#WeAreMayoClinic
Advice on Rochester winters for a Southerner?
Hey everyone! I'll be starting my nurse residency at Mayo in Rochester in February. I am from Nashville, TN. We get snow here, but when I say snow, I mean like MAX 3 inches at a time. Everything closes down for an entire week, and the roads are a complete mess. I am NOT used to surviving in temperatures long term below +32 degrees. Anyone here a transplant from the south and/or other warm places and have thoughts on the winters in Rochester? Additionally anyone out there have suggestions in general for winters in Minnesota for someone that knows nothing about that type of winter? About when in the fall does it start getting cold, and for how many months do winter conditions last? I have a downtown apartment secured close to where I'll be working at the Methodist campus. It has covered parking, and supposedly has a "skyway" that can get me closer to the building without stepping foot outside. P.S. I know this probably sounds super dramatic to people in Rochester HAHA
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Hi! It usually starts getting a little chilly around the end of October or beginning of November (nothing too cold though). The most brutal months are January and February! It can stay cold until March sometimes. This is coming from a Rochester local lol.
If you are in an apartment with skyway access and covered parking, you should be just fine. You probably won't have to drive except to go to the grocery store and you won't have to worry about shoveling! The plows and salt/sand trucks are good at making the rounds on major roads during/after storms, but you would have trouble on smaller roads until they are plowed. Just be aware that the salt isn't all that effective under 20 degrees, so it can be slippery when it gets really cold. I'm from a slightly warmer place and it took some time to adjust. You learn to dress for the weather and then can handle it like a native. sedaheng is right about when it gets cold. There are some warm days in April and May, but you can't reliably leave the house without a jacked until June, in my experience. The summers are really beautiful here--not too hot.
Hey Noah, I’m from Ky so I definitely understand. Rochester does a great job of taking care of the snow. They have these mini-snow plows that take of the side walks downtown. And giant snowblowers and dump trucks to suck up and move the snow elsewhere. Since downtown is always busy with Mayo they really take care of it. I did notice that sometimes they wait until the snow is all done before plowing the roads. This is at least the side roads. But then it comes through like every 15 minutes. Just be careful on hilly roads like 6th street while it’s snowing. I slid on that pretty bad last winter. Last year the first snow happened right before Halloween but that was unusual. Also learn to use moisturizer and a good humidifier. It’s a necessity! They have their own creation called Vanicream and it’s amazing! When you do go outside when it’s close to zero just wear lots of layers. Gloves are a must. As are snow boots. But the cool thing is there is no tax here on shoes and clothes!! Spring does seem to come crazy late. “March Lilies” don’t bloom here til mid April. And the Redbuds bloom late April. Youll love the summer. Not nearly as humid as back home. I wish I had enjoyed the summer weather more this year. Also if for some reason you do get stuck don’t worry. We might have Southern Hospitality but Minnesota Nice is super helpful in winter. I got my car stuck on a snow berm and a van of 8 people helped me get off the snow berm. People really team up together for the winters. Welcome to the North!!
1) Get best jacket you can afford
2) Get a snowblower and good shovel
3) Get a house with a garage
4) Get a house with a south facing driveway
5) Make sure you are either walkable to the clinic or have easy access to the road that gets plowed quickly/often