I've been doing a lot of reading, and it seems Buff Orpingtons are good beginner chickens, and would work out well in our climate. And Wyandottes are so pretty!
If you're looking for a good, docile, cold hardy breed, you can't go wrong with brahmas, either. Bonus is that they have a pea comb, so frostbite is basically a non-issue with them, which is very nice in our climate.