I grew up about 150 miles north of Chicago on Lake Michigan, and I think we typically had 1 or 2 snow days in a year. Along the lake you don't get the super-super-cold temperatures you inland people get, and I can't remember school ever being closed due to cold. Despite the lake effect, snow hasn't really been all that heavy in that area for as long as the Obama girls would remember (bet there were some snow days at their old school this winter, though!).