Hellobee Boards

@Cherrybee: I grew up in London and moved to New York City 10 years ago, but I will never get used to a Northeast winter. Last year was the worst, absolutely brutal. When I went to London in January to visit, it felt like a tropical vacation. As erratic as UK weather is, I think I prefer winter there. In an ideal world I would spend summer in New York and winter in London.

Last winter, the sprinkler system in my building froze due to extreme cold! Really hope it is better this year.

@Cherrybee: So I guess my cold tolerance is pretty similar to yours, since we are used to English winters, right? Toronto's kicked my butt last year, seriously. There was so.much.ice. Everywhere! I had to wear spikes on my boots when I was wearing LO so I wouldn't slip. With the stroller, you had to really, really shove with all your might to get the damn thing through the snow and over the road (the bumping is great for lulling kids to sleep though). We wore thick, winter gear even in April. The cold is a real burning type of cold so your skin and hair get wrecked and you cover your entire face if you're smart. Winter had real novelty value the first few years we were here because of the snow and skating etc, but last year, omg.

@loki: People keep telling me that, I keep blocking them out You're pregnant, aren't you? Get a stroller with big wheels for all that snow, the UppaBaby Vista is a beast!

@travelgirl1: @loki: the rumors are similar over here on the other side of the lake, too. Trying not to think about it!

@LovelyPlum: Shudder. I'm so not ready!!!.

@Cherrybee: Oh no, you CAN do that, but you will probably need a big coat on top of the jumper and some heat packs for your hands and feet as soon as you come off the ice And be prepared to lose a finger or two (kidding). Most winters aren't that bad and you can totally skate in the middle of a snow storm, which is very romantic and fun!

@Cherrybee: That's why I like Canada, because there is a provincial healthcare system (although qualifying is not as simple as with the NHS) and a full year of mat leave. There is no doubt about it, England does have a fabulous set-up.

I have to add that the hardest part of a Swedish winter isn't actually the cold, but the lack of sunlight. During the summer, the sun is out from 3:30am to 10:30pm. During winter, it's dark when you leave your house and dark when you come home. What's worse is it's gloomy. It's not uncommon to not get any sunlight for weeks

People actually prefer the snow because during long gloomy days, the snow provides light.

@hellobeeboston: OMG, digging out your car in Boston is the absolute worst. And if you don't it turns to a giant block of ice. And no one ever clears off all the snow, just the snow on top of their car, so then their mounts of snow in between where cars were parked and they turn to big blocks of ice too.

@Cherrybee: freezing rain is wet like regular rain, not fluffy like snow. But when it hits the ground it turns to ice. It's actually the most dangerous weather condition because it turns roads all to ice.

I've lived in 4 season weather my entire life and I'm just kind of used to it. I used to beg DH for us to move to North Carolina where winters are milder, but for various reasons we decided our life is here in the Boston area. Winters are long and everyone acts like spring is never going to get there, but it does. Usually around here it's about 50/50 whether you'll have snow on the ground by Christmas, but by January the ground's always covered. February is the worst month to me because it's cold, the snow is all dirty and disgusting, there's huge mountains of snow everywhere and it feels like winter's been going on forever and that it'll be forever until it's spring. I go to FL every year to visit my parents in either February or March for my own mental health.

@Cherrybee: Ah, around here what we call sleet is already frozen when it falls. It's like ice pellets. It sounds crazy when you're in the car and it starts getting pelted.