A lot of people are about to be hit with a big winter storm who are not used to this kind of weather. Here are some tips from a Minnesotan:
Keeping warm:
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avoid cotton fabrics.
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Use layers, take them off if you start to sweat.
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I like tight gloves with thick mittens, which allows use of your hands sometimes without skin exposure.
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A face mask works as a scarf or another layer in a pinch
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Warm up your home in case you lose power. Power outages may happen after the snow/freezing rain stops
Snow removal:
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Lift with your legs, not your back.
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Don’t save all of the shoveling for the very end of the storm, it’ll be more difficult and will start to create an ice layer (especially where walked on)
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if you have a car, lift up the windshield wipers before it starts snowing/freezing rain
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Completely clean your car soon after the storm. In most places, it’s illegal to drive with a lot of snow/ice on your car and super dangerous.
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If you’re parked on a street, move the car to a plowed area when possible so they can plow where you were parked
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If you have a driveway, clear off part of the street in the direction the plow will come from, so that doesn’t end up blocking your driveway
Driving
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stay home until streets are plowed if possible (thank you healthcare workers and emergency responders!)
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Turn on ABS brake and traction control settings, if available
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accelerate and take turns slowly
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Have more time/distance to brake
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Speed up before going up an incline, getting stuck and sliding back down is not fun
Sliding on ice:
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If walking, keep your feet underneath your center of gravity
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If driving, switch to neutral and steer in the direction that the back of the car is sliding, but don’t overreact on steering. Slamming brakes will make sliding worse.
Car stuck in snow:
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turn off traction control
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don’t just let the tires spin out
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try shoveling, sand/kitty litter, and rocking back and forth
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Once you get moving again, don’t stop
Edit: if you do lose power, have a faucet or two drip water to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting
Edit 2: if you see ICE, follow these steps
Swede here, when driving, drive as if there is a raw egg between your foot and the pedals.
Also, winter tires makes a huge difference, here they are mandatory, but you should get/use them as well even if they are not.
Do brake tests! Make sure you have a clear road ahead and no one behind you, break hardish, and remember how far you slid.
If you know you need to stop just after a hidden bend in the road, make sure to start braking before the curve, this is to light up your brake lights, giving other, less attentive drivers the chance to stop earlier.
Remember that you don’t HAVE to drive the speed limit, you should adjust your speed to suit the conditions.
Unless in an emergency, never ever make a quick, sharp turn when driving in snow
Remember that you don’t HAVE to drive the speed limit, you should adjust your speed to suit the conditions.
Really sad that this needs to be mentioned…
(Except for unneccessary slow driving like 30 kph in a 50 zone for no reason other than being old/unsure/eyes are not working properly. If that is the case, please go see a doctor)Unessesarily and for no reason mean the same thing in that sentence, you can omit either one and it makes more sense. Less is more in this instance. But perhaps you know this already and it was intentional. If so apologies
Mh…
Except for
unneccessaryslow driving like 30 kph in a 50 zone for no reason other than being (…)Might work.
Except for unneccessary slow driving like 30 kph in a 50 zone
for no reasonother than beingDoesnt sound right.
Anyway. Appreciated :)
And if you do start sliding don’t panic & turn the wheel toward the slide to regain traction & then turn it back towards the direction of travel.
And don’t take your foot off the accelerator. You need power to pull yourself through.
I’ve never heard that advice. What kind of sliding is that for? Like when you hit full-sideways-sliding?
I do know if you start fishtailing, taking your foot off the accelerator until you regain control is absolutely the way to go, however that may be dependent upon the kind of drive the vehicle has. It’s worked a dream for every vehicle I’ve needed to try it in.
Yep, skidding or sliding directionally, steer into the skid, and if there’s a road curve you’re not following, then depending on the road you might be able to gain some control by gently accelerating. But most people in that situation are panicking and will jam on the gas instead, which will only make you go faster into whatever you’re gonna hit. If you’re not following a curve and it’s icy, you’ve already made the mistake. Which brings me to…
In any weather, you should slow your vehicle before the curve. Never brake when you’re already curving. By that time you should be gently accelerating to gain control. This is probably the #1 crazy thing I see in the South, people braking while on a curve. If there’s ice or even rain you will lose control that way, and away your car goes.
Practice this on dry roads and you’ll be ready when ice happens.
Good additions! I just didn’t mention the snow tires because that’s not an option for a lot of people in southern US states
They make these things that are basically long zip ties with nubs on them that you can strap to your tires. They are supposed to give you traction in a pinch. A bit late for this storm, but it wouldn’t be bad to have in your trunk for an emergency. I haven’t tried them myself I admit, but it has to be better than nothing.
I’ve tried them. Didn’t last more than 100 feet on fresh snow before bursting open. You need actual tire chains.
If it holds long enough to get me unstuck from a rut, then it would still be worth it to me
If you’re asking of they’re better than absolutely nothing, then yes, they are. They are also a waste of money. Just buy an actual chain instead. Or snow tires, but the price difference is unpalatable.
drive as if there is a raw egg between your foot and the pedals.
Excuse me, what?
Yes, it is a common expression here, it makes you slow down your pedal movements to be slow, light and careful, just what you need when driving on slippery roads.
An egg can take quite a bit of force, if you apply it carefully.
So like you’re trying not to break an egg under your foot?
Correct
Thanks!
Yeah also thanks because I thought they meant like the raw inside of the egg. Like the yolk and white all over the bottom of your foot and the pedals making it very slippery.
In this case the raw egg is still inside the shell. They makes a lot more sense that what my brain conjured up.
Though all that being said it does things me of the anime Initial D
The main character makes deliveries for his dad and his dad puts a cup of water in the cup holder and says not to spill any. That’s how he teaches his son to drive without breaking the tofu he is delivering.
That being if he doesn’t spill any water he is driving smoothly and with care.
Which is actually a reoccurring challenge on the Canada’s Worst Driver show. Season one is actually a great watch for winter driving skills
And for the love of all things good in the world, do NOT throw hot water on your car to melt the ice/snow. The glass -will- crack from thermal expansion. Use the defrost and sit there until it’s melted enough for your ice scraper to slide it off. If you have plain water in your wiper fluid compartment, drain it or it’ll rupture the lines when it freezes. If you can get low-temp wiper fluid you can use that, otherwise it’s probably best to leave it empty or maybe throw some isopropyl alcohol in it. Not super sure, I’ve always used low-temp fluid.
I watched my ex from Texas throw hot water on their windshield after they followed me to my very northern-tundra state. They had never really seen snow before, outside of occasional falls that melted by noon. Not even close to the same thing as a sustained hard freeze. I did tell them not to do it but they knew better. They were an abusive asshole so meh. Lessons learned the hard way are valuable. For me as an onlooker. That popping sound as it shattered was just 👨🍳💋.
And turn the defrost and the fan on before the car gets warmed up. If you forget to turn the fan on, and only turn it on when the car is warmed up, you will also crack your windshield.
Good advice, I’ve genuinely never done that, just habit from a lifetime of winter. Wouldn’t even have thought of it.
That does remind me, though, I did find out years back that if you already have a crack, in my case a tiny crack from a rock, that hasn’t been sealed with a glass repair whatever it is they do, any significant amount of heat directed toward the glass in freezing conditions will cause the crack to spread. Bit. By. Bit. Suuuch a shit feeling to watch.
You can buy repair kits to fix those little bullseye chips from getting hit by rocks. They basically force a clear resin in, binding it together and making it clear again. It’s worth keeping one around just in case.
A helpful list! I think an additional point worth mentioning is that a heated blanket can keep you warm while consuming much less electricity than a space heater can.
We have a heated mattress pad, keeps all of the heat inside the blankets
There are heated clothing as well that use regular power banks as energy source. Not that expensive but makes quite the difference. Another benefit is that you can turn it off when you go indoors instead of undressing to not start sweating like a pig.
My son is a mechanic so it’s often chilly at work. He uses those rechargeable hand warmers in his shirt pockets.
When my mechanic had decided to sell his shop, he got rid of his heating bill for the last few months he had to work and he used a vest from snap on (branded snap on anyway) that had rechargeable warmers in it. Was kind of neat. He said it worked surprisingly well as long as he remembered to keep it charged
Note to add to the stuck part:
Keep two small lengths of wood in your trunk. When stuck, wedge them underneath your powered wheels in the direction your going, i.e. in front if your going forward, and behind if trying to reverse.
Edit: spelling
If you’re just going to pop out to the store, don’t neglect your wardrobe! Dress for the ditch, not your destination. If you slide off the road you don’t want to be freezing to death in your sneakers and hoody trying to dig your car out. Bonus points for bringing a shovel, trying to dig your car out with an ice scraper sucks.
Learn where the water shutoff is to your house.
If the worst happens and you lose power for any significant amount of time with no way to heat your home, and you face leaving your house find someplace warm, shut the water off. Some might suggest leaving taps trickling, and that might work for sinks, but won’t for toilets and other pipes.
Open the lowest spigot in the house to drain as much water as possible. Flush the toilets enough times to empty the tanks. Pour cheap vodka in the toilet “S” traps and sink “U” traps as a cheap antifreeze.
I’ve had to winterize a house on several occasions, learned the hard way on a couple occasions when I came back to a busted toilet or cracked drain.
E: oh, and clean your damn car roof off. I’m tired of chunks of snow flying off cars into mine, or almost as bad, the clowns that hit the brakes and the snowpack slides forward completely blocking their windshield. Now they can’t see and are blocking the road.
to add: get the proper rated winter wiper washer fluid.
once forgot I had the summer stuff still in (because it doesn’t smell like shit like the stuff with antifreeze) and I turned it on mid drive while it was freezing outside.that was fucking scary, having suddenly no view at 40 mph.
luckily the road was straight, but I was driving like Ace Ventura in the freezing cold until I could safely pull over.
learn that one from me, so you don’t have to learn that lesson yourself, and hopefully never at freeway speeds.stay safe out there you all! (and best of luck all Minnesotans, stay strong, together!)
Good tip on prepping the drain pipe traps, that should help. I’m sure there are better options if you have the right tools but as a stopgap solution, it would help lower the freezing point and gives you better odds of not coming back to a cracked pipe.
Something I picked up when driving in Wisconsin is if you are driving and need to change lanes take your foot off the acceleration pedal if there is a layer of Snow/slush/ice between the lanes. If the tires slip your not adding power to the wheels. Also take your time and slowly drift into the lane. It’s not a race.
A tip someone gave me if you can’t see the lane markers well is to slowly move towards the rumble strip. This can help you know where the edge of the road is.
I suggest you keep a reflective jacket or vest in the car just so you can be seen IF you need to get out of the car if you get stuck or putting on chains.
I’ll add being mindful it can take about 3x longer to brake. And with that, leave a gap whenever you do stop behind another vehicle. You never know when the person behind you might brake too late; having the gap gives you wiggle room to move forward or switch lanes.
Great additions!
Something else I would do I find a large open parking lot and intentionally drive in a way to make my car lose traction. This way I could practice my over steer, counter steer. Sure it was fun to play in the snow but I wanted to make sure I had a controlled setting to do this. Just be careful of light poles and other obstacles.
And curbs
When walking with a lot of ice, always walk on the snowy, cloudy, and/or crunchy looking areas. You’ll get more grip with the crunch of the ice and snow than on just ice. If it looks clear, didn’t go near. (Or something like that)
A fall might cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills. Get boots or shoes with good traction soles. For hard packed snow or ice get spiral type slip on ice-creepers unless you are going to be outside only, then get ones with studs. Walk like a penguin if caught one ice without them.
Nothing upsets me more than people driving with a pothole carved into their windshield and 6 inches of mobile smoke bomb/death shelf on their roof.
Question for people who live in colder climates - why is it always so hot indoors? When I’ve been in new York, Chicago, Milwaukee, etc. in the winter it’s miserable inside. It’s 12 degrees outside and you step into a restaurant or shop where it feels like it’s 80 degrees. You’re immediately sweating because you have a jacket, gloves, etc. and you have to find someplace to put them.
Sometimes it’s because of the temperature delta. Really cold outside and warm inside might feel hot, comparatively. Apparent temperature stuff.
Other times it’s probably over compensation for the thin skinned.
My wife and I keep our heat pretty low, usually 60°F, which is usually pretty damn chilly for indoors
But when you step in from single digits outside, 60° feels downright toasty.
If you are coming directly from outside to a heated space, it’s likely the space near the door Is over-heated because of the loss to outside.
Hotels, big stores, event spaces, and other things with frequent entry/exit usually have a double door setup, meaning you walk through two doors and an air gap to enter, to minimize fluctuations in the main building. Revolving doors are popular for this as well, but I’m personally thankful they aren’t more wide-spread… That air gap space usually has heat set to run until it’s like 80-90f whether the door is open or not, so it gets rather toasty. Places that don’t have the buffer space will often have heat vents near the door cranked up to account for heat loses, and if they aren’t opened it’ll also get toasty.
If it’s a small shop, it may be because the door is constantly being opened and they’re trying to keep the store warm for the people working there.
I wonder if those places do a better job of being less drafty because it’s easier to know there’s a draft when it’s really cold.
It would help keep hot air inside if so which might explain why it’s so hot
Lots of great advice here and in the comments. To add some clarity to driving carefully, imagine that you are driving with an open fish tank on the floor of the passenger side and you don’t want to lose any fish.
Rocking back and forth doesn’t help me when I watch the news, so I doubt it’ll help me get out of a snow drift.
Excellent advice.
Regarding windshield wipers: my mechanic advises people not to leave them up. He says that doing this too often can stretch the springs in your wipers, ultimately reducing the downforce that makes them effective. Someone else in the comments mentioned using a vinyl (or cardboard) cover for your windshield - this can be a good timesaver that is kind to your wipers.
I had the opportunity to experience a masterclass in how to handle extreme weather events in Saskatchewan.
-Bundle the fuck up
-Check on / help your neighbours
-If you see someone stuck in thier vehicle help them for God’s sake.
In terms of unstucking a vehicle, the trick is to “rock it” out. Once you even get a little bit of motion, you’re in a better spot. If you are bring pushed, or are pushing, make sure the driver’s window is open for communication. When pushing, still be thinking about the task as rocking out. You push and they apply (a little) gas, till they hit the limit. Let them roll back after, then coordinate another push.
Another thing with getting your car out of snow is to put something with traction underneath the tires. E.g. some gravel if you have it, a blanket, or the car mats under each wheel. That little extra traction can definitely mean the difference.
I tried the car mat trick once. They immediately shot out from under the tires when giving it gas.
Gotta channel your inner Happy Gilmore and just taaaap the pedal. Tap, tap, taaaap the pedal.
Too much gas eh. Or ice/crispy snow underneath. Then you need something more grippy.
Cat litter can work wonders here
😅 I can imagine, although might be difficult to get a hold of in a pinch.
Mesh shirt against your skin is the shit. It keeps an air layer between your skin and base layer which helps you stay warm and feel dry while wicking the moisture away.
If there’s anyone I’d trust on this matter, it’s you.
I appreciate the blind faith
According to my tag on you, you’re a construction worker with a camera; I would imagine both of those things would expose you to cold. It’s not blind!
Fair enough then! I also mountain bike year around.
You are singlehandedly compensating for me never leaving the house.
This is a stellar idea. I l bike to work year round, and live in a cold climate. I might give this a shot. Just gotta figure out where to find a mesh shirt
