Houghton's long, heavy winters have profoundly shaped life in the Copper Country, where lake effect snowfall regularly brings about 200 inches a year to the Keweenaw Peninsula and has at times produced more than 350 inches in a season, along with stretches of daily snowfall lasting weeks or even two months. Historically, winter closed lake shipping from November through April, left inland lakes such as Portage Lake impassable, and before rail and road links cut the Keweenaw off from the outside world, forcing merchants to stockpile supplies until spring's first ship arrived. In Houghton, frozen lakes and roads could ease travel compared with warmer seasons, though early snow removal relied on horse-drawn snow rollers that packed the roads. Winter also influenced local architecture, with raised house foundations, steeply pitched roofs, and garages set close to the road, while in more recent decades downtown stores were linked by interior doors and overhead skywalks to shelter patrons from the weather. Residents also turned winter to their advantage through recreation such as skating, sledding, and skiing, with landmarks and traditions including the 1902 Amphidrome, later replaced by the surviving Dee Stadium after a 1927 fire, and Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival, which developed during the 1920s into an annual event attracting thousands of visitors. Houghton's residents have long experienced winter as both hardship and benefit, sustaining a lasting love-hate relationship with snow, ice, and cold.