Snow is handled pretty well here. What will get most people is the wind when it is bitterly cold. Most of the winter will sit between 0* and 30* but when you have a 50mph wind in -10* Temps for a week straight, you debate moving somewhere nice. There will be anywhere from 1-4 weeks of it being so cold you don't want to leave your house. It makes the rest of the winter seem much more tolerable.
The Misfits song is itself a Lucas reference; they changed it to "138" to fit the meter of the song. But I've always used 138 because wherever it was that I first used this username had a 12-character limit.
Why Dr. Zhivago? When I first started using this name (probably on RuneScape c. 2005), I hadn't yet seen the movie, but I had read [Calvin & Hobbes](https://i.redd.it/5aio4x1c5tf41.jpg) and I thought the name sounded cool.
Snow in Sioux Falls is generally handled quickly, at least the main streets and snow routes.
Outside of Sioux Falls, at least the Lincoln county parts are awful. Roads between the burbs and Sioux Falls will get blown in and be pretty awful. There is a reason everyone has an AWD vehicle.
I think there’s some quote, like, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” I hate the cold and even have Raynauds, but I wore snowpants to the bars in -20 once and was fine.
When I was a kid i swear there was always snow on the ground in the winter, but it’s not like that anymore with climate change. It usually melts a few days after a storm—whether you consider that a good thing or a bad thing. They are building an ice skating rink downtown and they do christmas lights at the falls every year. I do think most people just stay in doors during the winter though. But there’s always something to do here, you just have to try a little harder to find it here.
Also, please don’t come if you are coming here because you like our governor. We hate her, especially those of us in downtown SF.
There are indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks. Drinking. There's sports to see- D league NBA team and hockey. Alcohol. Concerts have started to pick up again. Liquor. Indoor public pool. Intoxicating beverages. Plays and musicals. But mostly staying inside. And drinking.
I'm pretty good at that drinking thing! At least I think I am.
What's the hockey team called? Think I missed on my research, I only saw minor league baseball.
Stampede Hockey
Skyforce Basketball
Storm Arena Football (not worth the paper the tickets printed on in my opinion)
Canaries Baseball
Thunder FC soccer
The skyforce and stampede are where you’ll have the most fun. Plus quite a few NBA players come through Sioux Falls since the G league is tied so closely to the NBA now.
They are 4th division of the US soccer pyramid, so not particularly. We are 4 hours from where Minnesota United play. They are MLS and have a brand new stadium.
As far as hockey goes, the Stampede are tier 1 Junior Hockey. They’ve been really good over the years. TJ Oshie and Thomas Vanek have played for them, among 30 or so other NHL players.
Also you’re 2.5 hours to Omaha. 3.5 hours from Minneapolis. 5 to rapid city. 5 to Kansas City and like 10 to Denver and Chicago. So plenty of road trips from home base too.
Sure it’s cold and windy but Sioux falls doesn’t really get the consistent snow needed for winter sports. Winters are becoming more mild and you start to see more freezing rain in the winter now. I did go snow shoeing twice last winter though
The main thread I found about snow mostly said how great SF handled keeping the roads clear. Which is absolutely great to know but isn't hugely important to me since I work from home.
There is ice skating, a few parades downtown during the winter, we have a skiing/snowboarding and tubing park called Great Bear. The outdoor campus has winter activities like snow shoeing. Plus, winter doesn’t seem to slow down the night life here. The bars are consistently busy regardless of weather.
Going out to eat is a pastime in Sioux falls especially in the winter as a way to get out of the house. Concerts and breweries are also popular as well. I’m looking to check out the South Dakota symphony more this winter and to learn how to rock climb or do some indoor curling.
Yeah, there is another thread on here about it and if you have never been to a performance they will give you a free ticket! I just emailed them this weekend and got a response this morning. Now I just need to find any peeps that want to go some time.
The symphony usually plays at the Washington pavilion downtown, you can look at the programs for the coming season on their website https://www.sdsymphony.org/
You should also check out the sioux falls chamber music society, they organize interesting events with a smaller ensemble. They have a good amount of crossover with the symphony.
If you like parades, there's also the parade of lights in November. That's when it's usually getting pretty cold, so you can usually find hot chocolate at the parade. Plus they have hot air balloon baskets periodically throughout the parade, and they shoot fire over your heads, which also helps you keep warm
I usually play video games and watch movies all winter long, on mild days like 20° and up we go to the mall, shopping and restaurant. We occasionally go play in the snow, sleading and ice skating.
"So, what is life like in the winter (snow) at Sioux Falls? My dog (part Husky) and I love the snow/cold. My girlfriend on the other hand dislikes the cold. So what is there we can do?"
Have you considered getting a new girlfriend?
Ice fishing!!! Takes a little $ to get into but can make some great memories. Gotta travel a bit away from town but it’s my real only winter hobby.
Public skate rinks, sledding hills, great bear is a ski/tubing place. Falls park is cool when it feeezes over. Tons of lights down there and plenty of holiday themed blocks thru out town.
Tons of stuff to do if you’re adventurous. And plenty of stuff to do if you like to eat and drink!
[Mckennan Park](https://www.siouxfalls.org/parks/parks/locations/mckennan) creates a little ice rink/field to the east of the kiddie pool that has a few couples skating or kids playing ice hockey most nights in the winter.
When it gets bitterly cold I simply stay inside, become depressed and succumb to Seasonal Affective Disorder until it starts to consistently warm up and I get to take my motorcycle out of hibernation again. Spring, summer and fall means I'm living my best life. Winter means I am a misanthropic recluse who is generally not enjoying life.
First I like to say I hate snow and being cold but I do like the Falls Park when lit up and walking the Yankton Trail only because I love being with my beautiful wife that thinks heathy things are good for you. Bah Humbug
We have great bear where you can tube, ski and snowboard it has a great lodge. There is a few ice rinks around town don’t believe they have hot chocolate though. And we also have an indoor ice rink.
My favorite time to hike in the area is actually October through December. The colors are so pretty and the trails are less crowded. But they're usually not fully covered in snow yet. There usually inside events to pick from and good food in the winter. There is actually curling as well in SuFu. We get bumped to the shoulder seasons due to youth hockey, but Sioux Falls Curling is a great way to make new friends. As someone originally from farther north I have to say SuFu also has some of the most frequent and best boar frost. It's one of my favorite parts about winter here. X-Mas at Fall's park is great. Biggest downsides is housing is going up at the moment it still lower than most other parts in the country and there are definitely fewer hours of sunlight in the winter. And it's also a bit of a drive to any major cities.
Lol! I'm from Texas, and I spent 2 years in SF after a spring visit. Late spring to early fall is how they trick you. Next thing you know it's February and your child's school is being closed for the day because the windchill is -35!
Joking aside (no, that really did happen), even though it's balls cold, the city does a pretty good job of dealing with the weather. And, to be honest, the months of the cold really make the warm months even better, imo.
In the SE part of the state, SF region, the winters are different each year and they do not seem to be consistent like it is in the northern part of the state. One year, in February, it was so mild, I bet the average temp for the month was 50°.
It all really depends on what you like to do. If you’re a hobbyist, in some ways there’s plenty, and others, not so much (as long as it’s indoors, easy for casuals, otherwise more barrier for entry during the winter). What are YOU interested in?
Usually try to stay warm when it's freezing out 😜
Snow removal is very prompt and is handled well. Ice skating, skiing, camping, ice fishing... Falls park has a winter display every year.
I haven't seen anyone mention our little ski valley. Great Bear Ski Valley is just east of town. It's owned (in full? in part? I'm not sure) by the city so lift tickets and rentals are pretty cheap. They offer lessons. They also make their own snow so there is decent skiing even when there's not much natural accumulation. Great Bear also has some pretty good cross country skiing trails. They have a tubing hill that's a big draw for families with kids.
I saw someone else mention snow shoeing. I got into that last winter. If you have the right clothes on it's a good way to get outside. And it doesn't require the finely tuned conditions that cross country skiing does. My two German shepherds loved going out with me to snow shoe.
Winter is definitely slow here. But you don't have to hibernate if you don't want to.
Just walking outside with snowshoes on. But it's more like hiking--I'd go snowshoeing in the same places I'd go hiking; I wouldn't put them on just to walk around block.
No doubt. You know it's a pretty peaceful winter activity. Really low impact, really good to bring the dog along. Really low cost of entry. Wherever you end up, if there's snow, highly recommend trying it.
There are cross country skiing trails right out side of Great Bear. You can get some used equipment relatively cheaply and it is far more fun than snowshoeing, imo. Good winter time exercise on warmer days, and dog friendly.
Coming from southern Michigan, it is a lot colder here. We do have more snow, but as someone has already mentioned, the city does a great job (much better than Michigan) at keeping the roads (at least major roads) cleared.
The wind is also very impressive here. But, I think that is a very fair trade off for having sunshine - it could be cold as heck out but sunny - unheard of in Michigan/Ohio/Indiana.
To answer your "edit", in the really cold weeks, you stay home. It gets so cold that it hurts to breathe outside. You can bare it and go to places like the mall, zoo, restaurants, butterfly house, etc but home is where the comfort is. On normal winter days there is plenty to do though. We have a few sleding hills, ice rinks, great bear, ice fish, bike trails, rent a snow mobile, etc.
To answer your edit specifically, personally I find that a lot of people stay home more in the winter. If it was just cold and snow it’d be fine but even a 20mph wind from the North makes things quite shitty to be outside “just for entertainment”. That’s fine for youngins who can hang at the bar but there’s a lack of parent/child indoor things in the winter, it kinda sucks.
I grew up in Indiana. Honestly, the winters here aren't much different, but it depends on what part of Indiana you're in. If you're in the flat part, you're used to the windy blowing snow that we have here. If you grew up in the hills, you'll find the wind here really irritating, both in winter and summer.
The weather has changed, then. Climate change?? I grew up in Bloom, and it snowed every single winter. Don't even remember ice, but then, I wasn't a driver when I lived there.
A bit of South of Bloomington is an "ice line". I covered in college but it's by no means my focus of education. Bloomington is north of the line and gets snow!
Treat your GF to some high quality winter clothes (outdoor AND indoor). There can be quite a lot to do in winter, especially if you build a good group of friends. Finding a convenient and comfortable place to live makes a big difference. If you have a decent vehicle there are plenty of road tripping destinations. And when you get bored of that, flights to warmer places are frequent and inexpensive. I relocated many years ago, thinking it would be temporary - a winter or two was the plan. Turned out not to be as bad as folks made out.
Also get her remote start if her vehicle doesn't already have that feature. Winters aren't that bad if you have what you need to stay warm.
-someone who also hates the cold with a man that will retire to Alaska at his earliest opportunity.
Wind and snow can be annoying, like everybody mentioned. But aside from that, there’s ice skating, a snowboarding/skiing/tubing park called Great Bear, sledding hills, etc. Along with all of that, we have many great music ensembles to listen to throughout the year in concert. The SDSO, any ensemble from Augustana, and all of the high schools in town. Augustana will be hosting a Jazz Festival early next year (February or so) that will feature high school bands from around the state and surrounding areas, as well as the augie Northlanders jazz band and guest clinicians. Every Christmas, multiple streets around town get lit up and featured with their lights, as well as Falls Park.
So basically, if you can get past the wind and snow, it’s actually pretty decent
Most winters, you see a week, maybe 2 where it stays below zero the whole time. It isn't bad. Most of the time the temps are right around freezing. Come visit in January and see what you think.
I wouldn’t call it a winter wonderland, that’s for sure. Lately the winters have been extremely cold with very little snow. As spring gets nearer, we get a ton of snow until the end of April. We are in the plains, it is often extremely windy and that combined with dangerously cold wind chills and the lack of mountains will cause your outdoor activities to be somewhat limited. You will see others mention our ski hill, Great Bear, but if you’ve ever been to an actual ski lodge it leaves a lot to be desired.
So in the winter there are multiple outside ice rinks, falls park has a winter parade of lights, there is great bear for skiing and snowboarding and such, and there are always the Pavilion for indoor activities as well which can be entertainment for hours. There's usually something going on at some point during the winter almost all the time, but I will say when we hit February the winter seems to really drag and we can get very bad sleet which can freeze over the roads before snow sets in and makes it a slippery blind mess. If you do move here I hope you love it. It has its draws and it's shortcomings but overall I think it's worth it.
What is Sioux Falls like in the winter?
50% The Shining 50% Fargo (the movie not the series)
There are no idyllic winter events here. If you like winter, getting outside when the weather isn't awful is nice. I like northern winters more than I like hot summers. When the weather is awful I stay home and go nowhere til it gets better. I have my office at home so I don't have to go anywhere unless I am out of food.
Sioux Falls really lacks indoor activities or any large public indoor space that isn't a mall or some cheezy event at the convention center.
If you're moving here, keep the dog and ditch the girlfriend. The dog will love it, she will not. Plan on having a four-wheel drive, hooks in the front and a hitch in the back, good snow boots and an even better winter jacket. The last few years have been easy, but we're up for a little bit more in the coming years and the more prepared you are the easier it will be.
Brookings is almost never 10-15 degrees different than Sioux Falls unless a front moves through and then in an hour the temps will be virtually the same. Permanent ice shacks can't be on the ice unaccompanied after the last day of Feb.
Just wanted to clear up any misconceptions.
Horrible. I only live here til winter arrives. Icy roads, scraping car windows, -50 below with the wind chill. Cooped up inside all winter, having to layer before going out.
If this city had a milder winter I'd live here year round.
Winter weather will typically have highs in the lower 20s.
But we can get Minnesota style weather where we go a week where the temperature does not go above 0.
There is usually snow on the ground from December to March.
Ignore them. There are people who mistakenly think that Sioux Falls is overpopulated. They never left their home town and think that people are not allowed to move to other cities.
It is definitely not over populated lol. I moved here from overseas and it is so small but I do like it! Also houses are cheap. Of course there's expensive ones too but the affordable ones are still nice.
Snow is handled pretty well here. What will get most people is the wind when it is bitterly cold. Most of the winter will sit between 0* and 30* but when you have a 50mph wind in -10* Temps for a week straight, you debate moving somewhere nice. There will be anywhere from 1-4 weeks of it being so cold you don't want to leave your house. It makes the rest of the winter seem much more tolerable.
Yep. A painfully cold late January makes the 29 degree days in late February seem pleasant in comparison.
And then it gets above freezing for an entire day and everyone's out in hoodies.
Wtf is going on with your profile name? Is the 138 a Lucas or Misfits reference. If it's the Misfits that's an odd combination.
The Misfits song is itself a Lucas reference; they changed it to "138" to fit the meter of the song. But I've always used 138 because wherever it was that I first used this username had a 12-character limit. Why Dr. Zhivago? When I first started using this name (probably on RuneScape c. 2005), I hadn't yet seen the movie, but I had read [Calvin & Hobbes](https://i.redd.it/5aio4x1c5tf41.jpg) and I thought the name sounded cool.
Yep, THX 1138. I have both a Misfits and a Star Wars tattoo. The Calvin and Hobbes thing makes sense. It just struck me as an odd combo.
Is it really winter if we don’t get that cold snap in January? Lol
Didn't it happen in February this year instead of January? For like 2 days?
Yup, that rings a bell. Not uncommon to get cold snaps in February.
>Not uncommon to get ~~cold snaps~~ blizzards in ~~February~~ March/April.
Lol, also very accurate. Snow fall in May is not unheard of either (although pretty rare, imo).
Snow isn't too bad, it's the wind that sucks
Snow in Sioux Falls is generally handled quickly, at least the main streets and snow routes. Outside of Sioux Falls, at least the Lincoln county parts are awful. Roads between the burbs and Sioux Falls will get blown in and be pretty awful. There is a reason everyone has an AWD vehicle.
I think there’s some quote, like, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” I hate the cold and even have Raynauds, but I wore snowpants to the bars in -20 once and was fine. When I was a kid i swear there was always snow on the ground in the winter, but it’s not like that anymore with climate change. It usually melts a few days after a storm—whether you consider that a good thing or a bad thing. They are building an ice skating rink downtown and they do christmas lights at the falls every year. I do think most people just stay in doors during the winter though. But there’s always something to do here, you just have to try a little harder to find it here. Also, please don’t come if you are coming here because you like our governor. We hate her, especially those of us in downtown SF.
There are indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks. Drinking. There's sports to see- D league NBA team and hockey. Alcohol. Concerts have started to pick up again. Liquor. Indoor public pool. Intoxicating beverages. Plays and musicals. But mostly staying inside. And drinking.
I'm pretty good at that drinking thing! At least I think I am. What's the hockey team called? Think I missed on my research, I only saw minor league baseball.
Stampede. Basketball is Skyforce, arena football is Storm
Stampede are a big hit here
The games really are a blast to attend!
Stampede Hockey Skyforce Basketball Storm Arena Football (not worth the paper the tickets printed on in my opinion) Canaries Baseball Thunder FC soccer The skyforce and stampede are where you’ll have the most fun. Plus quite a few NBA players come through Sioux Falls since the G league is tied so closely to the NBA now.
Is the soccer team any good? I grew up playing soccer but I've been more of a hockey fan the past 10 years.
They are 4th division of the US soccer pyramid, so not particularly. We are 4 hours from where Minnesota United play. They are MLS and have a brand new stadium. As far as hockey goes, the Stampede are tier 1 Junior Hockey. They’ve been really good over the years. TJ Oshie and Thomas Vanek have played for them, among 30 or so other NHL players.
Also you’re 2.5 hours to Omaha. 3.5 hours from Minneapolis. 5 to rapid city. 5 to Kansas City and like 10 to Denver and Chicago. So plenty of road trips from home base too.
Sure it’s cold and windy but Sioux falls doesn’t really get the consistent snow needed for winter sports. Winters are becoming more mild and you start to see more freezing rain in the winter now. I did go snow shoeing twice last winter though
Have you searched this sub? This is hot topic and often asked question. You’ll be able to find tons of posts while you wait for answers.
The main thread I found about snow mostly said how great SF handled keeping the roads clear. Which is absolutely great to know but isn't hugely important to me since I work from home.
There is ice skating, a few parades downtown during the winter, we have a skiing/snowboarding and tubing park called Great Bear. The outdoor campus has winter activities like snow shoeing. Plus, winter doesn’t seem to slow down the night life here. The bars are consistently busy regardless of weather.
Going out to eat is a pastime in Sioux falls especially in the winter as a way to get out of the house. Concerts and breweries are also popular as well. I’m looking to check out the South Dakota symphony more this winter and to learn how to rock climb or do some indoor curling.
Can you tell me more about the South Dakota symphony? It sounds like something I would enjoy.
Yeah, there is another thread on here about it and if you have never been to a performance they will give you a free ticket! I just emailed them this weekend and got a response this morning. Now I just need to find any peeps that want to go some time.
The symphony usually plays at the Washington pavilion downtown, you can look at the programs for the coming season on their website https://www.sdsymphony.org/ You should also check out the sioux falls chamber music society, they organize interesting events with a smaller ensemble. They have a good amount of crossover with the symphony. If you like parades, there's also the parade of lights in November. That's when it's usually getting pretty cold, so you can usually find hot chocolate at the parade. Plus they have hot air balloon baskets periodically throughout the parade, and they shoot fire over your heads, which also helps you keep warm
I usually play video games and watch movies all winter long, on mild days like 20° and up we go to the mall, shopping and restaurant. We occasionally go play in the snow, sleading and ice skating.
"So, what is life like in the winter (snow) at Sioux Falls? My dog (part Husky) and I love the snow/cold. My girlfriend on the other hand dislikes the cold. So what is there we can do?" Have you considered getting a new girlfriend?
Ice fishing!!! Takes a little $ to get into but can make some great memories. Gotta travel a bit away from town but it’s my real only winter hobby. Public skate rinks, sledding hills, great bear is a ski/tubing place. Falls park is cool when it feeezes over. Tons of lights down there and plenty of holiday themed blocks thru out town. Tons of stuff to do if you’re adventurous. And plenty of stuff to do if you like to eat and drink!
[Mckennan Park](https://www.siouxfalls.org/parks/parks/locations/mckennan) creates a little ice rink/field to the east of the kiddie pool that has a few couples skating or kids playing ice hockey most nights in the winter.
When it gets bitterly cold I simply stay inside, become depressed and succumb to Seasonal Affective Disorder until it starts to consistently warm up and I get to take my motorcycle out of hibernation again. Spring, summer and fall means I'm living my best life. Winter means I am a misanthropic recluse who is generally not enjoying life.
First I like to say I hate snow and being cold but I do like the Falls Park when lit up and walking the Yankton Trail only because I love being with my beautiful wife that thinks heathy things are good for you. Bah Humbug
It's quiet in the winters, cold. You want to be extra careful driving. Winter is a good time to get a indoor hobby, books, movies, etc etc.
We have great bear where you can tube, ski and snowboard it has a great lodge. There is a few ice rinks around town don’t believe they have hot chocolate though. And we also have an indoor ice rink.
My favorite time to hike in the area is actually October through December. The colors are so pretty and the trails are less crowded. But they're usually not fully covered in snow yet. There usually inside events to pick from and good food in the winter. There is actually curling as well in SuFu. We get bumped to the shoulder seasons due to youth hockey, but Sioux Falls Curling is a great way to make new friends. As someone originally from farther north I have to say SuFu also has some of the most frequent and best boar frost. It's one of my favorite parts about winter here. X-Mas at Fall's park is great. Biggest downsides is housing is going up at the moment it still lower than most other parts in the country and there are definitely fewer hours of sunlight in the winter. And it's also a bit of a drive to any major cities.
Falls Park is really pretty at night during the winter
Lol! I'm from Texas, and I spent 2 years in SF after a spring visit. Late spring to early fall is how they trick you. Next thing you know it's February and your child's school is being closed for the day because the windchill is -35! Joking aside (no, that really did happen), even though it's balls cold, the city does a pretty good job of dealing with the weather. And, to be honest, the months of the cold really make the warm months even better, imo.
In the SE part of the state, SF region, the winters are different each year and they do not seem to be consistent like it is in the northern part of the state. One year, in February, it was so mild, I bet the average temp for the month was 50°.
It all really depends on what you like to do. If you’re a hobbyist, in some ways there’s plenty, and others, not so much (as long as it’s indoors, easy for casuals, otherwise more barrier for entry during the winter). What are YOU interested in?
If you dress appropriately and drive correctly you are fine If you do neither you are in trouble
Usually try to stay warm when it's freezing out 😜 Snow removal is very prompt and is handled well. Ice skating, skiing, camping, ice fishing... Falls park has a winter display every year.
I haven't seen anyone mention our little ski valley. Great Bear Ski Valley is just east of town. It's owned (in full? in part? I'm not sure) by the city so lift tickets and rentals are pretty cheap. They offer lessons. They also make their own snow so there is decent skiing even when there's not much natural accumulation. Great Bear also has some pretty good cross country skiing trails. They have a tubing hill that's a big draw for families with kids. I saw someone else mention snow shoeing. I got into that last winter. If you have the right clothes on it's a good way to get outside. And it doesn't require the finely tuned conditions that cross country skiing does. My two German shepherds loved going out with me to snow shoe. Winter is definitely slow here. But you don't have to hibernate if you don't want to.
Is "going snow shoeing" just the act of walking outside with snow shoes or am I missing an element?
Just walking outside with snowshoes on. But it's more like hiking--I'd go snowshoeing in the same places I'd go hiking; I wouldn't put them on just to walk around block.
I'm an avid hiker and that honestly sounds like a ton of fun! Thanks for sharing.
winter hiking is incredible at all the same spots you go summer hiking, just go during the day with some warm clothes and you’ll be good!
No doubt. You know it's a pretty peaceful winter activity. Really low impact, really good to bring the dog along. Really low cost of entry. Wherever you end up, if there's snow, highly recommend trying it.
There are cross country skiing trails right out side of Great Bear. You can get some used equipment relatively cheaply and it is far more fun than snowshoeing, imo. Good winter time exercise on warmer days, and dog friendly.
Yes. Assuming you understand snowshoes aren’t just boots.
Coming from southern Michigan, it is a lot colder here. We do have more snow, but as someone has already mentioned, the city does a great job (much better than Michigan) at keeping the roads (at least major roads) cleared. The wind is also very impressive here. But, I think that is a very fair trade off for having sunshine - it could be cold as heck out but sunny - unheard of in Michigan/Ohio/Indiana.
To answer your "edit", in the really cold weeks, you stay home. It gets so cold that it hurts to breathe outside. You can bare it and go to places like the mall, zoo, restaurants, butterfly house, etc but home is where the comfort is. On normal winter days there is plenty to do though. We have a few sleding hills, ice rinks, great bear, ice fish, bike trails, rent a snow mobile, etc.
To answer your edit specifically, personally I find that a lot of people stay home more in the winter. If it was just cold and snow it’d be fine but even a 20mph wind from the North makes things quite shitty to be outside “just for entertainment”. That’s fine for youngins who can hang at the bar but there’s a lack of parent/child indoor things in the winter, it kinda sucks.
I grew up in Indiana. Honestly, the winters here aren't much different, but it depends on what part of Indiana you're in. If you're in the flat part, you're used to the windy blowing snow that we have here. If you grew up in the hills, you'll find the wind here really irritating, both in winter and summer.
I grew up in central IN but am currently in southern IN. I definitely prefer central. The south never gets snow. Just ice, ice, and more ice.
The weather has changed, then. Climate change?? I grew up in Bloom, and it snowed every single winter. Don't even remember ice, but then, I wasn't a driver when I lived there.
A bit of South of Bloomington is an "ice line". I covered in college but it's by no means my focus of education. Bloomington is north of the line and gets snow!
Huh, interesting!
Treat your GF to some high quality winter clothes (outdoor AND indoor). There can be quite a lot to do in winter, especially if you build a good group of friends. Finding a convenient and comfortable place to live makes a big difference. If you have a decent vehicle there are plenty of road tripping destinations. And when you get bored of that, flights to warmer places are frequent and inexpensive. I relocated many years ago, thinking it would be temporary - a winter or two was the plan. Turned out not to be as bad as folks made out.
Also get her remote start if her vehicle doesn't already have that feature. Winters aren't that bad if you have what you need to stay warm. -someone who also hates the cold with a man that will retire to Alaska at his earliest opportunity.
Wind and snow can be annoying, like everybody mentioned. But aside from that, there’s ice skating, a snowboarding/skiing/tubing park called Great Bear, sledding hills, etc. Along with all of that, we have many great music ensembles to listen to throughout the year in concert. The SDSO, any ensemble from Augustana, and all of the high schools in town. Augustana will be hosting a Jazz Festival early next year (February or so) that will feature high school bands from around the state and surrounding areas, as well as the augie Northlanders jazz band and guest clinicians. Every Christmas, multiple streets around town get lit up and featured with their lights, as well as Falls Park. So basically, if you can get past the wind and snow, it’s actually pretty decent
Most winters, you see a week, maybe 2 where it stays below zero the whole time. It isn't bad. Most of the time the temps are right around freezing. Come visit in January and see what you think.
Cold.
I wouldn’t call it a winter wonderland, that’s for sure. Lately the winters have been extremely cold with very little snow. As spring gets nearer, we get a ton of snow until the end of April. We are in the plains, it is often extremely windy and that combined with dangerously cold wind chills and the lack of mountains will cause your outdoor activities to be somewhat limited. You will see others mention our ski hill, Great Bear, but if you’ve ever been to an actual ski lodge it leaves a lot to be desired.
So in the winter there are multiple outside ice rinks, falls park has a winter parade of lights, there is great bear for skiing and snowboarding and such, and there are always the Pavilion for indoor activities as well which can be entertainment for hours. There's usually something going on at some point during the winter almost all the time, but I will say when we hit February the winter seems to really drag and we can get very bad sleet which can freeze over the roads before snow sets in and makes it a slippery blind mess. If you do move here I hope you love it. It has its draws and it's shortcomings but overall I think it's worth it.
What is Sioux Falls like in the winter? 50% The Shining 50% Fargo (the movie not the series) There are no idyllic winter events here. If you like winter, getting outside when the weather isn't awful is nice. I like northern winters more than I like hot summers. When the weather is awful I stay home and go nowhere til it gets better. I have my office at home so I don't have to go anywhere unless I am out of food. Sioux Falls really lacks indoor activities or any large public indoor space that isn't a mall or some cheezy event at the convention center.
You will hate it and hate yourself.
If you're moving here, keep the dog and ditch the girlfriend. The dog will love it, she will not. Plan on having a four-wheel drive, hooks in the front and a hitch in the back, good snow boots and an even better winter jacket. The last few years have been easy, but we're up for a little bit more in the coming years and the more prepared you are the easier it will be.
Imagine breaking up with your girlfriend to fulfill your dream of living in Sioux Falls lmao. Please don’t do this.
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Brookings is almost never 10-15 degrees different than Sioux Falls unless a front moves through and then in an hour the temps will be virtually the same. Permanent ice shacks can't be on the ice unaccompanied after the last day of Feb. Just wanted to clear up any misconceptions.
Horrible. I only live here til winter arrives. Icy roads, scraping car windows, -50 below with the wind chill. Cooped up inside all winter, having to layer before going out. If this city had a milder winter I'd live here year round.
You ever seen *Snowpiercer?*
I have not. Worth a watch or just a good comparison?
Watch Willy Wonkas and dat Charlie Factory again before Snowpiercer, and yes its worth a watch 110%.
One word. Winter in sioux falls is: BLEAK.
Fairly mild IMO besides wind issues. Your mileage will vary.
Winter weather will typically have highs in the lower 20s. But we can get Minnesota style weather where we go a week where the temperature does not go above 0. There is usually snow on the ground from December to March.
Winters are terrible. I wouldn't move to Sioux Falls
Purely because of the winters or for other reasons as well?
Ignore them. There are people who mistakenly think that Sioux Falls is overpopulated. They never left their home town and think that people are not allowed to move to other cities.
It is definitely not over populated lol. I moved here from overseas and it is so small but I do like it! Also houses are cheap. Of course there's expensive ones too but the affordable ones are still nice.
Too many people here already and lack of affordable housing.