. For every day that is -30 degrees, there are another two or three days that are around +10 to +20. Sure, the weather's not so hot (yes, pun intended) but I do not think you should automatically assume that it is too cold for you to live here.</p>
<p>Yeah, you layer and wear really warm jackets/hats/scarves/gloves. You can't really layer jeans, but it's passable. I mean it's cold, but it's not like you'll die. If you're really cold I'm sure you can wear sweatpants with like leggings underneath or something, that should be warm enough.</p>
<p>I get this question a lot whenever I go somewhere warm and meet people from "warm" states. Personally, I don't think it is that bad, but that's just cause I'm very used to it. Here is kind of what you can expect if you come here:</p>
<p>Yesterday and today have been the two warmest days here in months. Yesterday it got up to 45 degrees and I wore a t-shirt outside cause I was overheating in a jacket, and today it was like 35 and I was still very hot. Everyone was commenting on how great the weather was and I think anyone that had lived here for the past few months would have thought it was very nice out. However, if you got off a plane from Texas, you probably would have thought it was very cold. Whenever someone asks me how I survive the winters, I tell them that once you got used to it, it's really not that bad. Of course, there are some days (not many) that are that bad. Early this January we had a stretch of three days where it never got above negative 20 degrees. It was terrible, even for me who has lived in Minnesota for nine years now. The thing is, anyone can survive the winters if they can just handle teens. Most weeks in the winter, you get like four days around 15, two days around 5-10, and one day around 20 or 25. If you can handle being outside on those five days in double digits, you are fine. And for those two days in single digitsor below zero, just use the skyways or tunnels. The Minneapolis skyway system is the biggest in North America (maybe the world, I'm not sure), and the U has a good tunnel system for you to get around in. Even if you think you could not handle the teens, I bet you could once you get used to it. And one the flip side, the springs and summers are perfect! You are living in a beautiful area and it is always around 75 or 80. There are trees everywhere and it is a great place to be.</p>
<p>And as the saying goes, "If you're too cold, you aren't wearing the right clothes." Just dress warm and you should be fine. As for pants, jeans will work just fine. You're legs don't get cold as fast as the rest of you're body, so if you aren't out for hours you should be fine.</p>
<p>Also, coming from Texas, you can experience some of the great things Minnesota has to offer that you couldn't do in Texas. You can build snowmen and go skiing and go to hockey games. The hockey games are really a blast and we are one of the best teams in the country. Once you spend some time here, it's not that bad with a few rare exceptions. I would definitly recommend coming here and not worrying about the weather. It is a great place to be.</p>
<p>jeez, all these posts at the same time...we must like to talk about our weather a little too much :-)</p>
<p>I second what jkaufman said. I'm from WI but my brother visits his friends at Minnesota all the time and says the tunnels/skyways are really nice. You'll def. have to bundle up in a winter jacket, gloves, hat, etc. when outside, but I don't think the weather is soooo cold that someone from Texas couldn't handle it knowing what to expect beforehand. </p>
<p>Nobody layers over jeans or anything...you could wear long underwear--but who does that?? I think wearing jeans is fine, or comfy warm sweatpants. Just make sure you wear layers on top and on your hands/head.</p>
<p>Don't worry about your legs -- they won't be cold. If you wear a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and a decent winter jacket, along with hat and gloves, you'll be fine as long as you're moving and only outside less than a half hour or so. </p>
<p>You'll get used to it quick. I wouldn't base school choice on weather at all.</p>