That’s a big change from Houston seasons. In Houston, there are two seasons:
Summer…
and January.
Forget jumper cables; get one of those battery chargers which you keep in your trunk. Mine cost about $100 and I’ve used it three times already; no other help is necessary, whereas with cables, you have to find a “donor” car to cable to.
In a pinch, use a credit card to scrape your windshield. Hot water from the tap works pretty well; just don’t use boiling water or you’ll ruin your paint and any rubber bits the water touches.
I’ve heard that you should either clear your sidewalk really well, or not at all. If you half-clear it, and someone falls, you could be in trouble. But if it’s not cleared at all, the person wouldn’t have a reasonable expectation that the sidewalk was safe, and you’re off the hook.
That last point falls more under the category of “something I heard once somewhere” than “something I know for a fact”; I hope legal types will correct me if needed.
Just make sure that your home has a sauna. That way the cold is no more than foreplay.
autz, try the mid-Atlantic area. I live in Durham, we have seasons but none of the serious weather they have up north. Although we do have some bad stufff occasionaly.
Ahh, Minnesota.
The other nice thing about further North is the amount of sunlight you see at this time of year. Gets dark around here at 4:00pm now. But that’s ok, cause it will get light out in 16-17 hours.
Those ponds, they freeze over too choppy to ice skate on them. And the snow, the humidity is too low, so its really to dry for snowmen. But you nose will bleed a lot. And you can take up ice fishing.
Minnesotans are endlessly confused when there is a run on groceries in other states because a big storm is coming. Everyone here has a pantry that will get them through at least three week, just in case another Halloween snowstorm appears.
And for every 109 degree day in Tucson, there is a day here where the windchill will give you frostbite in seconds if it sees skin.
You’ll love cold weather.
(The snowblower was the best $500 I ever spent. Then we moved - bigger driveway. The new snowblower is the best $1500 I ever spent.)
Everybody’s given such great advice I only thought of a few little details to add.
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Invest in good moisturizers. The stuff for your face should include sunscreen! Clear, cold air is a great transmitter for strong sunlight. You’ll probably need some utility hand/body lotion, too. Cold, dry outside air, heated inside air and constantly being covered in cloth really dries out your skin.
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lip balm, or some kind of lip protection. Just breathing in and out can chap your lips very quickly. It’s a small misery, but one that’s so easily prevented.
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bring along your good sunglasses! If you don’t have any, buy some. Strong sunlight glinting off a whole world white with snow can be blinding. They’re a safety essential for driving at the very least.
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another enthusiastic vote for silk undies or cuddleduds. They’re light, unnoticeable even under many dressy clothes but lend a toasty warmth. You can be warm without bulking up.
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invest in some good boots, i.e. waterproof and easy to walk in. They don’t have to be expensive, e.g. Lands End sells some excellent, very affordable ones. If your feet are wet, they’re in danger of frostbite.
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layer socks if you’re doing extended outside stuff especially; a thin silky pair under a slightly heavier knit pair. They’re much warmer (and more comfortable) than a single really thick pair. The inner pair can reduce chafing, and the outer pair can be taken off if they get wet or you’re too hot.
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Most of all, relax and enjoy it. You’ve already survived in an extreme environment, just the opposite extreme. A lot of the precautions are similar, and purely common sense. Severe cold and snow can be enchantingly beautiful. There’s nothing quite like a cold moonlit night, with a million stars above and the snow gleaming light daylight and crunching under your boots in the silence. And then a long, slow tub soak followed by a warming beverage of your choice. Bliss.
And it makes a person appreciate the greening of spring for the true miracle it is. Don’t let the naysayers daunt you. You’re in for something great.
Veb
I’ve done the opposite move; I’m a northwesterner living in southern New Mexico. I really miss the seasons, and I think you’ll like them. Here, it gets down to 45 and everyone’s moaning about how cold it is outside. I’m walking around in jeans and a vest revelling in NOT being hot for once.
Winters are nice, but remember that there’s cold, then there’s freakin’ cold. I’ve spent winters in Oregon when we got a good 18" or so of snow, and temps down to 0F at night. We lived out in the country, with no 4WD, but it was still handleable. Same thing with Seattle. Sometimes the car door would freeze shut. People would be cross country skiing by our front door, my Thunderbird wouldn’t handle so well on any type of hill…
However, I declined to apply for a job today because of cold. The location was some podunk town in Wyoming where it gets to 40 below zero. That’s a whole 'nother ballgame.
Anyway, down parka with a hood, lotsa’ polarfleece, wool slippers, and insulated Gore-Tex boots if you’ll be out in snow much, and you should be set. 