"have fun in November"

Schnauzer

Pretty Sure You are Wrong
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As a life long Minnesotan, I probably have a little chip on my shoulder about Minnesota weather and now it is portrayed nationally. Unfortunately, Americans tend to be severely challenged when it comes to Geography and this problem really rears its head when it comes to Minneapolis weather. Sure, it gets cold. We all know that. But, when the local weather guys around the country describe temps for MN they often show what sticks out... International Falls, Embarrass, Tower, Longville, etc. The part that escapes most people outside of our state is the dramatic difference in temps between the northern part of the state and the southern part (where most of the people live!). The difference is pretty notable, especially considering there aren't mountains (which make equally dramatic temp and precip differences over short distances elsewhwere in the US).

So, if you are like me I am sure you have seen plenty of comments about the Gophers moving outside. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard "have fun in November", or "brrrrrr". The fact is, the weather is pretty much the same here for most of the fall before there is a temperature seperation in late fall/winter with the rest of the Big 10. This is precisely why I would HATE a dome stadium for the Gophers, while I do think it is very important for the Vikes. October in Southern MN is very much like Columbus, PA, or IL. Northern MN? Not so much.

So, if you are like me and end up sighing every time you see that "have fun in November" commentary by our friends around the Big 10, check out the average temperatures (highs/lows) for October 1 (usually around the start of the Big 10 season), and November 21 (which happens to be the final week of Big 10 Football this year).

(data from wunderground.com) Average highs and lows for each city:

International Falls (what outsiders are thinking when they think about TCF): Oct 1- 59/37, Nov 21- 29/13

Minneapolis: Oct 1- 62/40, Nov 21- 37/23
Madison: Oct 1- 66/44, Nov 21- 40/26
East Lansing: Oct 1- 66/43, Nov 21- 43/28
Evanston: Oct 1- 65/45, Nov 21- 44/30
State College: Oct 1- 65/45, Nov 21- 47/29
Ann Arbor: Oct 1- 63/37, Nov 21- 45/29
Iowa City: Oct 1- 73/50, Nov 21- 45/29

Would you dress differently for a gametime forecast of 37 degrees vs 43 degrees?
 

Great post well researched. I will have to archive this to use in arguments with my friends from Madison and Cbus.
 

I have had this discussion MANY times. It angers me quite a bit. If people from the SEC told me it will be cold, then yes I would agree when compared to what they are used to watching. The reality is that many outdoor stadiums in college football will be within 4 degrees of us, and we get less average rainfall than some of the areas you listed, making the games more bearable.

I have also had this argument regarding the Twins ballpark. "I won't go to a game until July." Or.. "April and May will be so cold, not to mention October." Give me a break. Detroit, CWS, CHN, NYY, NYM, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Boston all have outdoor stadiums. People still go. Do less people go when it is cold? Yes. In all those places, save maybe Boston or Wrigley. TCF and Twins will be the same way. As has been stated regarding many things, except for rare occasions and the small super loyal fan base, WINNING is what brings people to the games and creates a fun atmosphere.
 

You know what? SCREW THEM, when they say "have fun in november", give it right back to them ike any proud Minnesotan would, " Oh we will!, because it doesn't bother us, tell them to hike up their skirts or move to florida or california with all the other wimps.
I absolutely can't wait for the first non conference with say San Jose State in November when it's 15-25 with a cold wind and snow, it won't happen often like your post shows, but I WILL LOVE IT!

A great example of this was the Madison game last year, snow flurries, under the lights, pretty cold, that is what Big Ten football is all about!
 

Schnauzer: Nice post. I didn't realize that State College is so balmy.
 


No to get all "statisticy" on you, but I think what you really should be looking at is the the range between the first and third quartile (25th and 75th percentile) for all cities and see if there are any differences. Also maybe the median may be a better measure of this large historical data set than the mean.
 

Rail Baron brings up an excellent point about precipitation. Check out these stats from the weather channel on NOVEMBER AVERAGE PRECIP (in inches):

Minneapolis: 1.94
Iowa City: 2.41
Madison: 2.57
East Lansing: 2.58
West Lafayette: 2.81
Ann Arbor: 2.99
Evanston: 3.22
Columbus: 3.30
State College: 3.37
Champaign: 3.45
Bloomington: 3.95

So, My original question was "Would you dress differently for a gametime forecast of 37 degrees vs 43 degrees?" Let me revise that to this: Would you rather be in weather that was 37 degrees and dry, or 45 degrees and wet?
 

No to get all "statisticy" on you, but I think what you really should be looking at is the the range between the first and third quartile (25th and 75th percentile) for all cities and see if there are any differences. Also maybe the median may be a better measure of this large historical data set than the mean.


You are welcome to get as statisticy as you wish. I used average highs and lows for the given dates because that data was readily available. Same with the precip numbers I just added. My fingers are now tired, and my feeble brain is full... I am more than willing to pass the research job on to someone else. After all is said and done... I don't think there is much to fear in terms of football weather in TCF compared to the rest of the Big 10. That is the big ah-ha here for the weather terrorists elsewhere in Big 10 country.
 

Give me 37 degree day over 95 degrees in the blazing sun and 90% humidity. That stuff can kill you!

Yet, no one ever talks about playing down south or even in the midwest in late August of September in those conditions.
 



There are a lot of people who seem to think that Minnesota is as cold as the North Pole. They don't think the same thing about Wisconsin, which makes you imagine permafrost on one side of the border, and palm trees on the other. No one remarks on any of the other teams playing outside in November, despite the temperatures being quite similar.

It's funny, people know all about the famous Ice Bowl game in Green Bay, but don't then question why Wisconsin plays outside. We aren't playing in January, November in Minnesota is fine football weather. If it is a little chilly for some, new technology exists to deal with it. It's called long johns, a sweater and a hat.
 

2002...went to game @OSU in early November. It was a sunny day but the temperature was mid to upper 30's.

2003...went to game @Ill in late October. It rained all day with a temp around mid to upper 40's. This game was far more miserable to sit through.
 

Give me 37 degree day over 95 degrees in the blazing sun and 90% humidity. That stuff can kill you!

Yet, no one ever talks about playing down south or even in the midwest in late August of September in those conditions.

Fair enough, but I think most B10 fans (well, male B10 fans) would deal with those conditions given the outfits worn in those temperatures by sorority members of the SEC schools in question. ;)
 

So, if you are like me and end up sighing every time you see that "have fun in November" commentary by our friends around the Big 10, check out the average temperatures (highs/lows) for October 1 (usually around the start of the Big 10 season), and November 21 (which happens to be the final week of Big 10 Football this year).

I think you've misunderstood. When people say sarcastically, "Have fun in November," they're not referring to your horrible weather. What they mean is "I hope you enjoy the Gopher's characteristically sucky play late in the season." See? Doesn't that make more sense?
 



I think you've misunderstood. When people say sarcastically, "Have fun in November," they're not referring to your horrible weather. What they mean is "I hope you enjoy the Gopher's characteristically sucky play late in the season." See? Doesn't that make more sense?

Like almost losing at home to Cal Poly...oh wait that wasn't us...that was you....
 



I'm just going to say this once: Yes, he is a tool and if you look at all his activity on this board it is jr high pestering material. Please don't give him the satisfaction of a response. I'd hate to see this thread get hijacked over a troll.
 

I kept the original post to the Big 10 but on a national stage... the NE, especially Boston would also have very similar weather compared to Mpls. through November. I don't recall anyone questioning the sense of outdoor stadiums in Massachusetts.
 

And speaking of precipitation... The NW and NE both have much more rain than here. Like I mentioned and others agreed - 35 and sunny is a lot better than 40, 45, even 50 with a very chilly rain. Period.

Also, we LIVE HERE. Are we not used to weather like this? Let's use it to our advantage. When players come out of the tunnel and it is crappy or cold and see all the MN fans still in the stands loud and ready to support them (especially if playing a southern team) they'll get pumped. I think its a shame that we don't play USC later in the year. When was the last time they played in truly cold weather? I know they play ND every other year at South Bend typically late in the season, but it would be nice to have that advantage.

I also prefer 50-60 degree weather for football over 80-95. Any day. It's
 

There are a lot of people who seem to think that Minnesota is as cold as the North Pole. They don't think the same thing about Wisconsin, which makes you imagine permafrost on one side of the border, and palm trees on the other. No one remarks on any of the other teams playing outside in November, despite the temperatures being quite similar.

It's funny, people know all about the famous Ice Bowl game in Green Bay, but don't then question why Wisconsin plays outside. We aren't playing in January, November in Minnesota is fine football weather. If it is a little chilly for some, new technology exists to deal with it. It's called long johns, a sweater and a hat.

why is this you ask? it is pretty simple actually. it is a classic false narrative (i.e. hype for ratings and to get people to watch the weather portion of the news) that is perpetuated nationally, but more so by our local weatherman dolts who think they need to play up every little angle of weather in order to seem more important than they really are AND to try and justify their likely too-high paychecks. i say too-high paychecks because virtually every weatherman in the country gets the daily weather reports and forecasts you see on the local news from the national weather surface. they are literally just regurgitating the national weather service data word for word while adding their own, often lame, narrative. tough job! :rolleyes:

i for one HATE watching the weather people in this town. first, most of them are extremely annoying. the one i loathe the most is that idiot chris shafer on WCCO 4. they are so over-dramatic about anything weather related that it is not even funny. you will also notice that they play up weather that might be happening way up along the canadian border and in some strange manner always "try" to connect it to what is happening in minneapolis even though minneapolis is 300+ miles to the south. that drives me nuts. please just put most of your focus on the minneapolis area since that is where 80% of your viewers are anyways.
 

Let's use it to our advantage. When players come out of the tunnel and it is crappy or cold and see all the MN fans still in the stands loud and ready to support them (especially if playing a southern team) they'll get pumped.

This is why I love it over here. Advantage over whom? All the Big Ten teams that Schnauzie claims play in the same weather? Maybe you can convince Florida Atlantic Railroad to come back in November and the weather will be all that is needed to put the Gophers over the top.

Ddi you ever consider that the "enjoy the weather" crowd is making the comparison of sitting outside to sitting inside, not sitting outside in MN to sitting outside in Madison?
 

The coldest I've ever been at at sporting event was in Miami, in April. It was about 65 with a slight breeze at Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins/Dolphin/Land Shark stadium. Why was I freezing? Because I'd gotten fried on the beach that day where it was about 90 and appearantly sunburned skin in a 65 degree wind do not mix. I grew up in nothern MN. I've waited for the bus in -35 below and ice fished in colder then that. But I have NEVER been as cold as I was that day Miami.

Anyway, living in Virginia, I too get tired of the characterization of Minnesota's winters. It didn't make Tubby come running and it's not going to make football at TCF unbearable. I was too a game at UVA last November where it was about 35 degrees. Was it cold? Sure, a bit. But it was probably the same tempature in Minneapolis that day. The weather here is pretty similar from about October 15th-December 15th, the only difference being that an occasional 70-80 is possible into November.
 

This is why I love it over here. Advantage over whom? All the Big Ten teams that Schnauzie claims play in the same weather? Maybe you can convince Florida Atlantic Railroad to come back in November and the weather will be all that is needed to put the Gophers over the top.

Ddi you ever consider that the "enjoy the weather" crowd is making the comparison of sitting outside to sitting inside, not sitting outside in MN to sitting outside in Madison?

I was thinking more along the lines of USC (already scheduled for next year) and Texas (still a strong possibility). Cal is playing here next year. Obviously that mentality of using weather to our advantage doesn't apply to the schools that in the same breath I say have similar weather.

Yes, I considered that there are idiots who think we should be inside. But most of the people saying "have fun in the cold" are the ones on national boards, other teams boards (there were the Texas Tech fans that came on here giving us crap), and general people you talk to from out of state (or country - see the European thread link) that wonder how in the world we will survive playing football outdoors in MN.
 

I wouldn't mind if it was even colder in october and november, though im not complaining now either. Its high time we had a football team with some balls. Knowing that youre going to play in some freezing games is good for a football team. I want us to recruit guys who want to play in the cold. This indoor sports culture has made us soft. I personally cant wait for the first blizzard game at the new stadium.

If people think that is so freaking cold in Minnesota, why dont we cultivate that mentality by advertising our frigid temperatures?? And dont tell me that recruits will flat out run away.... just tell them that NFL teams greatly appreciate a tundra-hardened player. Teams who want to win the Super Bowl have to play some games in the freezing January of New England, Philly, New York, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Chicago, etc, etc, etc.

If we cultivate that 'freezing Minnesota' idea, you can count on less fans from other schools racing to get into our 'freezing stadium'. Minnesotans will know just how cold it can be. Alumni from around the country will know just how cold it can be. They will know they can handle it.... thats all that matters.

Its just a shame that all those bowls are played down south. Play a national championship game in Big Ten country in Dec/Jan and we'll see how good the SEC is.
 

I wouldn't mind if it was even colder in october and november, though im not complaining now either. Its high time we had a football team with some balls. Knowing that youre going to play in some freezing games is good for a football team. I want us to recruit guys who want to play in the cold. This indoor sports culture has made us soft. I personally cant wait for the first blizzard game at the new stadium.

If people think that is so freaking cold in Minnesota, why dont we cultivate that mentality by advertising our frigid temperatures?? And dont tell me that recruits will flat out run away.... just tell them that NFL teams greatly appreciate a tundra-hardened player. Teams who want to win the Super Bowl have to play some games in the freezing January of New England, Philly, New York, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Chicago, etc, etc, etc.

If we cultivate that 'freezing Minnesota' idea, you can count on less fans from other schools racing to get into our 'freezing stadium'. Minnesotans will know just how cold it can be. Alumni from around the country will know just how cold it can be. They will know they can handle it.... thats all that matters.

Its just a shame that all those bowls are played down south. Play a national championship game in Big Ten country in Dec/Jan and we'll see how good the SEC is.

The SEC still would have beat us the past few years no matter where they played us on a neutral field, it isn't as if they had a huge advantage in the bowl games down south due to the heat, it wasn't 100 degrees down there in January, it is normally similar to the temperatures of our early season games here.
 

This is why I love it over here. Advantage over whom? All the Big Ten teams that Schnauzie claims play in the same weather? Maybe you can convince Florida Atlantic Railroad to come back in November and the weather will be all that is needed to put the Gophers over the top.

Ddi you ever consider that the "enjoy the weather" crowd is making the comparison of sitting outside to sitting inside, not sitting outside in MN to sitting outside in Madison?

Guys, we need to leave this little guy alone. This is a place for him to mask his insecurities over his own team and probably many parts about him as a person. Lets just let him get it off his shoulders. If we got play at little as him we would need somewhere to go flex our muscles too. Take care little buddy!
 

The SEC still would have beat us the past few years no matter where they played us on a neutral field, it isn't as if they had a huge advantage in the bowl games down south due to the heat, it wasn't 100 degrees down there in January, it is normally similar to the temperatures of our early season games here.

No, im not saying it was especially hot. Im saying it would be especially cold up here. SEC teams damn near never play north of say, west virginia. Point is.... they need the weather to be warmer than 55 degrees to win.

But yeah, the SEC is faster and, on the average, better top to bottom. I just think that there should be games played in the North after Thanksgiving. Football is different when it gets cold and i dont think SEC players (or most of the Big12) are adapted to that. We're at a disadvantage because we recruit guys to win the Big Ten, which, for the most part, plays a style that is more adaptable to variable weather. When the temperature is 65-70 and fair, yes SEC schools have the advantage.
 

Guys, we need to leave this little guy alone.

Stop telling everyone what to do, you Nazi.

This is a place for him to mask his insecurities over his own team and probably many parts about him as a person.

Argh! You've cut me to the quick! I've always had a issue with my second toe being longer than my big toe, and now I have to come here and have you rub my face in it? At long last, have you no decency?

If we got play at little as him we would need somewhere to go flex our muscles too.

You may want to take another crack at composing this sentence so it reads more clearly.

Take care little buddy!

Hmm, I'm picking up on some possible insincerity in your tone.
 

I kept the original post to the Big 10 but on a national stage... the NE, especially Boston would also have very similar weather compared to Mpls. through November. I don't recall anyone questioning the sense of outdoor stadiums in Massachusetts.

I looked at the new stadium pix and it appears that the new stadium has aluminum benches? I was at UMass for grad school, which has a very breezy stadium with aluminum benches. New England autumns are glorious beyond words, but I didn't go to as many games in November because sitting on those frigid aluminum benches for 3 hours in the wind was agony. (N.E. is much wetter than MN, as well) I advise everyone to bring a good thick seat cushion! ;)
 

The SEC still would have beat us the past few years no matter where they played us on a neutral field, it isn't as if they had a huge advantage in the bowl games down south due to the heat.

Actually, the SEC has not had a huge advantage over the Big Ten. Last 20 bowl games (last 6 years) the head-to-head matchups are 10 wins for each league. Last year it was 1-1. Amazing what a couple of OSU blowouts vs. the SEC in title games will do to perception.
 




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