Well, notwithstanding almost identical latitude, Ann Arbor is colder on average in winter than coastal New England which is warmed somewhat by the Gulf Stream. Not that you can’t have cold, snowy weather in Boston, but on average there’s more of it in Ann Arbor. Ithaca, on the other hand, seems to be a bit colder and snowier than Ann Arbor. And what I recall from my Boston days is lots of cold, freezing rain in winter, which to my mind is worse than a couple of degrees colder and snow.
Average daily high/low (average monthly snowfall in inches), Ann Arbor, Boston, and Ithaca:
November: Ann Arbor 48/33 (3), Boston 51/38 (1), Ithaca 47/32 (5)
December: Ann Arbor 35/23 (13), Boston 41/28 (9), Ithaca 36/22 (13)
January: Ann Arbor 31/18 (16), Boston 36/22 (13), Ithaca 31/15 (18)
February: Ann Arbor 35/20 (13), Boston 39/25 (11), Ithaca 34/17 (14)
March: Ann Arbor 46/27 (9), Boston 45/31 (8), Ithaca 42/23 (12)
April: Ann Arbor 60/38 (3), Boston 56/41 (2), Ithaca 56/34 (3)