Electric blankets are awesome. Put a comforter on top* and turn the blanket on a few minutes BEFORE you go to bed - then turn it off when you get under the covers. You’ll have a toasty retreat but won’t use electricity all night long (and, if you believe such things, it’s healthier as you aren’t exposed to EMF).
*Use common sense with regard to fire hazards, though.
Great heavens, folks, the OP is moving to Michigan, not Antarctica! I live in Canada (southern Ontario) and winter means little more to me than having to put on a coat to go out. Of course, if you’re driving in remote places or isolated country roads, you do need to have some basic safety equipment (most importantly a cell phone). Also important in case of a flat is to make sure all your tire-changing gear is operative* and you know how to use it, and to have a flashlight handy, because sure enough when you get that flat it will be the coldest night of the year on a dark country road.
A few random things …
There are “snow tires”, but the tires we most often use in winter are more properly called “winter tires”. They are not just for snow, but for winter conditions in general, and one of their attributes is being made of rubber that stays pliable at lower temperatures, and generally having better grip on most road surfaces encountered in winter. As for studded tires, here in Ontario they are legal only in the far north and only in the winter, and will incur a fine if you’re caught with them elsewhere. Check the laws in your area.
As someone already mentioned, a garage is absolutely a Godsend in the winter, though I realize many don’t have a choice in the matter. It not only keeps the car snow- and ice-free, it also keeps it warmer, making for more reliable starts that are easier on the engine. It also keeps the driveway clear so that the plow service – the one I’ve been using ever since I officially declared myself old enough to deserve it – can clear the entire driveway. Absent a garage, I know of no shortcuts but to brush off snow and scrape ice off the windshield if necessary. It can get pretty brutal if there’s been freezing rain, but that’s fairly rare.
* - Never assume anything. I once assumed that the spare tire mounted under my vehicle would be usable. It was not. Rust had welded the thing to the frame! Another time I assumed I had everything I needed to change a tire. The tire was at the bottom of the trunk, so no problem there, it wasn’t welded to anything. But the wheels had been replaced with aftermarket wheels, and the original lug wrench that came with the car could not get at the nuts because of the way they were recessed. Murphy is always lurking and leaps out when you least expect him!
It’s not just about the cold/snow in Michigan (although Michigan weather can suck, AFAICT), it’s about the contrast. The OP has lived somewhere hot for 30 years. Transitioning to the cold can be utterly miserable - I knew plenty of Indonesians who attended college in places like Massachusetts or Michigan, and for them, it might as well have been Antartica.
That’s a fair point. I’ve lived in Canada all my life and just take winter in stride. But it’s mostly not that big a deal unless you’re in the far north or in some extreme snow belt area, as long as you watch out for the basics, like the fact that you do NOT – ever – drive in snowy winter conditions as if it was dry pavement, regardless of that fancy all-wheel-drive or 4x4 pickup – the kind that I frequently see in the ditch being slowly cranked out by a tow truck, with a cop car standing by to charge the guy with first degree idiocy.
Here’s how to get heaps of snow off your car without getting covered in it:
Get one of those extension scrubber mop/broom things that can be attached to a garden hose for cleaning campers and boats.
Shovel your way to the passenger door, turn on car and the defrosters. Using your long brush/broom thingy first clear your side of the car off. Now you can lean in close without getting snow covered!
Using the long brush push all snow (start at the roof and work dowN) all the way across the roof to fall down the other side of the car. (This will quite effectively knock a lot of snow free from the passenger side, as it falls!) Continue with both front and back end, including windows and bumpers etc. Extend your brush to clear passenger side windows from either end.
Now just back out and away from the pile of snow on the passenger side of the car. If any remains adhered, take a moment to brush it clear.
Boom! You only had to clear snow from one side, and didn’t get covered doing the job! This works especially well in deep snow, really saves a lot of shovelling!
Good Luck!
You can get ordinary brush/scrapers (brush on one end, plastic scraper on the other) that are extensible. I’ve had one for years. You turn a little knob thingie to loosen it and pull out or push in the length as necessary, then turn it the other way to tighten it. When extended it can clear the whole car from one side just as you describe.
Speaking of which, you do want to let you body adapt to the cold. I read some crazy article in the wsj about forcing yourself to adapt by taking cold showers, which struck me as crazy. But there’s no question that 40F in March feels much warmer than 40F in September, and it’s because your metabolism changes.
Help that happen. Don’t try to avoid ever feeling any cold. Obviously, don’t make yourself miserable, or do anything dangerous. But if it’s just around freezing out, and not windy, you can pop outdoors to fetch the mail without putting on a coat. You won’t cool down much in the minute it takes. And that sort of brief exposure to cold can tell your body that it’s winter and it’s time to turn up the internal furnaces.
Of course, my ancestors lived on the Russian steppes, and I am a child of the north. If there’s fresh fluffy snow out, I like to make footprints in it with my bare feet. Yes, it feels cold. But the feeling of snow squishing between my toes is fun, and worth briefly having cold feet.
With an ordinary sedan i don’t usually do that, but the telescoping long scraper was a lifesaver when i drove a minivan. Yes, you really DO need to brush the snow off the top.
Snow plows have huge blind spots never pass one,if possible, on the right. Give snow plows lots of room 5 car lengths at least if following.
You’ll shovel out your drive, when you come back and a plow went by get ready to shovel packed heavy snow. Mailboxes bear the brunt of snow plow aggression. Plows can and do get stuck.
Prevailing N and W winds will drift snow over highway lanes or create black ice.
Especially if it is salting.
Also, I saw this story about a guy in Upstate NY. He went off the road and his car got buried by a snow plow. Kinda terrifying.
If you own a home, invest in a snowblower.
When digging out, use a coal shovel. Much easier to handle than a regular snow shovel and you can finish the job quicker. (Coal shovels were among the first ergonomically designed tools, since people had to shovel coal for long periods).
Frightening! And he’s lucky too. Also a snow clogged tailpipe could lead to CO poisoning? So if digging out clear an area around the exhaust pipe too.
And keep a lane clear for your mail carrier, mine comes by in his vehicle and if he can’t reach the box because of a drift mail gets delayed.
Going outside in a gentle snow in a waterproof coat and listening to the snow falling on your coat is one of life’s little pleasures. That gentle little whisper.
If the sky is clear at night it’s going to get cold.
If there is a sidewalk on your property you are probably responsible for keeping it shoveled and walkable.
The sooner and more completely you embrace “up North” winters, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
One winter in South Dakota we had eight days straight where the temperature never got above zero (Fahrenheit, for you Canadians and other outlanders).
After that had gone on for awhile it began to feel normal. After temps rebounded to the low 20s, I wondered if I should take off my hat and gloves, like those Yukon gold miners in the Jack London story who peeled off their outerwear when there was a minus-7F warm spell.
Good tip.
For the kind/amount of snow that we’re prone to get, I’ve settled on two things: a lightweight snow thrower and – my go-to for 90% of the time if I don’t let it pile up – one of these:
Truly, a better mousetrap, IMHO.
We have an electric mattress pad – same concept, but it’s underneath you instead of on top of you. It’s awesome on cold nights, even if just to get the bed warm before turning in.
I consider snow tires a “must” even though I can’t afford them right now so I make sure that my all-season tires are good ones. When driving, stay far back from the vehicle in front of you, at least until you know and trust your own ability to stop on ice.
Make sure your vehicle battery has a good charge. When it gets really cold, old batteries have trouble.
Ice scrapers for your vehicle are a must. If you can find one with a brass blade, they are by far the best scrapers and they won’t scratch your windows. But they are hard to find. If you do not have protected parking, such as a garage, consider using an old blanket across the windshield, It will have to be weighted somehow so that it doesn’t blow off but it can be awesome to pull that thing off after an ice storm and have a clear windshield.
Be sure you have enough windshield wiper fluid handy. I actually carry a gallon in the car for emergencies. Salted roads are a mess and your windshield will be too without it.
Turtleneck shirts are your best friends. Have several.
Walking on ice is difficult. Curl up your toes like you are trying to keep your sandals from sliding off your feet. This will actually help you walk on ice.
If you are going to spend time outside and not just commute, you want good boots. Sorels are the best winter boots around.
In your home, have candles or a flashlight with good batteries in case you lose power. Be sure that you have a battery back up for your cell phone and that it is charged. This is so you can report the power outage.
You weren’t quite so blasé about the cold that time you visited Saskatoon in winter 
Another fair point, so let me rephrase: “I’ve lived in the civilized parts of Canada all my life and just take winter in stride. But it’s mostly not that big a deal unless you’re in the far north or in some extreme snow belt area or in the goddam prairies that can freeze the balls off a brass monkey* …”
* - In truth, my brother’s wife and some of her wonderful relations came from Saskatchewan, which is a beautiful place, although I’ve only been there in summer, with the exception of that one near-death experience that I noted.
I agree @carnut. Snow tires can make a huge difference in low clearance vehicles, even 4-5 inches of snow can strand a fwd vehicle