<p>Newmass: I completely agree. Minneapolis is colder than Chicago. Pretty much the entire state of Minnesota is colder than Chicago. However, if the OP lived in Minnesota, she wouldn't have started this thread.</p>
<p>The OP lived in Chicago as a wee tyke...but it's been a long time since those halcyon days! These days, we get hit-and-miss snow/ice/cold in the mid-Atlantic. My main goal here was to get a sense of timing as to when the cold really hits so we know what to pack. </p>
<p>Suffice it to say that the ability to wear flip flops in January was not an important criterion in S's college selection. ;)</p>
<p>Waiting a bit will also let your son decide what type of coat he wants. Mine wanted a peacoat, not a parka, and I ended up ordering it online for him. </p>
<p>An important point to remember is that Chicago does have downtown stores, and a lovely public transit system to get to them. An expedition to downtown Chicago (lead by RAs or O-aids) may be a part of O-week at your son's house.</p>
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Pretty much the entire state of Minnesota is colder than Chicago.
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<p>Great! I live in Minnesota and I was starting to get freaked out that Chicago was hyper-cold, coldest place on the face of the globe or something.</p>
<p>LOL, winters here really aren't that bad. They could be lots worse-- there could be piles of snow obstructing walkways and there could be hills to walk up/fall down. My parents tried to trick me into thinking that Chicago winters were awful in their grand conspiracy to keep me out of the midwest and closer to home for college. Guess what? Didn't work. ;-)</p>