# Winter questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 22, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462 "2003-12-22T15:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harlow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Harlow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harlow)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/1 "2003-12-22T15:08:57Z")
I’ve never lived in a climate where it snows,but I have questions about living in the snowy cold areas. 1. When it snows do you normally let your dogs and cats out? Don’t their paws freeeze when they walk in the snow? If there is like 6 in. of snow on the ground and they do their business so you bother cleaning it up or let the snow freeze it? Can animals freeze to death? Do you put a coat on them? 2. If you have a garden hose, would the water freeze before it starts squirting out? What if you dumped a bucket of water on your porch? Would it freeze? 3. If you have plants do you replace them every spring because the snow kills them? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/2 "2003-12-22T16:06:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\* > > 1. When it snows do you normally let your dogs and cats out? Don’t their paws freeeze when they walk in the snow? If there is like 6 in. of snow on the ground and they do their business so you bother cleaning it up or let the snow freeze it? Can animals freeze to death? Do you put a coat on them? > \*\* When I had cats, they rarely showed any interest in going out in the snow. The times I threw them in a snowbank they were very mad at me. Dogs: It depends on the dog. Many breeds have thick enough coats that snow & cold doesn’t bother them at all. We have an annual dog sled race that starts in my town - the dogs don’t seem cold at all. Smaller breeds or breed with less fur either need to stay inside or wear sweaters. We have a Shiba Inu and a pug. The pug is still a puppy, and she tends to get cold if she’s out for more than 10 minutes or so. The Shiba is fine for up to an hour or so if he’s just sitting back there. If he’s moving - like if we take him hiking, or if he’s playing with other dogs - he keeps warm from the activity. This works for humans as well. I spent 2+ hours snowshoeing yesterday, and was too hot most of the time. I’d overdressed for the weather - it was a relatively warm day, around 30 degrees. However, as soon as I quit snowshoeing, I got cold pretty quickly. Staying active is the key. Paws don’t freeze unless dogs are left outside too long. Dogs do their business just fine. I don’t typically clean it up unless it’s in the middle of walkway. This can be messy come spring when it all thaws, though. Animals can certainly freeze to death if left outside too long. I put a sweater on the pug puppy. The shiba doesn’t need it. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\* > 2) If you have a garden hose, would the water freeze before it starts squirting out? What if you dumped a bucket of water on your porch? Would it freeze? > \*\* No, water doesn’t freeze so fast that it freezes before coming out of a hose. Think about it - if you put a bowl of water in your freezer, does it freeze instantly? No, it takes a while. Yes, if you dump a bucket of water on your porch, the water will freeze. Not instantly, but probably within an hour, depending on how cold it is. You use salt to keep porches and stairways clear of ice. On a related note, when I was a kid my brothers made ice rinks for skating and playing hockey in our back yard by flooding the yard with the garden hose. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\* > 3) If you have plants do you replace them every spring because the snow kills them? \*\* Depends on the plant. If you plant tropical species, chances are they won’t make it through the winter. But there are plenty of cold weather plants that do just fine even when covered in snow and ice for several months. We have many decorative bushes, trees, and flowers around our house that come back every year. Any other questions? These threads about “what do you do when it SNOWS!” always kill me! ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/3 "2003-12-22T16:13:28Z")
1. I let my lab out in the snow all the time. He loves it. He lets me know when he wants to come back in. He’s a bigger dog though, I’d keep a closer eye on a smaller breed. The salt you use on the sidewalk will do more damage to their pads than the snow will, I have heard. 2. Why would you dump a bucket of water on your porch in the middle of winter? Testing the strength of your homeowners insurance? 😉 The hose should be taken inside, or you’ll ruin it. The hose itself may freeze, crack, and be useless when you actually need it. 3. Do you mean potted plants? Bring them in. ---
**Author:** ![Harlow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Harlow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harlow)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/4 "2003-12-22T16:18:34Z")
If you have a flat roof house would the snow cave it in? Do you have to shovel your roof, driveway, sidewalk? Are you obligated to shovel your part of the sidewalk? And if you shovel it won’t you have to put it in a place thats not convenient? Do your cars get buried under the snow? Does the salt damage the car? Is it possible to snow near the ocean? I know the ocean is too big to freeze, but does the snow fall into the ocean? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/5 "2003-12-22T16:45:07Z")
Flat roof—depends on the amount of snow and if it’s heavy. It’s not unheard of for a roof to cave in after a huge build up of snow, but it’s fairly rare. Scranton has an ordinance stating you must shovel your sidewalks within 12 hours after a snowfall. The fine was recently increased from $5 to $250. The original law was passed in the late 1800’s, when $5 was a harsh penalty. Some postmen won’t deliver if the path to the mailbox is snowcovered and potentially icy. Shovel it into your yard. DON’T shovel it into the road after the plow has come by. That’s very likely illegal, certainly rude, and you create a potentially unsafe road condition. I’m willing to bet many other places have similar ordinances. (If you have just moved to a colder climate, check with your local authorities to get the skinny on what you’re expected to do as far as snow removal.) Whether or not you shovel your driveway I suppose is up to you. It’s a good idea, though. You’ve obviously never driven over frozen snow ruts. Big old PITA! Salt can damage your car. It won’t do it immediately, but you should at least rinse it off when you have a warm enough day. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/6 "2003-12-22T16:53:07Z")
Michigander checking in… \>Do your cars get buried under the snow? Yes, if it snows enough. We have these things called “Snow brushes” we use to clear the snow from windsheilds, taillights, etc. If the snow plows come by they will generally send up a ridge of snow you will have to dig through to free your car (or driveway if you have one). This is known as getting “plowed in.” \>Does the salt damage the car? Yes, eventually. \>Is it possible to snow near the ocean? I know the ocean is too big to freeze, but does the snow fall into the ocean? Of course. It snows an awful lot on the coast of Maine, for instance! Salt water doesn’t freeze like freshwater does (remember, salting lowers the freezing temp of water) so the shoreline doesn’t get icy or anything. Smaller freshwater lakes do freeze partially, or completely depending on how cold it is. Today’s cold weather factoid: The Fahrenheit and Celcius temperature scales cross at -11. (-11 C = -11 F). That’s cold enough to freeze the sniffles right in your nose. A weird feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/7 "2003-12-22T17:07:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > **If you have a flat roof house would the snow cave it in?** It could, depending on how much snow you have. Flat roofed houses are not particularly popular in snowy climates. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\* > Do you have to shovel your roof, driveway, sidewalk? > \*\* If you have a flat roof, probably. Absolutely you have to shovel your driveway and walks. My husband spends about an hour snowblowing the driveway and walks on the days it snows. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\*Are you obligated to shovel your part of the sidewalk? And if you shovel it won’t you have to put it in a place thats not convenient? > \*\* Most cities have ordinances that make you shovel your sidewalk. You typically pile the snow in the yard. It’s illegal to put it in the street. It’s not really inconvenient to put it in the yard, but it does make for large snowbanks by the end of winter. You have to be careful when pulling out of a driveway - the snowbanks make it hard to see oncoming traffic. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > **Do your cars get buried under the snow? Does the salt damage the car?** Yes, if you leave a car out while it’s snowing. Most people carry tools with an ice scraper on one end and brush on the other to clear snow from their cars. Salt does damage cars. You just live with it. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\* Is it possible to snow near the ocean? I know the ocean is too big to freeze, but does the snow fall into the ocean? \*\* Yes, snow falls near the ocean. I don’t live near the ocean, but I do live near Lake Superior. We get “Lake Effect” snow at times - snow as a result of the weather variations above the lake. Lake Superior can freeze completely over, but only in really bad years. Most years it only freezes around the edges. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/8 "2003-12-22T20:54:57Z")
I worked home construction in Colorado for awhile and the roof was designed especially to hold up in heavy snow. I didn’t see any flat roofs there. Also, I have a dog-- she’s a mutt, about fifty pounds-- she loves the snow and the only problem she has is with the salt people use on the sidewalks. I’m surprised you didn’t ask anything about the **MAJOR** problem with snow and Ice: the driving. It can be a big problem getting around especially when rain turns to snow and the wind blows the snow around and visibilty gets bad. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/9 "2003-12-22T21:08:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hello Again \* > \*\*Today’s cold weather factoid: The Fahrenheit and Celcius temperature scales cross at -11. (-11 C = -11 F). That’s cold enough to freeze the sniffles right in your nose. A weird feeling. \*\* Actually it’s **minus 40** degrees which is the same under both temperature scales. (Check out [http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm.)](http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm.)) This most certainly is cold enough to freeze the contents of your nose, and other body parts. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/10 "2003-12-22T22:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\*1) When it snows do you normally let your dogs and cats out? Don’t their paws freeeze when they walk in the snow? If there is like 6 in. of snow on the ground and they do their business so you bother cleaning it up or let the snow freeze it? Can animals freeze to death? Do you put a coat on them? > **[Dogbooties.com - Durable, Dependable Dog Booties](https://dogbooties.com/)** > > Do something Mother Nature has yet to figure out. Like putting the highest performing protection between your dogs and the elements. Meet dogbooties.com. The garage at my parents’ house in the UP was damaged by heavy snow a while back. We usually end up shoveling the roof there a couple times a year. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/11 "2003-12-22T23:30:00Z")
Last January, there was a lot of snow in a really short period of time in my section o’ Wisconsin. My high school has this funky 60s design and is somehow affiliated with Frank Lloyd Wright. The architect was one of his “disciples” or something. Anyway, this means it has a flat roof or one with very little slant. During first hour, Maestra was conducting Spanish class as usual when one of her students raised their hand. Kid: “¿Maestra, cómo se dice ‘roof’?” Maestra: “El tejado.” K: “Umm . . . el tejado está . . . ¿Cómo se dice ‘falling in’?” M: _blank look_ “¿Qué? Hablamos sobre \.” K: “Um, _points up_ the roof’s falling in.” And there, sagging down by about two feet, was the ceiling, directly above half the class. Maestra, being a feisty Southern lady, said, “Everybody out NOW” and herded the class into the hall. She taught class in the commons for a week or so until the roof was fixed. I seem to remember there being a skull and crossbones on the door, but that might be my mind making things more interesting. There was a couple weeks worth of wet, heavy snow on the roof and poor circa 1960 thing couldn’ t handle it any more, so it started to cave. There’s a new ceiling now and the janitors are a lot more careful when it comes to shoveling. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/12 "2003-12-24T23:37:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Harlow \* > \*\*2) If you have a garden hose, would the water freeze before it starts squirting out? What if you dumped a bucket of water on your porch? Would it freeze? > > 1. If you have plants do you replace them every spring because the snow kills them? \*\* You take the garden hoses off of the spigot and put them away, either in the garage or the basement. Then you turn _off_ the spigot from the inside, and turn it _on_ outside and let the water drain out. That way when it freezes, the pipes won’t burst. I turn off my outside spigots up near the ceiling in the basement. Most plants are hardy enough to withstand the winter weather. When I buy stuff at the garden center, I check the tag to see what climate it’s for. I have boxwoods and a couple different holly bushes in my yard. They go into a dormant phase during the winter. I also have mums, that bloom in the fall and then die. I don’t dig up the bulbs. They come back every year. They survive the cold just fine. Other stuff that I plant in the Spring are annuals, like impatiens and petunias that bloom all summer and then die in the Fall anyway. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/13 "2003-12-25T01:36:03Z")
> [@](#): > > does the snow fall into the ocean? Yes. It never gets very deep, though (the snow, that is). ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/14 "2003-12-25T12:06:34Z")
I’ve walked on a beach covered in 6 inches of snow. In Ireland. That was _freak_ weather. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/15 "2003-12-25T12:52:50Z")
The high school I attended back in the day was a wonder work of architecture. It resembled a segmented shopping mall, built on a sloping hill, with a huge central area where students could congregate between classes. Sadly, said building had flat roofs throughout. They looked cool, but there’s nothing like a ceiling failure in the student center to make folks give up on cool design, and focus on keeping the damn ceiling from caving in again. Back to the OP: 1. My pets loved the snow, and loved getting inside when they were worn out. Just like us folks. 2. Had to buy a new hose every year. But that’s due to laziness. And jogging in the cold with a mustache would result in “snotsicles”… 3. The plants we had were tough. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/16 "2003-12-25T15:22:31Z")
During Washington DC’s record snowfall, the roof of a [movie theater](http://www.weatherbook.com/knickerbocker.html) fell in. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-questions/220462/17 "2003-12-25T17:02:23Z")
Don’t forget the most famous snow-related roof collapse: [The Hartford Civic Center Arena](http://www.eng.uab.edu/cee/reu_nsf99/hartford.htm). Fortunately no one was inside at the time. One thing I like about living in an apartment is that it’s the landlord’s job to have the sidewalks shoveled.