I'm from Minnesota, and I have to tell you that mountain winters have their own special flavor. Sometimes it snows gigantic clots of wet stuff in what would be considered summer months. You may want to spend a little time checking the area out before buying; winters and cutting off power for some time are but one small part. Snow doesn't tend to stick around for long here- that giant solar snowplow takes care of those issues so long as the front yard faces south. The state also tends to go up in flames in the summertime. When you're checking areas out, talk with locals and find out what the restrictions of the counties are as far as animals, shooting, and the weather.