Advice for my first winter up north?

[Skibo]

If you end up in a snow bank, make sure that your exhaust is free from snow. You want to have a clear path for the carbon monoxide to escape instead of backing up in the car.

i really appreciate all the advice, and i'm sure i'm gonna need it... but y'all are really starting to scare me

food, water, blankets in the car? digging out of snow banks?

It won't be as bad as it sounds. It sounds like you are too far south to get the lake effect snow. You are also too far west to get any snow from the nor'easters. There isn't a lot of blizzard activity out of the west. Wind chill and blowing snow will be your biggest worry. Ohio is fairly flat compared so you shouldn't have a lot of hills and crazy bends. I grew up in Pittsburgh, so I fart in the general direction of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Really we live in a modern society, and the plow guys live for the overtime that comes with any snow. Unless it is a major storm and 2+ inches per hour are falling, the roads will be in good shape. The key is stay warm and get some practice driving in the snow. A little snow is more fun than it sounds.

[parrothead216]

Hi Judy and Dan here from Cleveland Ohio!

Don't let them scare you. If you are a cold baby, you will always be cold, even when it is not that cold, but that will take a bit of time to acclimate!
Dress in layers ...... the local stores like Kohl's will have all you need. If you are a L.L. Bean type of dresser......they have a lot of the new fabrics that are good for cold weather , but very thin and light weight.

Boots and shoes need to be waterproof and have a good rugged tread on them. Winter is NOT the time for fashion! Also, hats and gloves will be your friend. The new thin fabrics like Thinsilaid(?) will keep you warm, without a lot of bulk. Sweaters will also be your friend, remember, that you always can put on another layer.

We have lived on the North Coast( Cleveland ), for our entire lives. You WILL get through the winter, We have all our lives and we get a lot more snow up here being by the lake. It is called Lake Effect Snow...it is caused by the cold winds crossing the warmer waters of the Lake...before it freezes. It can dump 20 inches of snow to the east side of the city and nothing to the west.

As for Columbus...they get snow when the storms come up the Ohio valley, but not usually that much. As Michelle said ...you may need to deal with ice more than a lot of snow. If you have driven in snow...the simplest thing to do is just slow down and be smart. You should have a blanket and a small shovel and maybe some candy bars or granola bars in case you would get stuck in the snow for some time. A cell phone of course ,and keep your gas tank full, in case you are delayed in traffic going home. You don't want to run out of gas!!

The cities and state do a pretty good job keeping up with the roads and they know what to do, unlike somewhere like NC where they don't get a lot of cold weather and ice and snow. Places like that have to just sit out the event until it warms up!.

It doesn't get that cold ,the average temperature is probably mid 20's , but you will get a few very cold nights and days. That is good, because when it warms back to 25 ...it will feel like a heat wave.

Living in a colder climate makes you love Jimmy and his music even more. It will make you understand why Cinncinati is the capitol of Margaritaville. We go through a lot during the winter and you have to be tough, but spring will come and so will summer. It makes you enjoy the warmer weather months even more and with the warmer weather ...JIMMY COMES BACK!

If you are living in an apartment...try to get one with a gargage. It is tough starting the day, having to clean off your car...before you can leave for work. You might want to invest in a remote starter for your vehicle. It will allow you to warm up your car and defrost everything...before you leave for home. Oh BTW, that is another important thing to do.....make sure you really clean off the car before you try to drive. There is nothing worse than having a snow covered car and trying to drive in traffic.

It will also teach you that if you live where it gets cold...YOU HAVE TO BE TOUGH!

[ph4ever]

One of the BEST things I got since moving here. Remote start. OMG it's awesome!!! I can start the truck from 1/2 mile away if there's nothing to block the signal. I LOVE it!!! I start the truck before I leave the building and by the time I'm up to it, it's already warm. Whoever invented remote start I owe a drink!!!

[Bicycle Bill]

i really appreciate all the advice, and i'm sure i'm gonna need it... but y'all are really starting to scare me

food, water, blankets in the car? digging out of snow banks?

It's the old Boy Scout adage in practice — "Be Prepared".

You are doing the right thing by asking; we're probably overloading you with a lot of details that are more than likely going to be unnecessary, especially if you're not going to be doing a lot of traveling or stay within urban areas. But Mother Nature can be a really vicious bïtch when she wants to be, and anyone who has lived in areas where King Boreas (God of the North Winds) is in charge for more than three months out of the year knows that carrying some of the items we've mentioned is a very cheap insurance policy.

-"BB"-

[Hockey Mon]

Plastics.

Exactly. Plastics my boy, that's the future. I recommend them to everyone. Plastic sleds, plastic saucers, plastic shovels...

[parrothead216]

Plastics.

Exactly. Plastics my boy, that's the future. I recommend them to everyone. Plastic sleds, plastic saucers, plastic shovels...

All joking aside...IF and that is the operative word, you can get by the tough part of winter. Winter can be a wonderful time. The secret is find something to do to have a reason to go outside. Otherwise you will be shooting 6 holes in the freezer! It can be cool and crisp and a winter wonderland. Also, staying in by a fire can even be better.

Just know that winter has to come in order to go and when it goes........Spring is wonderful, as are ALL of the seasons! Enjoy!

[Bicycle Bill]

Plastics.

Exactly. Plastics my boy, that's the future. I recommend them to everyone. Plastic sleds, plastic saucers, plastic shovels...

Just say no to plastics.

Steel is real!
Plastic shovels are pieces of crap, good only for lifting off light, powdery, unpacked snow — and aluminum ain't a whole lot better. If you want to get down to the bare pavement, deal with ice or packed-down snow, or you need to dig out your car after the snowplows came by and drifted you in, a good steel-bladed shovel is the way to go.

-"BB"-

[Hockey Mon]

Plastic shovels are pieces of crap, good only for lifting off light, powdery, unpacked snow

Which is what I get on my driveway, provided the kids haven't used it as a sledding hill.

[Ol'_'96'er]

i really appreciate all the advice, and i'm sure i'm gonna need it... but y'all are really starting to scare me

food, water, blankets in the car? digging out of snow banks?

It's the old Boy Scout adage in practice — "Be Prepared".

You are doing the right thing by asking; we're probably overloading you with a lot of details that are more than likely going to be unnecessary, especially if you're not going to be doing a lot of traveling or stay within urban areas. But Mother Nature can be a really vicious bïtch when she wants to be, and anyone who has lived in areas where King Boreas (God of the North Winds) is in charge for more than three months out of the year knows that carrying some of the items we've mentioned is a very cheap insurance policy.

-"BB"-

shovel and non-clumping kitty-litter, probably useful if you haven't practiced skids, turns, etc. on snow/packed snow in an empty parking lot. Friction keeps cars on the road, and allows tires to effect turns; snow/ice lowers friction, and you see this effect when they are digging an SUV off a K-Rail because they forgot that friction also reduces inertial energy and thus 3 ton vehicle at 65 mph on ice... straight on into the k-rail.

blankets (preferably either wool or space-reflective), water, candles, coffee can (actually two of these, one for the candle and one for melting snow in a double-boiler effect, and energy bars are all good if you are going to be out beyond the outer belt but not totally necessary if you are staying inside the city limits.

wool socks, pants with something else for a double layer, boots with or without a layer of thinsulate, sweater, leather jacket, wool cap, and mittens (as someone mentioned, fingers don't keep each other as warm singly as if you are grouping them all together).

[JollyMon66]

Plastics.

Exactly. Plastics my boy, that's the future. I recommend them to everyone. Plastic sleds, plastic saucers, plastic shovels...

Just say no to plastics.

Steel is real!
Plastic shovels are pieces of crap, good only for lifting off light, powdery, unpacked snow — and aluminum ain't a whole lot better. If you want to get down to the bare pavement, deal with ice or packed-down snow, or you need to dig out your car after the snowplows came by and drifted you in, a good steel-bladed shovel is the way to go.

-"BB"-

Ah yes but plastic works best on my deck

[ragtopW]

I SEE THE YUKON!!!!!!!!

[bravedave]

Did you know that Columbus, OH is at the same northern latitude as Beijing, the islands of Sardinia and Minorca, and Philadelphia?

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Everyone has given you fantastic advice so there's not too much to add. LL Bean, Lands End, Carhart, Cabela's, REI, etc, are your friends. Throw fashion out the window and be warm. The good news is, you WILL acclimate, to a point. The biggest thing, as others have said, is safety. Being prepared to be stuck in the car for up to 24 hours: food, water, and remember to keep a window cracked while running the car in case your exhaust system has any leaks into the car.

Layers, layers, layers. I have an inexpensive fleece vest that's fabulous as a middle layer for keeping the core warm or for just a little warmth on a chilly fall day.

Your earlier post about the price of good boots... Bite the bullet on this one and spend some $$. They'll last many seasons and protect your feet from discomfort to frostbite. There are few things more painful than thawing feet after they've been frozen numb. Same thing with a warm jacket (personally, I love my thinsulate LL Bean coat): it'll last many seasons and is an investment in safety.

As much as I LOVE cotton in the summer, pack it away for the winter. It can leave you wet and cold as an inner layer and can be downright dangerous in a situation where you're stuck outside. Wool and high tech stuff that wicks away moisture are far better choices in the cold.

I wear two scarfs when the wind kicks up. Either LL Bean or Lands End (I forget) has a great basic fleece scarf for about $20. You can wrap it around your face on those relatively few days when you have to cover up all your skin or risk frostbite in five minutes or so. It's also great for covering your neck if you can't wear a turtleneck.

Keep a good flashlight handy at home. You never know when an invincible(? ) idiot in an SUV will take out a telephone pole and your power. Keep some canned food, crackers, PB & J, and a manual can opener. Even if you have to eat cold food you won't go hungry if a surprise storm keeps you inside for a couple of days.

After some practice you can drive in light snow. No one can drive well in ice. Stay home.

Finally, I just bought one of these at Cabela's. My head will NOT be cold this winter:

[frozen bird]

Nice hat, SGH...I've got one kind of like it and it makes my head sweat when it is freezing outside.

Macphin...had to bring up the cracking fingers, didn't you? Waaaayyyyyy worse than a paper cut!

As for the extra weight issue...don't do it. The best way to stay warm is to be in good shape. Too thin and you're cold. Too heavy and you probably can't exert enough energy for a long enough time to keep you warm. Blubber works for walruses and whales, not humans

[txaggirl91]

Living in northern Arizona, I quickly learned to live in the cold...

I had different types of gloves for different things - some where heavier than others.

A multipurpose jacket that you could zip off the outer layer and just wear the fleece inside. The hood it had came in hand on days it was snowing. I got a steal on one from LL Bean.

They have long underwear socks - made out of the same material as the silk long undies.. i would wear these and then my regular socks.. i also had wool socks to sleep in.

I also bought at feather bed topper. It really helped me stay warm at night

I bought a long handle snow brush/scraper combo. it helped me reach the middle of the truck.

I never got into hats or caps but a good thick scarf also helped keep my neck warm.

Tights were also good to wear under clothes.

Almost forgot - i did buy one pair of flannel lined jeans to wear.

[PartofthePhlock]

LOL, Chippewa that's a good answer. I say just go with a belt of jack every couple hours.

[PartofthePhlock]

Why would someone move TO central Ohio on purpose?

Excellent question......might I add to your statement......especially when everyone in Ohio wants to move south.

[bravedave]

Finally, I just bought one of these at Cabela's. My head will NOT be cold this winter:

Nice hat!
(But my dog would attack it on sight. [dogspeak]"Master, I will save you from the wicked bunny that is eating your head! Because I loerve you!"[/dogspeak])

[Tequila Revenge]

How are you at Cribbage?

Watch Grumpy Old Men for a primer on living through a mid west winter. Have you ever thought about ice fishing? Be sure to subscribe to Cabela's, LL Bean and Orvis too

[ph4ever]

Finally, I just bought one of these at Cabela's. My head will NOT be cold this winter:

Nice hat!
(But my dog would attack it on sight. [dogspeak]"Master, I will save you from the wicked bunny that is eating your head! Because I loerve you!"[/dogspeak])

HOLD ON HOLD ON HOLD ON. Wait just a damn minute. My dog calls me mommy - how did you get yours to call you Master?