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Haha, well that is one way to ask my question.
I am looking to relocate to New England from the southwest and just wondering how people survive the winters? What do you do-inside/outside? Do you drive/walk/use transit to work? How do you dress? What do you do for fun? What parts about the winter do you enjoy? =) Thanks in advance for all the replies!!
Haha, well that is one way to ask my question.
I am looking to relocate to New England from the southwest and just wondering how people survive the winters? What do you do-inside/outside? Do you drive/walk/use transit to work? How do you dress? What do you do for fun? What parts about the winter do you enjoy? =) Thanks in advance for all the replies!!
Well you are certainly asking the right person about how to deal with the cold as I am a recently reformed cold weather hater! For the 1st time in almost 15 years I am not dreading the upcoming winter as last year I finally learned how to dress so I am totally warm even on the coldest days.
You will be able to stay comfortable when it's down to zero (fahrenheit) IF you dress right. Take it from someone like me who loves it 90 and humid! I would go to an outdoor store (EMS, Cabella's) and find a good base layer (made of nylon or polyester). Above that try to find a fleece that is tight but not too tight. Above that a loose fitting fleece plus coveralls and above that your down coat. If you wear all that you will be toasty warm when its single digits even while sedentary and quickly get hot with even minimal activity.
One thing I want to get across! Never worry about LOOKING good when it's cold! I NEVER sacrifice fashion for warmth! That hat at EMS might look really dorky but it will keep you WARM!
Also avoid wearing anything cotton at all costs!!
As for my favorite winter activities--snowmobiling hands down! I like skiing a lot too and snowshoeing but nothing beats putting the pedal to the medal on a sled and flying across a nicely groomed wide open trail or frozen lake!
I live in CT and for years I used to dwell on how cold the climate is here.....
Until last winter!
After purchasing a sleeping bag rated to -20F and the before mentioned clothes, I drove straight to N Maine (Jackman and Greenville) and camped out in temps well below zero!
As I went to bed that night, the mercury was right at 0F and it took me about 10 min to get warm once I got into my bag! After another 5 min I was toasty warm and not too long after that I was hot! I had to remove 2 layers and I slept rather well.
When I woke up the next morning at 7AM it was -9F!!
Once I arrived home in CT that night, it was 28 deg and it felt sooo warm since I still had on all my gear. It was only then that I realized how cold it was in Maine since I was so insulated from the elements due to those clothes.
After that trip I am grateful and appreciative of how mild the 20's and 30's are in CT compared to 0 or below further north!
Winter is really sensationalized. There are a few days that really suck because of all of the snow and the difficulty of getting around. There are many days when it is really cold, but if you dress in layers you'll be fine. As a whole, it is not that bad. Just chill out and enjoy it (pun intended)!
About how to dress, most people will tell you to dress in layers and wear a hat. That is common sense but here are the articles of clothing I think people overlook:
Scarf - very flexible - pull it up to your nose if you are really cold, take it off completely if you are hot. Protects your neck and keeps the warm air under your jacket from escaping by sealing any gaps around your neck.
Long underwear - not going to score any "cool" points with these but no one can tell. It makes no sense to put on 4-5 layers on the upper body and just one on your legs. Only downside is that you can't take them off if you get hot.
The good part about winter is that it makes staying indoors enjoyable. You don't have to feel guilty that you are not "out doing something" because the weather is so great. You can stay in, read a book, watch a movie, get some hot food and stay cozy.
Long underwear - not going to score any "cool" points with these but no one can tell. It makes no sense to put on 4-5 layers on the upper body and just one on your legs. Only downside is that you can't take them off if you get hot.
Good point. I always forget to "prepare" my legs for cold weather (unless I'm skiing or snowmobiling). If I'm outside for a long period of time and the windchill is 0 F or something, jeans or regular pants don't always cut it.
For my upper body, I usually find a hooded sweatshirt and winter coat good enough.
Quote:
The good part about winter is that it makes staying indoors enjoyable. You don't have to feel guilty that you are not "out doing something" because the weather is so great. You can stay in, read a book, watch a movie, get some hot food and stay cozy.
Haha, well that is one way to ask my question.
I am looking to relocate to New England from the southwest and just wondering how people survive the winters? What do you do-inside/outside? Do you drive/walk/use transit to work? How do you dress? What do you do for fun? What parts about the winter do you enjoy? =) Thanks in advance for all the replies!!
Papafox is right.
There is a big gradient between winter temps in New England from north to south. Southern Connecticut has the similar mean temperatures as parts of Northern Arizona and New Mexico in winter. So it matters a lot where you are moving in New England…although some folks consider Connecticut part of the Tri-State area (NYC/NJ/CT) so maybe you mean you are moving to VT or ME. Anyway, here is a map of December mean temps for example to show you the temp gradient in New England (arrow points to southernmost New England):
the wonderful thing about new england is that you get to have four seasons and enjoy all of them. no getting bored with the weather here and seems like we are always waiting for the change.
winters are not unbearable. some years we get stretches of really cold weather (in the negatives for a week or two) but not every year, mostly just a day or two here and there. depends on where you live how much snow you get- mountains get the most, coast gets the least. mountains and valleys get the coldest temps, valleys are actual cold, mountains are from the wind chill.
for yourself- wear layers, as previously stated. skiing, snowmobiling, sliding, ice fishing, snowball fights, snowshoeing, lots to do in winter. i find that the perfect weather for activities outside is between 20 and 40, not so warm you sweat too much and not so cold you cant enjoy it, plus there are no misquitoes or black flies.
for your car- batteries take the hardest hit in the cold weather. i keep a portable battery charger, blanket, small bag of sand or kitty liter, a few extra warm clothes and snack food in the car during the winter. i have never had to use it myself, but have known people who have or wished they had it. snow isnt hard to drive in, its the slush and ice that you have to watch out for, best thing is to find an empty parking lot after a storm and learn how your car handles the ice/snow. four wheel drive comes in handy, but too many people think it means you can drive like there is nothing on the road. lots of fellas keep sand and tow ropes in their trucks, never know when you come along someone in trouble. another nice thing about new england- people dont just think about taking care of themselves.
my favorite part of winter is during a snowstorm, when school is canceled and we all go out sliding and come back in for hot chocolate (though we often find we are too hot for it and drink cold water first). or when the power goes out and we light candles and sit around playing games until hubby decides to turn the generator on.
Thanks for the replies everyone! Being from the southwest we basically don't have winter so I am curious what people do for fun in the winter. Great suggestions! Awesome clothing tips from papafox and good ideas about cars from mommax3plus2 =) Any more ideas are welcome!!
Can't think of an activity more fun than skiing in winter.
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