Weather Wars: Oklahoma vs Minnesota

I know I whine a lot about the winters here in Minnesota. Let's face it, being from Oklahoma I'm just not prepared for winters lasting from mid-November to early-May. This past year, snow fell the first week of December, and I didn't see the ground again until April! I drove to Tulsa in mid-April where it was 60-70 daily, and when I returned home, the lakes here were still frozen over :(

True, Tulsa gets some nasty ice storms, usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But you can count on a week of 70's in January, spring arriving in late-February, and just one more snow storm in mid-March, covering up the jonquils and redbuds already in bloom. Make that snowman fast because it will melt the next day, when the temperature hits 65.

Growing up in Oklahoma, I learned that tornado season ran from early-April until mid-May. But here in Fairmont, it's pushed into late-May and June. I guess it takes a while for all that Gulf moisture to make its way north...

The wonderful upside of living in Minnesota is the summer. Yes, it doesn't truly arrive until late-May, and is only around until mid-September, but oh, it is glorious! Here it is, June 26th, and I just turned on the air-conditioner this season. And it probably won't need to run for too many weeks. Whereas in Tulsa, the air goes on in May (sometimes April), and runs continuously until October.

So I suppose my ideal climate is an odd mix of Tulsa winters/springs and Fairmont summers/falls. If anybody knows where such a place exists, please let me know.