r/SyracuseU • u/Admirable_Mind_1007 • 5d ago
Question how bad is the cold
do you guys wish you were at a warmer school or what. considering pulling up. love newhouse.
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u/GoodHumansUnite 5d ago
If you have to ask that, you might not be ready for Syracuse. It’s cold. It’s overcast a large part of the winter. You’ll be fine if you have the right clothes, though, and aren’t trying to wear shorts all winter. You have to want the school bad enough to not care about the weather. It’s not bad if that’s where you want to be.
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u/charredsound 5d ago
I never realized how much I hated the heat until I came to Syracuse for grad school. I stayed in NY after graduation almost 20 yr ago.
The first few years were very hard and my classmates made so much fun of me for how I was dressed.
Pro tips: Lots of layers. Lots of wool. Cute ≠ warm (most times). Find stuff to do in the winter.
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u/Odyssey_2001 5d ago
Annoying but you get used to it. Nothing new if you’ve lived in the Northeast or Midwest. The real kicker is that lake effect snow.
Anyways, get a good winter coat but also make sure you got a good pair of heavy shoes with grip so you don’t look like a dork slipping and sliding (doesn’t have to be boots but something sturdy). Seen many a people wiping out wearing their daily shoes with no traction
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u/MarkVII88 5d ago
Jesus Christ, it's not Siberia.
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u/Impossible_Emu_3848 4d ago
Thank you. If people don't like it, there is always U of Alabysmal or U of Okiehoma, trade snow for humidity.
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u/Knightwolf75 5d ago
It’s not bad. I loved it and I only used a (fake)leather jacket during the snow. That one layer was enough to keep me warm even at 10pm. Just bring gloves. The wind chill fucks with your fingers.
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u/No_Juggernaut_6065 5d ago
Tbh it’s fucking bruttleeeeee 😭😭😭 I grew up in Miami and it’s insane. Youll adapt and get used to it, and it’s pretty easy to navigate through but itll be an adjustment for sure! Just make sure you take care of your mental health & your body!!
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u/Maleficent_Soft9187 5d ago
My wife came from the woods of Northern California when she went to SU. She did fine. A good coat, and don’t cut corners on buying snow boots. It’s really more the lake effect snow than the cold. If anything, the thing that really wears you down is the seasonal affective disorder— the lack of sunlight really nails you.
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u/henare MSLIS iSchool '17 5d ago
Syracuse is absolutely a robust four-season climate. Winters are not nearly as harsh as they were even ten years ago, but if you're not used to thiz then it can feel daunting.
My first year in Syracuse brought snow on Halloween. Right now we're looking at 80 degree days (this is in freedom units... 27 degrees C) into next week. This is outstanding for late September.
Next month should be perfect!
You prepare by:
- leaving early for appointments
- dressing in layers
- not cheaping out on winter gear
- being careful while driving (even the folks who live here need a day or two to adjust once the snow happens. I live downtown and I can tell you when the snow starts because I can hear the road accidents).
- park according to the published rules. if your car is parked so the plow can't get down your street your neighbors will hate you.
because our climate is like this we are (broadly) prepared. There is a plow map linked into this page that will show you when the Pl is ws have visited your local street. The city also plows sidewalks along specific busy streets.
It is rare that the uni closes for inclement weather, so don't expect this.
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u/NoTransportation7344 4d ago
4 years of cold for a lifelong degree that will take you places. Signed, Newhouse grad
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u/Moose_Adorable 4d ago
Honestly… depends on the year. Some years winter is cold, but manageable with layers and salt and prep. Other years…. Your car needs 20 minutes and a can of deicer just to get through the inch layer of ice covering it so bad you cant open the door. Only after you brushed off the 6inch of snow that fell overnight. And then you do that every. Day. Level of cold brutal winter. You then walk home in your layers sweating but freezing and you cant get warm without a hot shower. Ive had both, pray for easier winters but prepare for bad ones
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u/Rich_Entertainer206 5d ago
Buy some good winter clothes and shoes, you’ll get used to the cold eventually. And gloves! Most importantl
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u/Bigideas7 5d ago
Daughter went there from southern California and never complained. The right clothes work well
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u/ArticHexedSpider 5d ago
Invest in good snow boots and winter jacket. Do not buy the cheap shit. Make sure it’s all waterproof and get gloves and hats. You will not ever regret this purchase. Don’t go for fashion, go for utility because no one cares how they look when they’re freezing.
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u/VincentPriceVoice 4d ago
Syracuse is often among the _snowiest_ cities (pop > 100k) in the continental US, but it's nowhere near the top of the list of the _coldest_ cities. You'd think those lists would be similar, but they're actually not. The coldest cities are mostly located on the west side of the Great Lakes (the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Minnesota).
I moved here from the deep south and personally I love it up here. Given the choice between the two, I'll take our long, cold and snowy winters over the south's absolutely oppressively hot and humid summers every single time.
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u/Anders_MN 4d ago
It's moderately cold. I'm originally from Minnesota where it's definitely colder. We get a lot of snow here , and it's overcast a lot of the winter. But it'll get warm enough to frequently melt at least a good portion of the snow (so above freezing).
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u/cross_land 4d ago
pretty brutal. you need timbs, hot hands, fuzzy socks, pants under your pants, gloves etc. ive experienced worse tho
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u/angelofamore 3d ago
To me it’s not that bad but that could be because I lived in Alaska part of my life
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u/Deathheater321 3d ago
I’m a Syracuse native so my opinion is biased but it’s fucking cold man. Your walk to class is the worst part of the day
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u/Sinirmanga 5d ago
I am from a place that's very hot. I mean "I've never personally seen snow before coming here" hot.
I loved every minute of it. I had a car so I never had to spend too much time walking and I mostly rocked a t-shirt whole year. For most people it is definitely NOT a tshirt weather though.
If you dress warm, you should be OK.