Top 10 Optimistic Reasons to Look Forward to Winter in Wisconsin

For some people, winter in Wisconsin is the best. We’ve got fun winter sports like skiing, snowmobiling, hunting and ice fishing. We get to go sledding and build snowmen! On the other hand, the cold weather can be so blistery and bitter, driving can get long and scary, and shoveling can plain old wear you out.

Even if you love winter, it still sucks when you start to realize summer is already almost over. It’s not long before we start to crave the sunshine again, or miss being at the beach in Door County. We anxiously look forward to camping, hiking, fishing, boating on Lake Michigan and sun tans.

But – believe it or not, there are some things we actually can appreciate when it comes to winter in Wisconsin! Even if you don’t hit up the Wisconsin snowmobile trails and ski hills, there’s a bright side to the colder months.

Here’s a  list of the top 10 most optimistic reasons to look forward to a Wisconsin winter…

1. Your Groceries Stay Cold in the Trunk

My family practically lives in Copps Food’s backyard, but on hot and humid summer days in Wisconsin, we still have to run like the wind to get the groceries in the fridge before they go bad!

When it’s winter in Wisconsin, you can fit the grocery shopping into your schedule wherever you want! Do it first thing in the morning, then run all your other errands too – the ice cream will stay frozen in the trunk. Come on, we all know worrying about melting butter or frozen pizza turning to mush can cause some serious stress!

2. You Burn A Ton Of Calories Shoveling Snow

Get excited about shoveling snow this winter! Hear me out for a minute…

3. Baggy Clothes Hide Your Beer Belly

Speaking of burning calories, many of us would much rather eat them. Which brings me to another reason winter in Wisconsin is so great. We get a good chunk out of the year to cover up our extra jiggle with even more clothes!

Finally – we can throw on our favorite jeans and a hoodie and let our belly roll hang over without anyone noticing. Thank you winter!

4. You Get Snow Days

It’s always fun to get an unexpected “vacation day” in winter! Thanks to snowstorms, some companies will let their employees take the day off, work from home or leave early.

• Just in case, here are 12 awesome sledding & tubing hills in Green Bay & the Fox Valley

One drawback to snow days in Wisconsin, however, is there has to be a crazy amount of accumulation, white-out conditions or not enough plows to get the job done in time for all the traffic. In other more southern states, they’ll cancel school or work when there’s only an inch on the ground. I think it’s hilarious how those “snow-wussies” freak out over a few flakes!

5. Snow Hides the Dog Poop in Your Yard

Nobody likes to pick up their dog’s doo-doo. And some neighbors can get pretty pissy at the dog walkers who look the other way.

But, there’s no reason to get yourself worked up about poop during a Wisconsin winter! The snow takes care of this problem for us. This time around, don’t even worry about the doggy droppings come fall. Just let it freeze and get  hidden by all the snow! You can take care of it in April.

6. You Get to Cozy Up By The Fire

Fires are definitely amazing in the winter. Inside or outside, campfire or fireplace – being warmed up by the hypnotic flames feels so good when you’re teeth are chattering and you’re shivering violently!

There’s just something about that cozy and relaxing feeling you get when you’re sitting fireside. Wood burning fireplaces in the house are cozy, but they’re also an efficient way to heat your home. And it’s always magical when you’re out on a cold night watching the snow fall and feeling perfectly warm next to the fire pit.

7. You Get Family Hibernation Time

When you think about it, our lifestyles and routines change as the seasons do. Sometimes summers can get super busy with everyone trying to cram things in because of the nice weather.

You’ve got a family reunion one weekend, a graduation party the next, and a wedding, family camping and cookouts filling up the rest of your summer. The crazy schedule of events seems to calm down a bit once it gets cold again (at least after the holidays).

Try to think of winter as the time when you get to have bonding time with your family. You can cuddle up on the couch and have a movie night. Or, grab some snacks and play cards or a board game together around the dinner table. Whatever you choose to do with your time, you have a lot of it – which is probably a good thing, right?

8. Women Don’t Have To Shave Their Legs

What can I say – it’s easy to cover up the hairy burden on our legs during the bitter cold months of winter! Nobody is going to see us women in a shorts or a swim suit, right?

As for our men, eh they can man up and handle it. They’re hairy too – and probably in spots we might not always appreciate either! Take a load off sistas. Let the six months of half-assed shaving be a reason for you to look forward to this winter!

9. Hot Soup & Drinks Taste Delicious

Winter is the season when hot food just tastes better. Especially hot soups like chili and chicken dumpling. This is the perfect time to put your crock pot to good use. The convenience of throwing some meat and veggies in a slow cooker and coming home to a delicious meal that warms you up is great.

Plus, everything is more fun when you’re drinking hot chocolate or steamy apple cider!

• 5 Cocktails to Help You Get Through a Wisconsin Winter
• 9 Coffeehouses to Check Out in Green Bay
• 6 Coffeehouses you have to try in Appleton

10. You’ll Almost Always Have a White Christmas

Probability of at least one inch of snow on the ground Christmas Day. Note: (National Climatic Data Center map.)

Depending on where you live, your chances are pretty darn good for having a white Christmas in Wisconsin.

This map shows that northern Wisconsin has a 90% or better chance of snow on the ground at Christmas.

Given the U.S. weather records averaged over 30-years. As for the entire state of WI, we’re all 61-90 percent guaranteed to have snow on Christmas day.

• 7 Fun Places to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in Northeast Wisconsin

Can you think of any more optimistic reasons to look forward to winter? Let’s make a bigger list!

For those of you who are more on the pessimistic side – don’t miss our article about the things we hate about Winter in Wisconsin.

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Image Credits via Flickr.com

• Chanel Beck
• Mark H. Anbinder
• Blueandwhitearmy
• Mike Peterson
• Ann Althouse
• Tim Samoff
• Gregory Blake