Where Does Iowa Rank For Worst Winters in the United States?
Death, taxes, and really cold winters are three guarantees in life for anyone who lives in Iowa. You can actually expand that to just about anyone who lives in the midwest if we're being honest. It's official, snow is likely on its way to Eastern Iowa this week and it's time to buckle up for another cold and snowy winter season.
As you start to crank up your thermostat and get your snowblowers and shovels ready for the inevitable, there are some things you can do to prepare your home for a snow-filled winter in Iowa. Growing up in Minnesota and now living in Iowa, I've always taken a lot of pride in being from the midwest.
I've always believed we're built a little bit differently and it takes some real toughness to live where we do. It's something we can brag about when we go on vacation to warmer cities, during these cold and snowy months. Just how bad are winters in Iowa compared to other states? Not a huge shocker to Iowans but they're pretty close to being considered the worst in the United States.
Not everything about snow and cold weather has to be considered bad. If you're a fan of skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or ice skating, you might think this is the best time of the year. My birthday is in December and so is Christmas. When I was in school, I always loved when we made it to December. Not only for my birthday and the holidays but students get 2 weeks off of school for winter break. I couldn't wait for December to arrive when I was growing up.
Where Does Iowa Rank
Thrillist broke down which states have the worst winters in the United States and they have Iowa ranked at number 6. Between the freezing temperatures and massive amounts of snow, it's no shocker Iowa would be somewhere pretty close to the top. The top 5 states are Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota at number 1. What makes Iowans so tough is it's not just the winters that battle-test Iowans every year either.
According to World Population Review, Iowa averages around 51 tornados per year and there are 50 days of thunderstorms every year. If you live in Iowa, you're constantly having to pay attention to the weather during the day, just to plan out the best strategies to get all of the things you need to get done on any given day.
About twice a year, on really terrible winter days, I ask myself "why do I live here?" It can be tiresome being constantly cold, it gets dark really early, and it can feel like you'll never be done shoveling out the driveway. Eventually, I get over it and remember how nice it is to experience all four seasons.
If you're from Iowa or have lived here for a number of years, you're pretty much prepared to live anywhere else in the world. That's something Iowans can take pride in and remember on the first day it's -10 degrees or the first time we're trying to get rid of 10 inches of snow from the driveway.