Winter Education! (Madison: new home, to buy, schools)

[WIdreamin]

Hi everyone!

My family and I are enjoying our new hometown. With winter approaching though, I'm a little nervous as I have yet to experience a "real" winter so I have a few dumb questions. Please don't laugh.

- Jackets: down or synthetic? Do a lot of people opt for long jackets or will hip-length be okay?
- Cars: my husband and I fortunately both have AWD with snow tires. I've heard a few recommendations like keeping kitty litter in the car, small shovel, blankets, car washes 1x a week to keep the salt off, and always have at least half a tank of gas. Is there anything else we should do to be prepared?
- Clothing: how do kids normally dress for school in the cold?
- Any other wonderful wisdom you'd love to share!

Thanks in advance. We love it here so far and are so happy we made the move.

[ranger17]

hi OP, just a couple thoughts on your listed q's.

Jackets: get what is comfortable and matches what they will be used for. Spending time outdoors doing activities? Then normally layers are best, so a lighter jacket (ie down) over other apparel can work well. If trying to stay warm while just walking to and from the car, standing for a bus, etc then perhaps a longer coat may due the trick. We have some of each style and sue them accordingly. And with all the shopping options here there are plenty of stores to check out what's available. From outdoor suppliers like Cabelas, Gander Mt, and Dicks, to dept stores like Boston Store, Kohl's, and Macy's to area snowboard and ski shops. But do NOT forget headwear, boots, and gloves/mittens as those are critical when temps really drop.

Cars: what you listed is perfect. I'd also keep an eye on the temps as once it is too cold you'll want to skip the car wash a few days to avoid your door seals icing up (silicone spray can help there). But do the under body flush when you do have it washed. Make sure your anti-freeze is good, and your battery is strong. If you've spent time on snow/ice in the past you already know to take it slow and easy. If you've never driven on it, if possible when the first snow hits, go to an empty mall lot and try out your braking (assuming you have abs, do not pump the brakes) and steering to get a feel for it.

Clothing for kids. Being an empty nester, i'll leave this one alone but will say with just a touch of humor: in years past up here, i'd see girls wearing flip flops with snow on the pavement. And in our 6 years in SC, i'd see girls wearing ugg boots with temps in the 60's. So go figure.

Any wonderful wisdom? Well considering we'd still be in SC were it not for wanting to be near our grandchild (we do not like winters), i can say try to acclimate yourself if possible to the weather change and build a little tolerance. 40 degrees outside, dont wear a nice Columbia parka. As if you do that to keep warm at those temps, you're in trouble when it goes below zero lol.

[AminWi]

Schools usually require kids to have the following to be allowed to play out on the playground at recess:
- Warm Coat
- Snowpants
- Hat
- Mittens
- Boots

If the children forget snowpants and/or boots, they generally have to stay on the shoveled area of the playground, and are not allowed to play on the snow. Children are expected to have a pair of indoor shoes that they change into for inside of the school. Most kids carry their shoes in their backpack, but you could certainly buy an extra pair for them to keep at school. The schools here are usually kept very warm, so the kids just wear a long (or even short) sleeved t-shirt and pants under the outerwear. If it is a very cold day, I'll have them throw on a sweater or sweatshirt, too - something they can take off once they get inside. Long underwear usually doesn't work well for school, because the children get too hot in the building.

For the adults, I prefer down to synthetic, just because it seems to last longer. After a few years of use, the synthetic coats really lose warmth. Down, when properly cared for, lasts for a very long time without losing its ability to keep you warm. I'd also highly recommend silk long underwear. It is very expensive, but so much more comfortable than the cheap stuff you find in the store and very warm. Personally, I also love smartwool socks, sheepskin boots and sheepskin mittens.

[meo92953]

I'm in Minnesota, which is the neighboring state. I bought some fleece lined leggings last year & wore them indoors for warmth & then just put jeans on over them for going outside. It worked slick. Then there is wearing an undershirt under sweatshirts, or silk underwear. Do invest in good boots, I even have one pair that is larger & put two pairs of socks on when going outside. I don't wear them often because I don't need them often, but so glad I have the option.

[WIdreamin]

This winter will be a learning experience for us, that's for sure. We found a good deal on waterproof boots a few weeks ago. Next steps are jackets and long underwear. Time to hit the mall this weekend!

Thank you everyone, I appreciate it!

[361irene]

My daughter will be traveling to Madison day after Thanksgiving with her job. She will be there for 3 months. Me being the mom am scared to death, because we are from way down South Texas where we RARELY get snow. She knows nothing about how brutally cold it gets there and what she needs to prepare for. We just bought a Brand new car for the trip, so everything is new on the vehicle and I hope it comes back in good condition. My questions are: 1) Honestly....how brutal is it? 2) Does she need to buy an engine heat blanket? I have no idea where she will be living because her travel agent finds that for her and we won't know til we get there, hopefully it's only a couple of blocks away. I don't know if she will have a parking garage or not. If not, Where does she plug in this so called heating pad for the engine? If she does have a garage, surely she will have to dig her way out if it snows in order to get her car out of the garage. Are there Taxi companies and are they reliable? How about Ubers? You have to know I'm a mother because all this concerns me and she is like.....don't worry about it, I got this. I will be going with her the first week and I will be traveling by bus to come home. I don't fly ....or never have flown. Any advice from seasoned people would be great. TIA

[AminWi]

Originally Posted by 361irene

My daughter will be traveling to Madison day after Thanksgiving with her job. She will be there for 3 months. Me being the mom am scared to death, because we are from way down South Texas where we RARELY get snow. She knows nothing about how brutally cold it gets there and what she needs to prepare for. We just bought a Brand new car for the trip, so everything is new on the vehicle and I hope it comes back in good condition. My questions are: 1) Honestly....how brutal is it? 2) Does she need to buy an engine heat blanket? I have no idea where she will be living because her travel agent finds that for her and we won't know til we get there, hopefully it's only a couple of blocks away. I don't know if she will have a parking garage or not. If not, Where does she plug in this so called heating pad for the engine? If she does have a garage, surely she will have to dig her way out if it snows in order to get her car out of the garage. Are there Taxi companies and are they reliable? How about Ubers? You have to know I'm a mother because all this concerns me and she is like.....don't worry about it, I got this. I will be going with her the first week and I will be traveling by bus to come home. I don't fly ....or never have flown. Any advice from seasoned people would be great. TIA

She'll be fine. This is supposed to be a milder-than-normal year with less snow than average, for starters. So far, our November has been very mild, so I think the predictions might be right. Even if the aren't, it really isn't that bad. I've never even heard of an engine heat blanket - it definitely isn't something she'll need. If she lives in a complex with a garage, they will hire someone who plows the drive way to get out. If she has outdoor parking, yes, she will need to shovel her car out when it snows. She'll just need to plan extra time in the morning to get it done. That's what we all do here. And yes, cabs (including Uber) will run in the winter, so if she can't or doesn't want to drive in the snow, she could go that route.

You might be interested to know that there are some people here in Madison who commute by bicycle all through the winter. I wouldn't recommend it, personally, but life does keep going here, even in the winter.