the only thing I can add? do NOT forget that snow is WET.
I am a Californian… and I ruined suede shoes by forgetting that fact.
Layers are your friends!
The key is layers. Wear a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a big wool pea coat or down parka. That way if you get on the subway or bus and it’s sweltering with all the other bundled-up people, you can strip a layer and stay comfortable.
A good pair of boots that are waterproof is key, preferably with a good sole so that you don’t skid on the ice that will line the sidewalks. I like finger-less gloves as well, especially convertible ones with a mitten top that flips down so that I can use my phone or hold something and keep my hands as warm as possible.
If it gets extra chilly your pants or jeans may not be enough (especially if you are going to be walking around the city), invest in a couple pairs of thermal leggings or thermal long johns. They sell cheap pairs at Target or Walmart this time of year.
Get a hat or a pair of earmuffs, your ears will be cold. Also a good wool scarf for your cheeks and neck. One that you can pull up like a cowl if possible against the wind, which can definitely bite when it comes through all the buildings.
Most of this stuff can be found at the goodwill store or salvation army store if you need to, I’ve found some nice things at both stores. But if you have the money to spend, spend it on a really good, well-fitting, waterproof boots and a good down parka or wool coat. Those are the items you’ll really want to be good quality.
Thanks you guys so much for your replies! I feel a bit more confident now. The Somerville Goodwill is actually pretty close to me! I can check it out this weekend, along with Land’s End and LL Bean. Thermal leggings, ok.
Luckily, I live right by my school, so I don’t need to take public transportation. But I will need to walk about a mile a few times per week to go to some of my classes, plus trips to the grocery store and whatnot. If a walk is taking me 15 minutes without snow, how long will it take with snow? I mean, bearing in mind I need to master the art of snow walking.
I live north of Boston in NH. IMO, layers are the way to go.
I usually wear a long sleeve shirt, fleece vest and thick wool coat. The vest I can zip up to my chin to keep my neck warm, and I can wear it while inside.
Cities can “feel” a lot colder than other parts since the wind gets funneled and directed by the buildings.
Brrr, I’m really not looking forward to winter. Last year was awful!
It depends on how much snow. Probably not more than 30 minutes in the very worst of conditions, though.
Sidewalks will be clear, and streets will be clear. It’s the space between the sidewalks and streets that are a hassle. Be prepared to do a little climbing.
You’ll figure it out pretty quickly. The streets and sidewalks get cleared pretty fast so there may not be much of delay. And if the snow is still coming down and piling up, there may be no place to go anyway. On foot, snow and ice aren’t your biggest problems, the cold and wind are. And as someone else mentioned, what you need are layers. Sweaters, jackets, and extra shirts to go under the coat. Scarves, gloves, wool hats, extra socks, are a big help, as I mentioned earlier, the weather changes a lot and quickly, even over the course of a day.
ETA: The streets and sidewalks get partially cleared pretty fast. If you have to cross city lines, there may be a mountain of snow at the border where each municipality stopped plowing.
I beg to differ, but maybe that’s just because of the places I go. There are some sidewalks that never get cleared, and I have no choice but to walk on them.
They are government property, of course.
Fleece jackets and vests have pretty much replaced sweaters in my winter arsenal. But remember that unless your fleece has a wind stopper layer, that they do very little for wind. And wind is pretty much your enemy in the winter. So you’ll want some kind of wind breaker layer.
I’m not out on foot in Boston that much, but there usually seems to be a path clear enough to walk through. The crowd will find it’s own path even if it leaves the sidewalk. But I think last winter the conditions you describe were common with that unusual volume of snow.
I am going to have to reiterate the waterproof boots if you are going to be primarily walking. I have no experience with LL Bean or Lands End, but my husband had a great pair of LL Bean boots for years. I personally like Sorel boots. The pair I have I got in 98 and are still going strong. My husband replaced his LL Bean boots with a pair of Sorel boots. Very warm, very waterproof, very durable.
Last year was certainly the worst in recent memory, but there are certain sidewalks that are bad every year. There’s a certain section of Brookline Ave, for instance, that never gets shovelled on either side.
But if the OP is going to mostly confine himself to the university campus, he shouldn’t have to deal with much of that.
I recall the October day that the Californian girl next door to me in the dorms discovered frost and asked me, “Appleciders, what’s that white stuff on the ground? Do I need one sweatshirt or two?”
There’s some good advice in this thread. Keep your hat, gloves, and scarf in pockets in your coat; that way, you’ve always got them with you. Buy good wool socks; there’s nothing worse than cold feet. Remember to layer well; my coat was warm enough, but if I didn’t have a sweatshirt, fleece, or sweater under it, there’d be a big air pocket that wouldn’t stay warm.
Oh, and there’s no shame in growing a winter beard. It helps more than you’d think.
Even if the sidewalk is clear, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be a 6’ wide span of 5" deep slush and water between the curb and the travel lane in the crosswalk. The stormdrains get clogged and covered up completely, leading to floods in the most unhappy places.
I am so not looking forward to another season of this. Can’t we just skip ahead to next summer?
I like that idea. Who’s in charge of that sort of thing? I want to send a letter.
He must have been outside in 50 degree weather then. Us Californians are not known for our tolerance of cold
if you have a front door, steps or sidewalk to care for, or a car to dig out: A snow shovel from someplace such as Lowes Home Value Sears Depot Mart
A quality long-arm ice scraper and snow brush doohickey.
A hockey stick.
Sam Adams.
A scarf that a woman picks out for you. Men should not pick out their own scarves.
Bring with you the realization that Boston is a nice town, but can’t hold a colonial candle to Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation and enough history to bitch slap Boston into the sea.
*These things can be considered clothing accessories, since you’ll be holding them so goddam much. 'cept for the last one. 
.
NO. This summer was so miserable, I want my cold weather to make up for it!
These gloves were a lifesaver when I lived in Boston (now I live in PA where it’s a bit warmer). They have a little valve that you can open/close so as to blow your warm breath into your gloves and warm your hands up without having to remove your gloves.
Too late to edit – apologies, those were not the exact gloves I had. I can’t find a good picture on line but they were more like this, with the valve on the back.
Bah! Get your commie ass up to Canada where you belong!