If you never lived where it snows and were moving North to where it does snow, what would you have liked to have known? What would you do to prepare?
Ask a local to show you some of their winter clothes or to take you winter clothes shopping. Your warmest clothes right now are not warm enough. Capacitive touch gloves will let you use your phone.
If you have a car, get a snow brush and ice scraper (for windshield and windows). There is winter windshield fluid, get and use it when it’s snowing. Get winter tires, it makes a difference. Insurance companies give a discount for having them. If there’s snow on the road, go slower than you think you should, and start braking at least twice as early as when it’s dry. Accelerate and brake slowly. If your car is sliding on ice, resist the temptation to keep pressing your brakes, try your best to steer the slide instead.
If your car gets stuck in snow and you need to run it to keep it warm, make sure the tail pipe is well clear of snow (carbon monoxide). Keep an emergency blanket, hat, gloves in the car in case of breakdown. If the wheels are stuck in a snowbank (just spinning in place), some sand or non-clumping cat litter can give you traction. You can sacrifice your floor mats for this, too.
If you walk instead of drive, consider crampons for your boots for if it gets icy out.
There’s different textures and density to snow. Wet snow is dense and heavy, dry snow is light and fluffy. Shoveling can be very different depending on the snow. Lift/push with your legs, now with your arms or back. Take breaks if needed.
If you wear glasses, they will fog up when you go from outside to inside. Sorry. You could get anti-fog stuff used for snow and ski goggles, but most normal people just wait for them to warm up.
A scarf makes a big difference.
Wool can keep you warm even when wet.
Be prepared for power outages especially if the area does not bury power lines. Heavy snow, or worse, ice, can make tree branches heavy and fall and snap power lines. If this happens, be mindful of carbon monoxide. People, families have died trying to keep warm by running generators, stoves, etc indoors without proper ventilation.
Snow reflects sunlight; wear sunglasses if the sun is out and there’s snow on the ground.
Go outside and listen when the snow is falling. It makes everything quieter and it’s really ice to hear.
Snow that’s warmed slightly then frozen again is crunchy and fun to walk on.
If you’re north enough, the sunlight will not be sufficient for creating vitamin D. (Plus you’ll probably be indoors more, less daylight in general.) Consider a supplement.
Consider a SAD light if lack of daylight affects your moods.
Go outside and listen when the snow is falling. It makes everything quieter and it’s really ice to hear.
Somehow that typo works in this context. Ice.
Snow that’s warmed slightly then frozen again is crunchy and fun to walk on.
It’s “ice” to walk on.
Jokes aside, thank you so much for the information. I don’t live where it snows but I learned a lit about how to survive if I ever need to. Thanks again.
Keep one of those brush/scraper things in your car.
Clean the snow off your car before driving.
CLEAN THE SNOW OFF YOUR CAR BEFORE DRIVING
All of it
If it is going to be a lot of snow, don’t wait until it is over before you start digging out.
Salt/pet friendly ice melt for your walkways
Have a snow blower? Don’t wait until the day before to see if it still runs. Make sure you have gas for it
Slow drip on a faucet to prevent pipes from bursting
Also your car needs real winter tires, preferably studded.
Seriously, clearing snow isn’t just for your visibility. It’s illegal here (and presumably other places) to leave any snow at all on your car because it will come off and is very likely to affect the visibility of another driver at high speeds.
Aside from all the practical tips… It’s very pretty at night – snowglow. Also sledding is super fun and can be done for cheap/free.
If you get an office job find out what the work policy is on snow days. Plenty of employers will let you work from home without question even if it’s a job where you would normally go in. For me any place that doesn’t would get a hard no. It means they DGAF about you.
From the top of my head:
Everyone forgets how to drive when it first snows. Try to avoid driving as much as possible during the first few days of winter.
Stick to busy roads if it recently snowed as they get plow priority, and the heavy traffic will help pack down the snow which will make it less slippery.
Fresh snow is a heck of a lot more slippery than snow that fell a few days ago.
4 wheel / all wheel drive is great, but you don’t actually need it. If your car has traction control and a good set of tires, then you’ve got everything you need to drive in the snow with confidence.
Snow tires are a worthy investment. People think that you don’t need snow tires if you have all seasons, but there’s no comparison to tires that are specifically made to be driven in the snow.
The posted speed limit is for ideal weather conditions. If there’s snow on the ground, then that’s not ideal, and you need to drive slower than the speed limit if you want to be safe and not fly off the road. One time a car passed me and about 2 miles later I saw that exact same car in the ditch. You don’t want to be that person. If you are that person, then everyone that passes you will be silently judging you while you sit there and wait hours for a tow truck because 30 other people all did the exact same thing at the exact same time.
Not really snow related, but cars with old batteries have a really hard time starting when the weather is at or below zero. If your battery is more than a few years old, it might be time to get a new one.
Bridges will freeze before anything else when the temperature gets below freezing. Just because the roads aren’t slippery doesn’t mean that any bridges you go over will be the same.
Not necessarily about fresh snow. Old snow packs down into hard, slick ice and sometimes fresh snow gives you way more traction. Depends on the temperature.
Also I moved into an area where there is less snow, but when we get it it almost always starts as rain… Then snow… Which melts on the pavement… And eventually the pavement hits zero and all that water turns to ice.
Now you have snow on ice, which is awful.
Where I grew up is exactly how you described it though. Generally fresh snow is fine if the road was previously plowed / treated with gravel or deicer / salt.
Clothing
- Make sure to have a good winter coat, neck gaiter, hat, gloves and boots. Staying warm and dry is important.
- Hand warmers can be handy if you expect to be outside for a while. There are several variants (chemical, reusable, rechargeable)
Driving
- Winter tires. It may seems like an extra expense, but it will make your summer/all-season tires lasts longer. In some provinces, they are mandatory for residents (ex: Quebec)
- Make sure to clear the snow from the car, INCLUDING the roof (aka don’t leave a snowhawk). Keep that snow brush in the trunk.
- Make sure to keep your windshield washer fuild filled.
- Have a small snow shovel just in case you get stuck in snow.
- Keep one of those metallic safety blanket, and those emergency candle in case you get in an emergency.
- A car battery booster might come in handy. A drained battery isn’t fun.
- Drice defensively, it’s easier to lose control of the vehicle.
Homeowner
- A good shovel to clear out the driveway isn’t a luxury
- Some sand in a bucket with a lid, to put over ice patches when it gets slippery. You don’t need to put a lot, just enough to not fall.
- Be sure to keep the temperature above 18°C. If the temp inside the building drops too low, ice can form in water pipes, and you can imagine the mess it can make when a pipe bursts.
Make sure to keep your windshield washer fluid filled.
and make sure it’s winter grade fluid (rated for freezing temps)!
I once had summer stuff in there (doesn’t smell as bad because no anti-freeze) and as soon as I turned the wiper spray on the whole window froze over and I couldn’t see shit while I was driving.
scary shit!We had to make an emergency trip to Quebec in January 2022 because of health issues with the in-laws. Father-in-law advised to get the stuff rated to -20°F, but it wasn’t available where we live and I’d gotten the car serviced before we hit the road and they filled the washer fluid with what they had, I’m guessing 0°F. I bought some -20°F in Buffalo but didn’t have room to add any. The temperature was rapidly dropping as we headed farther north and as we neared Watertown, NY the fluid wasn’t spraying well. I tried adding what I could of the -20°F but by the time we stopped east of Montreal that night it was -45°F and the whole system had frozen solid. Tried using a hairdryer at the hotel, but we couldn’t melt it until we got it in the in-laws garage. Without fluid running the wipers can mean just smearing crud across your windshield, making it impossible to see.
Now I always make sure whenever we leave Quebec that I have a bottle of -49°F rated fluid and fill the reservoir at home before heading up in the winter. If there’s a lot of warmer-rated fluid in the car I’ll actually siphon it out.
good advice! I didn’t even think about the whole system freezing.
and if you’re going a place that cold also get a (fresh) heavy duty battery. ours had trouble starting the car when it was -35F also in Montreal
When there’s snow on the ground, drive like you have an open cup of coffee in your lap. Turn, brake, or accelerate too hard and you spill steaming hot coffee on your bits. Winter tires will help a lot, but drive like you don’t have them.
I’ve never heard that coffee metaphor but it’s perfect. I’m going to start borrowing that one
Most importantly always break well before a turn in snow. Never break in a turn.
Many people mentioned clearing ALL the snow off your car, but I didn’t see people mentioning why. Here are some videos to elaborate how terrifying and dangerous it can be when people don’t do that.
It takes a lot of energy to clear the car off, but it’s critical. Don’t be the person that harms someone else just to save a bit of time and effort.
Moving to Michigan from wv has taught me one thing, people don’t really realize how slick ice and slush really is. I man the mountains even if you are going slow you’ll slide up and down the hills and turns, even small ones. Up here where it’s all flat and straight lines people go 80 through ice that they probably don’t realize they can’t stop or even really turn on effectively without huge risk. TAKE IT SLOW always be sure of road conditions and you ability before going out
I’ve heard that people use snow tires. How does that work? Does everyone have 2 sets of wheels at home that they switch with the seasons?
Some dealers or tire shops have a service to store/swap them if space is limited. You can ask around. There are really two ways to do it. A higher upfront cost of an entire set of wheels/tires. They just need to be put on. Other option is to have snow tires remounted on the same rims. This option costs more per change(mount/balance) but cheaper up front (no rims to buy).
I have an entire set and just use cheap rims. That way if you do slide into something and mess them up it’s not a huge deal. My stock rims are like $800 each…other rims are like $100.
I also downsized my tires to a smaller factory size. Usually cheaper tires on 17” rims vs 18 or 20”. If you keep the outer diameter the same you’ll get more sidewall height. That paired with the softer nature of snow tires will change the driving characteristics of your vehicle a bit.
My insurance agent of all people when I was a teenager said to find an empty parking lot full of snow and slide your car around. The first time you slip out shouldn’t be on a public roadway if you can help it. Stops you from freaking out and making it worse. Learn how to correct slides and such so when you need it then you have some idea of what you’re doing. Pay attention to light poles, curbs and more importantly…parking stones(the slabs of concrete at the front of some parking spaces that might be hidden under snow). So make sure you’re familiar with the lot. Back parts of mall parking lots are a pretty decent choice.
Edit: tiny typos throughout
More stuff… While snow tires can help tremendously they don’t make it even remotely close to driving on dry pavement or even wet pavement from rain. You need to do just about everything slower and brake earlier.
Most snow tires have two sets of tread wear bars. The normal set found on most tires and a second much taller set that marks their reduction of ability when used in deep snow. You need more tread to disperse the thicker snow/slush. Biggest difference is the rubber followed by the tread patterns/siping. They stay softer in way colder temps than even all-season tires. The further below freezing you go the more noticeable this becomes. Conversely they don’t handle heat well and will degrade insanely quickly. The handling sucks too cause they feel kinda greasy because they’re just too soft at higher temps. They’re made for cold.
Yes
Well, also no. I mean, I do, and so do many of my friends. But many people rely on all seasons. It’s… Not the best plan. But a lot of people do it.
Don’t dive in head first, it will break your neck.
Layers are the key. Lots of small layers especially something sweat wicking on the bottom layers. It’s good to have lots of layers to add and subtract
So you spent the day outside shoveling snow, maybe you had to walk 20 minutes to get to a friend’s house, maybe the cold itself just took it out of you because your body was burning calories just to stay warm. You finally get home and you are out of breath and just wanting to dry off and get warm again- and that’s when you thank your past self for what you did on meal prep Sunday:
French onion soup.
You can look online for recipes, but here’s what I improvised last Sunday (probably not definition french onion soup, but at least a variation on a theme). Mine takes about 1 hour to make (10 min prep, 50ish minutes to cook)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon fat (I use leftover bacon grease)
- Onions (I used 4 but you could do more)
- garlic (I used 1 bulb, but you could always do more)
- Apple (I used 1, but you could always do more)
- veggies (I like zucchini and carrots)
- mushrooms if you like em
- protein (stew beef, ground meat, chicken, turkey, hell even sandwich meat will do)
- cardamom
- Curry powder
- vinegar (I use white balsamic, but apple cider vinegar or anything flavorful will do)
- chicken broth
- Cut up the onions into thick chunks, no need to get precise, just hack 'em quick so you have less time being in a tearful agony
- Peel the bulb of garlic, but leave the cloves whole- don’t crush them.
- Heat up your butter and fat, then add in the onions and garlic. Let it sautee for like… 30 minutes? If you have time to do a proper caramelizing then do that, but it’s still good if you want to make it faster.
- While the onions and garlic do their thing, prepare your meat in another pan. Of course if you use ham or something pre cooked you can skip this step.
- Slice your apple(s) however you want, I like thin slices but cubes are good too.
- Add in veg and apples, let them cook for 15 minutes or so
- Add meat
- A couple dashes of cardamom and curry and also pour in your broth to desired consistency
- Give a taste then add a dash of vinegar to see how it really cuts through the fattiness
Dish and serve! If you want to really clog those arteries, go ahead and add some cheese on top, I like smoked Gouda. I also use a pipe sweater to torch the cheese and give it a little melty/ crispy texture. This soup should be thick and hearty to restore your energy and give you the gumption to brave the elements again. If you were link in legend of Zelda, you’re getting at least 10 yellow hearts from this.
That and a hot tody will give you the coziness that will lift your spirits in the dark cold months.
Good luck!
Telltale sign that a French onion soup recipe is really Belgian: if it’s written in Belch.
Have good boots for winter, because ice or packed snow is slippery and often unavoidable. And when you’re picking the boots, make sure they have enough space for thick socks.
If you are walking down a very snowy hill or something, I’ve found out that stepping with your heel first, so that your foot creates a stair-like step helps. Useful if it happens to be a path you use often.
Think about warm clothing and plan ahead. Especially in fall or spring, having extra warm clothing with you is super useful even if you don’t need it at the moment, because you can never know when it gets suddenly colder.
Dress in layers. For example, the upper body could have the following layers:
-
shirt you wear indoors
-
thicker shirt/sweater
-
possibly another sweater
-
jacket/coat
You forgot one of the most important and best layers thermals both upper and lower part. It dose SO much.
-
Find an empty parking lot before it snows. Verify there are no obstacles in it or find a large area with no obstacles. Wait until it snows. Hit that bitch up and learn about how your car handles and how to recover when you fuck up.
Make sure to bring a shovel and maybe some boards or whatever others suggest in case you get yourself stuck.
There is no such thing as good winter drivers and bad winter drivers. There is only those with snow tires and those without.
Best: 4 snows on awd and 2-4 water softener bags of salt in trunk for weight and getting unstuck.
2nd best: 4 snow on awd
3rd best: 2 snow on front wheel drive with 4 salt bags in trunk/bed.
4th best: awd no snows but good tread
Worst: fuckin everything else.
Household tips: insulate your pipes if in unfinished basement or have a heater running for really cold days or if the pipes will not have water FLOWING/RUNNING/MOVING thru pipes i.e. you go on vacation.
Plastic wrap your windows every fall. It sucks but helps a ton keeping heat in and costs down.
Spend the most money on gloves, hats and boots. Things that can’t be layered and get rhe coldest.
Hot hands/heat pouches are life savers for winter sports/sporting events/hunting/camping. They make them in foot shaped stick on versions for boots, put one in each of your pants pockets and one each in your coat pockets.
Keep spare salt, shovel, gloves, hat, blanket, granola bars and water in your car for when you WILL go off the road and need to wait for AAA.
Don’t fuck around with ice. Don’t try and walk across it without losing balance. Dont try and walk across it because you think it’s thick enough to hold you. If you are going on ice over water DONOT until you have drilled to check thickness or it is a large bodybif water that publishes the ice thickness.
Yes, snowmobiles can hydroplane across bodies of water.
Yes, skiis and snowboards can skate across bodies of water.
DO FUCKING NOT FUCKING TRY AND FUCKING HYDRO-FUCKING-PLANE OR SKI/SNOWBOARD ACCROSS ANY BODIES OF WATER.
There is no such thing as good winter drivers and bad winter drivers. There is only those with snow tires and those without.
I don’t agree with that. Good tools are useless in the hands of the ignorant. Somebody can have the best winter tires ever engineered, but if they stop and turn on ice like they would do on perfect pavement on the dryest summer days, then they’re fucked and they’re a cocky jackass. A good driver will know the limits of their tires, whatever they are.
True, it follows that having this knowledge will generally convince good drivers to get better tires, but it’s not like buying fancy new rubber will turn you into Ken Block (rip).
TL;DR: Get the winter tires, they’re great and worth it. But PLEASE for the love of god take the time to learn how to fucking drive on snow and ice or you’ll be stuck in the medium with the rest of them, because even with the best winter tires it’s NOT the same physics
You don’t need snow tires in Chicago. The streets are very well plowed and salted. Just take it slow.
Actually the best tires of all: stay the fuck home where it’s nice and warm and work online in your socks and bathrobe.
That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard. The part about there not being good or bad winter drivers.
Honestly. Most of your tips sounds what someone says that was a tourist somewhere cold once in their life and now pretends to know what they’re talking about.
Sincerely. Someone born and raised in the north.
Right. Vancouver drivers are terrible in the snow (if the snow sticks that year, and bad all year round anyway). Drivers from Saskatchewan or North Ontario scoff at whatever we get over here!
deleted by creator
