Let's Talk About the Weather

On Monday the high in St. Paul was -2 (Fahrenheit).  The windchill was somewhere in the mid-negative-20s, or maybe colder.  But what's the point of quibbling over a few degrees at temperatures that low?  It was too darn cold.  I had off work because of Martin Luther King Day and the kids and I stayed holed up in the house awhile managing to reasonably successfully to stave off cabin fever.  But I know, cold winters in Minnesota are expected.  "Alberta Clippers" often blow in the most bitter cold of temperatures through the state at this time of year. 

What drives me nuts, though, are the non-Minnesotans who don't think I can't complain about the cold.  "But you should be used to it!" they cry.  Yes, I am "used" to cold.  I don't freak out when the temperature drops below freezing or it snows a couple of inches.  Cold is a way of life in the winter here.  We've adapted.  But whether you're used to something or not, doesn't make it any less of a pain or less uncomfortable.  It's still cumbersome and time-consuming to put layer after layer on yourself before you can even step foot out the door...and then do it again on behalf of two squirmy, whining, I-hate-wearing-a-hat little kids.  It's no wonder that unless it's dangerously cold, my kids wear nothing more than a thick sweatshirt, and maybe a hat, if all we're doing is running to the car.  Non-Minnesotans would think I'm subjecting my kids to instant hypothermia, but, really?  We're used to the cold, right? 

But let's talk about dangerously cold.  No matter how used you are to cold weather, frostbite doesn't care.  Even though I own proper winter gear and know how to dress for cold and wintry conditions, there's a point where it's just not worth going outside, either because of the effort involved, or the real risk of frostbite.  As much as I love going out for walks with the kids as often as possible, snow and cold make that difficult or impossible when I'm trying to push a stroller over snow-packed sidewalks or the kids can't stay warm enough because they're sitting in the stroller instead of working up a sweat by staying on the move.  Resigning myself to staying indoors wasn't as big an issue when I was kid-less, but little kids need space to run and use their outside voices without being hushed.     

And then there's winter driving, my least favorite of winter's inconveniences.  Again, a few inches of snow doesn't send me into a panic and I'm "used" to winter driving.  But the laws of physics still apply to Minnesota roads.  You put snow in any amount on a road and it's going to be slippery.  Heck, rain makes roads slippery.  Slick road require even experienced winter drivers to drive slower, which means commutes take FOREVER, even after a one-inch snowfall.  So it's not driving in the snow that raises my stressful level sky high, it's the commute.  And while I praise Minnesota's prowess at snow removal - in no other place in the country do I know if a system where when it snows, everyone knows when to remove their cars from what roads so they can be plowed - sometimes the snow comes down too fast and the reality is that road salt isn't going to do much good in really low temperatures. 

As much as life would be easier if it didn't get so darn cold here, Minnesota would lose some of its character without its long, hard winters.  And when you spend winter after winter digging out your car after snowstorms, enduring long commutes, preheating your car before you can pack up the kids, and wearing holes in your wool socks, I think then one does deserve the right to cry that the whole rigmarole has gotten old.