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Dan..you are awesome! Thank you for all the information you are giving to me! It makes me feel sorta connected to ND already (sounds corny but you know what I mean!).
I think I can handle the weather (remember I said that when I am posting complaints and whines in a few months :-)
Sorry to hear that about your friends in Minot..but it rings true with everything that I've been hearing/reading up on. Must be so hard for families/people that have loved and lived in an area their whole lives or chose to make an area their home and then almost overnight, that place becomes something unrecognizable. I don't know how I would handle that situation myself.
Well..we are getting super close...13 days and we will be off on our North Dakota adventure (that's what I am calling it lol). Today in Michigan it is 79 degrees, however, this is our final good temp day...calling for highs in 50s for the rest of the week and into the weekend. There has been light snowfall north of us, but nothing close to that right where I live, not even a mornign freeze yet...just wondering....have you guiys seen snow yet? I saw a few people mention there have been 1 or 2 mornings with frost on their cars. Just trying to get a little of an idea of what to pack for the kids as far as clothing goes..what to keep out and close at hand so I don't need to dig for it in boxes once we arrive lol. October 17th is our departure date..will keep everyone updated as time goes on. Hope all is well with everyone!
Well..we are getting super close...13 days and we will be off on our North Dakota adventure (that's what I am calling it lol). Today in Michigan it is 79 degrees, however, this is our final good temp day...calling for highs in 50s for the rest of the week and into the weekend. There has been light snowfall north of us, but nothing close to that right where I live, not even a mornign freeze yet...just wondering....have you guiys seen snow yet? I saw a few people mention there have been 1 or 2 mornings with frost on their cars. Just trying to get a little of an idea of what to pack for the kids as far as clothing goes..what to keep out and close at hand so I don't need to dig for it in boxes once we arrive lol. October 17th is our departure date..will keep everyone updated as time goes on. Hope all is well with everyone!
Yesterdays forcast was for 2+ inches last night. But it still has not arrived. Looks like it will make it today. Two days ago the temp was up near 80. so far the coldes I have seen was 22 about a week ago.
So far I have not seen any snow, but other parts of the state probably have. It is not uncommon to get the first snow in September. We are running late. Although last year was an exceptionally warm winter. this year may be a repeat. but, I suspect this year will make up for last year when it finally hits.
Keep an eye on the weather reports and plan your trip around them. Keep in mind if there are blizzard warnings the interstate highways close. The have now made it a $200 fine if you get stuck on the interstate and Blizzard warnings were issued.
Be certain to keep a cell phone in the car and blankets in the car this time of year. Also drinking water and food, if you get stuck it can be days before help gets to you. Always keep a full tank of gas and refill before it gets to half a tank. Gas stations can be far apart. although on the interstates the longest stretches without any seem to be only 50 miles between gas stations. There are quite a few rest areas, usually less than 50 miles apart. Most are well equipped. If you run into bad weather on the interstate, wait it out at a rest area.
Woodrow..thank you so much for the weather update/advice. Michigan weather has been pretty crazy this past year as well..normally it is much cooler than it is now by October, last year we had hardly any snow at all..and there were even a few days in February that approached high 70s as far as temps go...we always say if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes..it will change again lol.
I checked out the NDDOT site that Jan had recommended and made a note of their suggested winter emergency vehicle kit and have all of that prepared. I am keeping my fingers (and toes lol) crossed that we can make it without running into any blizzard like conditions but...you never do know. Between myself, my husband and our teenage daughter..we have 3 working cell phones and even here in Michigan it is a rule of mine...must be fully charged before heading out and a car charger remains in the car at all times...nothing worse than be stranded with a cell in your hand that you cannot use because you simply forgot to charge it.
Really excited to get to ND...even excited to experience a "real" ND winter (now, come spring I won't lie..I may be whining about it haha)
AGain, thank you so much for your advice :-)
Corbay, yes we have housing lined up...here in Michigan my husband is a steel framer but he would really like to work on the oil rigs..because of the housing situation we had to revamp our original plans and go with a construction company that offered him a super position and the use of one of the houses they are building...(the house is built lol)...It is temporary..6 months I believe is what they told him, but I am hoping that in that 6 months I will be able to find somewhere not too outrageous to live. If we really like the house etc..we always have the option to purchase it and to be honest, we may wind up going that route because after all the hellish stories I hear about the housing shortages spreading out all across ND at this point..thinking I would rather just remain where we are (unless it is awful but we've seen the pictures and it looks wonderful).
Is it okay to share the construction company name your husband got employment with and what position he ended up taking? I'm not sure of the rules on the forum here, but it would really be helpful for us. We have the same economy situation here in Oregon and my husband is a master carpenter and project manager who is considering taking the trip. I have really appreciated all the posts here in regard to all the research it takes to right by our family. With kids in tow, it's not the "fly by the seat of your pants" life it used to be for sure! Right now, I'm looking up all the construction companies listed in the Builder's Association and sending resume and cover letters. And using the ndworkforce website. The state seems pretty wide open in regard to construction work with the housing needs as high as it's been. There only seem to be labor jobs listed on craigslist and like another posted, we can't afford to get caught up in any scams either. I understand it's not necessarily the right season in the year to be considering the leap either, but as long as the concretes in, building can continue right. Any other thoughts to assist in our pursuit. Ideally this would be a permanent transition for both our family and new employer. I liked hearing the option to buy the home you would stay in for 6 months. That's a win win!
Please do not post the name of the company. Send it in a DM if needed.
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