advice from a northerner:
I’m from Wisconsin, spent nearly all my life there. Now I live I’m Kansas City, spending my first winter here. And let me tell you- When it comes to snow, winter is WAY harder the farther south you get. Not because south gets more snow than the north (because it doesn’t) but because southern states are NOT EQUIPT to handle snow!
In Wisconsin, when it’d snow, we’d get a lot and it’d be bad. But once it stopped snowing, within 2 hours *all* the roads are plowed and you are pretty much good to go with a little caution and snow tires. Because we have ARMIES of heavy duty snow plows with BUNKERS full on salt and sand to combat ice. Southern states don’t have that, so when you get snow- it stays there until enough cars drive over it to pull it away. Its been a few days since it actually snowed but some roads and highway lanes still have a thick layer of snow because there just arent enough plows or knowledge how to deal with it properly.
So coming from someone who’s lived in the upper north and upper south- and someone who’s lived in their car before
If you absolutely have to drive somewhere. DRIVE SLOW- I know that sounds obvious but if you always think you’re driving slow enough- You Aren’t. Drive Slower.
Before you leave- make sure your phone is charged and you have a tow companies number plugged into your phone.
KEEP MORE THAN A CARS LENGTH DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CARS IN FRONT AND BEHIND YOU WHILE DRIVING!!! I cannot stress this enough! If you or the person behind you’d tires start to skid when they break (and they will) they’re is nothing to stop them from running into the car in front of them. Keep A CARS LENGTH DISTANCE at stop lights!! You know Neuton’s Craddle?? Thats you and the cars in front of you if you dont have enough space. One car hits into another hits into another hits into another. Except you keep getting pushed forward.
Always assume someone might slide through an intersection and wait a few extra seconds before going once the light turns green if traffic is still coming.
Even if the rest if the road is clear, Those little patches of snow in between lanes and on the side of the road are dangerous!! If you have to switch lanes or have your tires cross them for any reason, take extra care and very slowly ease through the patches. If you hit them to suddenly or quickly you WILL spin out!
If you have to choose between hiting another car(or other physical property) & going in a ditch- pick the ditch. It’s safer for you and other drivers if you get out of harm’s way. Plus- Tows are relatively cheep. Paying car damages and higher insurance rates are not.
IF YOU GO IN THE DITCH and are waiting for a tow truck DO NOT LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING IF YOUR TAILPIPE IS COVERED BY SNOW (or anything else for that matter) you could die of CO2 poisoning. Being cold for a little bit is better than dead forever.
I know a lot of southern cars don’t have heaters in them but if you’re does, let it run for a few minutes with the heat blasting on the Windows- it helps soften up ice on the windshield.
Keep your lights on in anytime it’s snowing. Even in daylight.
If your car has light snow that blows very easily, you can just use your wipers to get some snow off.
If your car has dense, heavy snow or ice, dont use the wipers. The weight and ice will rip up the wipers and may even break them, especially back windshield wipers! My back one snapped this winter because I overestimated what it could handle.
If you don’t have scrapers/brushes for your windows- You can use a sturdy credit card to scrape windows, and brooms to brush off snow.
Don’t forget to scrape your mirrors and brush the snow off your lights. If the snow is very light, brush off the hood and too of the car too. Otherwise once you hit higher speeds itll fly up and block your windows again.
When you leave your car outside and its going to snow or rain and then freeze, lift you wipers off the car and leave them up. Then they dont get frozen in place.
ASSUME EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE A TERRIBLE DRIVER.
Let your faucets drip when it gets below freezing, especially at night. The water flow helps prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting. Yes. Bursting. They don’t need to be running, just dripping a little. Normally I’d sugest just to do the pipes in outside facing wall but if you’re that far south it might be a good idea to let them all your faucets drip a little.
If you have power, you might be tempted to use a space heater but those suck up A LOT of power and might not be the best idea.
Keep doors and curtains closed, it helps keep the heat in.
Use your hand to check for drafts! Doors and Windows are the more obvious draft spots but pretty much any seam in your house can be a spot for the cold air to rush in. When you find a spot, especially the bottoms of door frames you can bunch up a towel on the drafty seam to help keep the heat in.
Seal up drafty windows!! If the stores are out of the kits made to swap windows you can replicate the same idea with garbage bags and quality painters tape!
If you are out of power/heat- Find the room that holds the most warmth in your house and have everyone sleep there. Keep the door closed, place a towel or blanket on the door crack and have a slumber party. The more bodies, the more heat.
Layer up your blankets!! Pile on those pillows!! Just as long as you DON’T SWEAT. Stay warm, not hot.
Just because you dont have winter clothes doesn’t mean you are going to freeze, use what you have and layer up. (I’ve slept in my car on mountains without wearing “winter clothes”.
¡¡¡MUST READ BEFORE LAYERING!!! Layers are both your friend & the enemy. Keeping warm is gonna be a lot of people’s #1 goal right now- but do NOT make yourself so warm that you sweat!! Being cold is okay- being cold and wet greatly increases your hypothermia risks. So yes layer up, but don’t go overboard.
AVOID FABRICS THAT MAKE YOU SWEAT - MOISTURE WICKING FABRIC IS YOUR FRIEND especially for the fabrics closest to your body
Layering tips for someone who’s never had to bundle up before and has limited resources:
BOTTOMS: underwear, leggings(moisture wicking), socks ×2. Then add a pair of pants or two from there as needed.
TOPS: Tank/Tshrit(moisture wicking), long sleeve, sweatshirt
ESPECIALL IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HEAT SLEEP WITH A BEANIE, GLOVES, AND SOCKS ON. Head, feet and hands are where the heat from your body most escapes & most affected by frostbite.
If you don’t have gloves of any kind, just use socks. I know that might be kinda gross but work with whatever you’ve got
I can not repeat this enough: TAKE 👏 OFF 👏A 👏LAYER 👏WHEN 👏YOU👏 START 👏TO👏 SWEAT👏. I promise! You do not need to be afraid to take off layers when you get too warm!! Sweat is your enemy! Sweat is your enemy! Sweat is your enemy!
DO 👏 NOT 👏 LEAVE 👏 YOUR 👏 PETS 👏 OUTSIDE 👏 UNATTENDED 👏 EVER If you are freaked out by this crazy cold weather, your pet will be too. Unless that pet is a full blooded Husky or other breed ment specifically for cold weather- they should not be out for more than a minute or two. Stand close by the door and as soon as they’re done with their business bring them inside. They can and will get freeze their paws.
If you have a husky or other cold breed dog, by all means let them play outside! (I know a husky in KC that they have to force her to come inside sometimes because she just loves the cold and the snow so much!) But still be weary, just because they can withstand the cold, doesnt mean they should. Dogs that have never experienced the cold might not enjoy it, even if they are bred for it. Let them try, see how they react, and if they arent keen, bring them back in right away.
Even if your dog loves the cold don’t let them stay out too long. Dogs don’t often know their limits, so do your job as a pet owner and set limits for them. (My dog loves to eat snow- instead of letting him stay outside and freeze his paws off, I scoop snow into a bowl and bring it in the house. Best of both worlds.)
This should go without saying but I’m gonna say it anyway… DON’T MAKE YOUR PETS SLEEP OUTSIDE!!
