Winter Clothes/things Checklist for Florida Transplant (Cleveland: sales, 2015)

[romes591]

Being from Tampa Bay I will be spending my first winter here in Cleveland in the upcoming months. I'd like to put together a checklist of everything I will need in the winter.

I park in a heated garage but I am assuming car accessories with also be a must. Here is what I have (listed to get) so far, please add/subtract to it if necessary. Or go into any detail that may help me...

1. Winter boots
2. Scarves
3. Beanies / Ear Warmers
4. Face Warmer
5. Winter Coats (How heavy / long)?
6. Long Underwear
7. Windshield Scraper & Brush
8. Gloves
9. Thick socks


Thanks for the help, I think if I buy most of the stuff now it should be cheaper than if I wait until winter.

[theurbanfiles]

It depends on howw much you are planning on being outside. Layers, layers, layers, layers. I can't stress this enough. Leg warmers/hand warmers for longer trips outside. DO NOT refuse to go outside, or get into a rut. Try and think about the the unique things you can do in winter, and all that. A positive outlook is a positive outcome. Become good at making coffee or hot chocolate (Rising Star/Pour/Civilization/Algebra Tea House) are supposed to be good for that. Perfect for chilling with a book on a chilly day. Remember that road trips aren't off limits during the winter either, and a lot of times, climate can vary by a few degrees depending on where you are at in the state. If you're big on culture (coming from St. Pete), truly get lost in Cleveland's Museums and Culture, you won't regret during the long winter months, and a great thing is that many of these places have garages. Oh yeah, I would say even a scarf wouldn't be a bad idea, or if you aren't a scarf person something that can cover your body. But an important factor is layering. One of the great things about winter, is that if you actually plan and prepare, you can actually DO SOMETHING about cold temperatures. I don't have any statistics, but I have been out on days when it is in the 20s for long runs/jogs, and when wearing enough stuff, I have actually successfully been sweating during that time, and it felt more like low 50s than the colder windchills the area sometimes gets. Obviously the Cavs are also going to be some pretty great indoor entertainment, but their is also CSU Basketball and the Monsters. I know this wasn't exactly what you asked for, but I feel like these are more "tricks of the trade". I never growing up here really saw winter as a depressing time, and I wouldn't really say that I stayed in all the time, either. In some ways, there are even some advantages to it compared to other seasons if you prepare. Oh, yeah, and there are about 3 days usually (in my memory) during winter months where it climbs to above 60, and about 10 or so where it's upper 40s, low 50s, and (could be more, could be less), THEY ARE GLORIOUS. STAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY ON THEM. Also, be in Christmas spirit, since, everyone in Cleveland, is, and so there's about a bajillion events and light shows during that time. That'll at very least get ya to January. Good luck!

[WRnative]

If you'll wear suits or sports coats a lot, you'll want a wool overcoat. It's a good wardrobe item for dress-up, but the budget alternative is an overcoat/rain coat with a removable liner.

Having boots is a good idea, but what I wear all winter, except in deep snow, are shoe length rubber "ducks." What's great about them, is that salt doesn't stain them, you can just rinse them off. They also don't allow water to penetrate the shoe because of the rubberized coating.

My favorite is the best-selling Timberland duck, but it isn't in stock yet.

Timberland | Men's Canard Low Lace Boots

However, if in areas with lots of salt on the ground, such as downtown, it's a pain to get salt on pants trousers. Boots can prevent that if they allow you to stick the pants legs inside the boots. Much of the time, sidewalks will be clear of salt,, but perhaps wet and slippery, and at those times, shoe-length ducks are great. This winter, due to the Godzilla El Nino, is supposed to mild with below average precipitation in northern Ohio.

Here are some threads that can help you out:

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...snow-boot.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...nder-wear.html

You'll probably want dress clothes for work, but my favorite winter clothes are insulated rawhide (work) clothes that you can buy at Home Depot, etc. They are very durable, very warm, and very flexible. You could wear them walking from your house to the office, just keep a pair of dress gloves at both locations.

I like Dillard's fleece wear, but Ralph Lauren offers premium fleece wear and some times has great sales on the company website (Dillard's also sells Polo on its website). In the very worst weather, nothing beats a hoodie, underneath a coat. Zip-up hoodies might be more appropriate for the work place.

Make certain you have one coat of sufficient length that you can wear a hoodie (or a sports coat) underneath it without it sticking out.

If you go shopping in an indoor mall, you likely won't want a heavy coat on, so a medium weight coat is best for that. I often keep winter supplies, including a heavy parka, emergency kit, etc., in my car trunk when driving in winter, especially for longer trips and all freeways. A small shovel and even a traction pad can come in handy.

Definitely join AAA, if not a member.

One of the most important tasks is to consider your car tires. See post 154 in this thread:

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...u-down-16.html

[WRnative]

Subscribing to the PlayhouseSquare Broadway series, Cleveland Play House, and Great Lakes Theater also are great ways to make a winter go quickly, especially when living downtown.

Consider a Cleveland Orchestra subscription, and definitely become a member at the Cleveland Museum of Art; check out its First Friday Mix.

See post 44 here for other winter activities.

//www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...ve-ohio-5.html

[Cleverfield]

-Give your car a winter check-up, make sure you have good all-weather tires, or buy snow tires, fill up the windshield washer fluid. Also take it for a wash and heavy wax to help prevent rust. Consider adding a remote start to your car so it's warm when you get in.
-Brush up on winter driving skills. Make turns slowly, steer into a skid, accelerate slowly out of a stop
-If lack of sunlight gets to you, you may want to buy a sun lamp, with a full spectrum light
-Mentally prepare -- it's going to be cold, it's going to be windy, it's going to get dark early, snow a lot, and be cloudy. Accept this, and resolve to not let the weather stop you from getting out and enjoying yourself.
-Find places where you can do physical activity, whether it be a traditional gym, a climbing gym, a skating rink, a yoga studio, or even an indoor BMX park or trampoline park.
-If you're able, schedule at least 1 trip to a warm weather place, I recommend doing it sometime in February, which is when the joy of winter has worn off, and it just drags on.

[1watertiger]

A Cleveland Browns sweatshirt. Good for both fall and winter.

[theurbanfiles]

Agree about Browns sweatshirt and car tires. Also wanted to agree upon the fact that there really are two separate wardrobes. There's one for when you're only going outside for a few minutes at a time, which could possibly be a lot of the time really. Then there is another wardrobe for those occasional insanely cold days, or if you enjoy going for hikes outdoors.

[romes591]

Thanks for the feedback. I am sure I will be revisiting this thread when the temp begins to dip. Around what month/time of year do you expect I will need to have all of this ready to go? I've been told as early as Halloween?

[Cleverfield]

Mid-november is usually when we see our first winter weather.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by romes591

Thanks for the feedback. I am sure I will be revisiting this thread when the temp begins to dip. Around what month/time of year do you expect I will need to have all of this ready to go? I've been told as early as Halloween?

We had a relatively big, mid-November storm last year, but in most recent years, meaningful snows haven't taken place until after Christmas.

Due to the Godzilla El Nino, this winter is forecast to be mild with below normal precipitation.

You can see here that as late as Dec. 30, the probability is about 90 percent of light snow or less in an average year.

https://weatherspark.com/averages/29...-United-States

After last year's mid-Nov. storm, which wasn't much by historically bad storm standards, we didn't have much snow until after Christmas. Of course, it's best to be ready for a bad storm.

All storms last year were cleared within hours, especially on interstates. Major arteries typically are pre-treated with chemicals such as salt.

With accuweather.com's long-range forecast, you should have ample warning. Of course, the forecast becomes more accurate closer to an actual date of interest.

Cleveland September Weather 2015 - AccuWeather Forecast for OH 44113

The differential between Lake Erie's water temperature and the air temperature often determines the severity of a snowfall prior to Lake Erie freezing over, so early storms often have more heavy snowfall.