If you can't stand the heat, come to the north.

What is the one thing that is on most peoples’ minds, and I don’t mean what happens in the bedroom? I have to say that the one thing that I hear from most people, anywhere I go, is what you do think about this weather. I tend to think a lot of the differences in the winter weather between Northern Maine and New York. Though both places are extremely cold, and both places get snow, that is just about the extent of the similarities. When I was growing up in New York, I thought that there was no way that it could get any colder, but I was wrong. I now realize how warm it actually was down there and sincerely miss the 20 degrees F. weather, especially when it is -10. According to the weather channel, it was 3 degrees in Presque Isle, and 28 degrees in Western New York on 2-2-2010. As any person living in any of the northern states knows, 28 degrees in the winter is not too shabby compared to a frostbitten 3 degrees. It is often this cold in Northern Maine and very rarely in Western NY.

The temperature is not the only difference in the winter weather. You can not forget about snow when talking about northern states. People in Northern Maine often complain about the amount of snow that we get up here. Though Northern Maine may get a lot of snow compared to much of the country, when comparing Northern Maine with Western NY, the western part of NY has definitely got it in the bag. The truth is, the average snowfall for the winter season in Caribou Maine is about 120 inches according to visit Aroostook. It is true that 120 inches of snow is quite a bit, and up here where it is so cold, the snow hardly ever gets a chance to melt. According to Cornell University, the average amount of snow fall on the winter season for Western New York is anywhere from 120 inches to 180 inches. Why does the western part of New York get all of that snow? Well it is because of lake effect snow coming off of the great lakes. The weather channels definition of lake effect snow is when “a mass of sufficiently cold air moves over a body of warmer water, creating an unstable temperature profile in the atmosphere.” This results in a development of clouds that turn into snow showers and storms. The wind then pushes the clouds further into colder weather making the clouds rise higher and the snow to fall even more. Even with all of the snow that accumulates in Western NY, it does not stick around as long as the lesser snow in Northern Maine, because of the increased temps. The lack of snow in Northern Maine makes for nicer driving, but anyone knows that even though there might not be snow on the ground, you still have to be careful in the winter due to black ice. I love the temps and the snowfall in Western NY, when I do not have to go anywhere, but I would much rather drive on the almost bare roads of Northern Maine, than have to struggle to see the lines in Western NY.