Winter Worries?

Let’s get winter out of the way as it is usually the first question I get asked when people are relocating to our lovely Med City! If you ask the locals, your answer will really depend on what month you ask them. If you ask them in the deep of winter (January or February), many will mumble something about why they are not sure why we live here. However, it is worth noting that for the other 10 months of the year, locals love living in Rochester, MN! Why are January and February so hard? I think it’s for two reasons:

• It’s just a harder climate for these two months with potentially lots of snow, freezing rain and icy roads, extreme wind chills and blowing snow BUT we get lots of warning so it’s rarely a surprise.

• It’s a mindset thing. Spring is too far in the distance to feel real yet.

My Family’s First Rochester, MN Winter!

Winter can be a beautiful time of year in Rochester, MN. One thing the locals do best is to embrace the season rather trying to resist it. From ice fishing to skating, from broomball to snow tubing, from sledding to skiing at local resorts like Welch Village and Coffee Mill (both roughly 45 mins away), winter will fly by faster than you expect. I remember my first winter in Rochester, MN. When it hit I had a two year old and was 7 months pregnant with my second. We had also just bought our first home in the charming historic southwest neighborhood close to the Mayo Clinic and Folwell Elementary school. Armed with my 2 year old and my new Costco membership, I launched into winter survival mode shopping. I was expecting to be in winter lockdown for 4-5 months with two babies. So I stocked my pantry with pastas, sauces, lots of canned goods and enough dark chocolate to get me through the ‘long winter’. What actually happened? I spent only a handful of wind-chill warning days inside with my baby and toddler. Other than that, we bundled up every single day and headed outside to play in the snow. It took me two years to work my way through all my survival pantry food!! Check out this video as proof of some of our fun winter activities outdoors!

What you need to know about Rochester, MN weather!

The city of Rochester does an amazing job of clearing the roads so we can all get about our daily activities. Many local residents opt for snow tires to help make their drive easier. The whole city tends to slow down a bit to make driving more cautious, and there are plenty of advanced warnings of when cold winter snaps are headed our way. Children learn how to bundle up so they can still get outside and enjoy nature and these young kids eventually grow up, learning to drive and have fun in all winter conditions, which will be a huge asset to them.

YOU GOT THIS!

Prepare early. Dress Appropriately

If you’re looking for fun winter activities to do CLICK HERE

Drop me an email or call anytime if you need any help!

Sandra Reid