Wednesday, February 10, 2010

*Cleveland* Ranked Worst Winter Weather

So yesterday I heard on the radio that Cleveland was ranked as #1 big city for having the worst winter weather, according to Forbes.com. Other cities included Boston, NYC, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Indianopolis, Columbus, Detroit and Boston. *sigh* I felt relieved to hear that I am not alone when it comes to feeling like we are at war with the elements all winter long and that there is objective proof to back my feelings! So curious to get the details, I went to Forbes.com and here is brief overview of why they claim Cleveland was picked...

"America's Worst Winter Weather Cities
Tim Kiladze, 02.05.10, 05:00 PM EST
These areas get the most snowfall and rain, and experience the coldest annual temperatures, of the 50 measured.

Our measures show that those in Cleveland experience the worst winter months. Located on the south shore of Lake Erie, the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has relatively mild summers but its winters require endurance. Cleveland gets hit by lake-effect snow, averaging almost 60 inches every winter and its frigid winters help produce an average annual temperature of only 50 degrees, 10 degrees below the 50-city average." www.forbes.com

Keep reading and you will find 35+ reader comments and opinions. Now that is what I want to talk about because I didn't feel like there were many that agreed...so here is a brief overview of why I believe Cleveland, from a local subjective perspective, was picked for qualified reasons...

Today, and many days throughout this season, we have a plethora of slick snow, ice, rain and brisk wind. The area we live in has far exceeded the 60 inch average (that is why it is an average for a big city that spans ~100 mile radius). Today it took me 25 *extra* minutes to commute my kids to school. I witnessed cars off the roads, I almost hit a bus that suddenly stopped (while mine did not!) and my van hit a slick spot which threw me into a tail spin. Our car got stuck in the driveway...twice. This is a pretty normal occasion for the area of Cleveland that I live in...we are in the thick of the snow belt, the outskirts of the metro suburbs. We have to live with a generator to accommodate the many outages we have experienced for days at a time when a bad ice storm hits typically at the end of winter-beginning of spring. They put black cinder on the roads which mixes with the snow slush and tracks into our garage, house and builds up all over the roads, cars and stains our clothes with only a small rub against the car upon entry or passing...yuck! The wind can get so brisk that the skin on my face gets hives if I don't cover it and my kids get wind burn at the tops of their cheeks and around their mouths. To top it off...we get very little sun during the winter months!!! Need I say more...the winter weather here is harsh! It is terrible! I barely tolerate it! Yes with a snowy down pour my home surroundings are transformed into a winter wonderland and is extremely serene and beautiful...but only while I lay in my bed and look out the window early on a Sunday morning (or go out and sled with the kids, snowboard or hike!) However, it quickly loses its serendipity when it comes time to gather the family and drive to church...because then again we are in Cleveland and life goes on with 5 feet of snow!

So please, I get it...there are lots of places that get terrible weather...worse, same, bigger city, smaller city....but please don't try and say our weather doesn't qualify and please don't complain about not making the ranks. Seriously, if your city was on the list then you'd be complaining about that too and defending your hometown (like the Clevelander's on there...paleez!!).

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