[TomM]

Living in Florida, I don't really have to worry about winter weather. I am interested in finding out when your warm weather riding turns into cold weather cycling and how fast the change happens.

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[clevernamehere]

hmmm... I've been curious as well as to what people here consider the start of "winter riding".
For us, Halloween is often the first of the colder weather (kinda subjective though)... not uncommon to have an early snowfall around the end of October. First snow that stays is often November, sometimes December.

For myself, I won't really consider it winter riding 'til there's snow on the ground.

[bkrownd]

Never. :( I'm in serious winter withdrawl after 12 years away from Minnesota.

Winter starts when the first snow STAYS on the ground. It ain't winter without snow.

[papedaler]

Living in Florida, I don't really have to worry about winter weather. I am interested in finding out when your warm weather riding turns into cold weather cycling and how fast the change happens.

For me it's usually the middle of November. Every year I go down to Florida for the first two weeks of November and by the time I get back up North it's usually cool enough to call for the tights and long sleeve jersey. After that, when the windproof jacket gets called into duty differs from year to year.

[Walkafire]

HALLOWEEN.... (my Daughter's Birthday) is usually our first Snow here

[HiYoSilver]

agree halloween

[SteveE]

No real winter here in the Bay Area. It just gets wet. Even then, it's usually not extended periods of torrential rain.

[Portis]

Here in Kansas we start to get winter like weather in October. However "winter" really doesn't start until it does on the calendar. December,January and February are COLD and usually lots of snow. There is usually no let up during these months.

Even though it often snows and gets cold in November and October, it usually doesn't last long and more moderate weather usually displaces it.

[recneps345]

Might get one snow with a couple of inches of accumulation in Jan or Feb. It wont get below 40 until around mid December. Jan and Feb are typically high 50-55 and low 35ish.

[foggydew]

I grew up in Alberta and commuted by bicycle as an adult in Edmonton for seven years. Winter usually started in late October or early November when the temperature would dip well below freezing, snow or no snow. Usually, snow was on the ground to stay by mid-November but I remember one year in the 80's when the first snow did not come until Dec 20th or 21st. When the snow came, I would put my bike away until the spring - usually in March sometime.

I moved to the west coast of British Columbia (close to the Washington border) in 1988 where winter took on a whole different meaning in the form of rain and more rain and more rain. There isn't much snow here but that doesn't matter, winter in this part of BC IS RAIN starting in mid-October and going strong right through the winter months until March. No snow but still very much a winter!!

[svwagner]

for us, anytime between halloween and thanksgiving for the first snow. but it'll be chilly before that.

...i can't wait.

[Rodney Crater]

...For us, Halloween is often the first of the colder weather (kinda subjective though)... not uncommon to have an early snowfall around the end of October. First snow that stays is often November, sometimes December....

Same here, generally it starts getting cold at the end of Oct. The first year we moved to NW Iowa it started snowing Oct 31 and every day after until Dec. Then we had some breaks. That was one nasty winter, 2000. The winters since have been milder thus far but I've a feeling this year is going to be another whopper!

[Cromulent]

It doesn't usually (knock on wood) get really cold around here until late December/beginning of January. Last December, around Christmas, there were a couple of days that I was able to bike to work in shorts and a long sleeve jersey with a couple of layers under it.

January and February can be bitter and monsterous (relatively speaking). It can snow here as late as the middle of May.

[* jack *]

January and February. Not much snow, but the ice storms are brutal.

[Zin]

Well, here in the "Chinook Zone" snow does not normally stay all winter. We'll have snow come and go over the winter. Snow storm rolls through leaving a blanket of white. A few days later, a "Chinook wind" will blow through warming temperatures above freezing melting the snow away. Cold is cold. Winter is winter. ;)

[pinkrobe]

Ah yes, the Chinook! -20 C one day, +15 C the next. Winter starts when we start talking about the upcoming snowboarding season during bike rides, so usually by the end of July. LOL Actually, winter is when the first snow falls. That can be as early as September. In fact, if it would have been 5C colder this past weekend, we would have had about 6" of snow on the ground today. Normally, there has been snow on the ground by Halloween. Other years, we've gone for mtn bike rides on completely dry trails on x-mas eve. Weather around here is freakin' nutz.

[CBBaron]

By the end of October there is no avoiding riding after dark on at least one commute a day. The chance of snow also starts about this time but we seldom have more than 2 or 3 snow falls before late December. But from late December until March there is a good chance it will snow atleast once a week. Last year we had over 100 total inches in Cleveland and 160 inches in the snow belt east of the city. Nearly all of it after Christmas.
Craig

[bkrownd]

the geese split last week, the aspen and birch have all changed, it feels like it could snow at any moment but probably won't stick until October (64 50' north)

I loved watching the cranes in that dairy field turned nature viewing area you got there in town. I could almost see a whole block through the smoke while I was there, which was disappointing, but the cranes were cool. College Coffee House was also cool.

[Callaway]

Never. :( I'm in serious winter withdrawl after 12 years away from Minnesota.

Winter starts when the first snow STAYS on the ground. It ain't winter without snow.

Just moved here to MN from Wyoming. Can't wait to start commuting in the snow! My wife and I have a nice car, but she uses it to commute to the Cities. Even when she doesn't have to go in and the car is available I still commute, which is only about 5 miles away. I have riden in the snow/cold (Illinois and Wyoming are the only places I have actually worth mentioning as far as snow and cold go) but never steadily commuted, and from what I understand MN will be a whole different beast. Luckily I have plenty of general cold weather gear and have a good LBS to supply me for whatever else I need! Winter: she's a comin'

The trees are beginning to change and as I type my feet are feeling a slight chill (windows open and no socks on)!

[bkrownd]

Luckily I have plenty of general cold weather gear and have a good LBS to supply me for whatever else I need! Winter: she's a comin'

The trees are beginning to change and as I type my feet are feeling a slight chill (windows open and no socks on)!

I moved away in 1993, but my impression is that MN winters are a bit milder than they were in the 70's and early 80's. (Milder winter can mean harder winter biking, since the snow turns to slop and freezing rain can occur)

[Callaway]

Well, I'll give it a go. Throughout the winter I imagine I will post how it is. There may be less snow, but I am sure it will still be wickedly cold :D