Keep one of those brush/scraper things in your car.

Clean the snow off your car before driving.

CLEAN THE SNOW OFF YOUR CAR BEFORE DRIVING

All of it

If it is going to be a lot of snow, don’t wait until it is over before you start digging out.

Salt/pet friendly ice melt for your walkways

Have a snow blower? Don’t wait until the day before to see if it still runs. Make sure you have gas for it

Slow drip on a faucet to prevent pipes from bursting

No matter how comfortable you get driving in the snow, always drive slow.

I don't care if you got four wheel drive chains and snow tires, drive like 5 10 15 miles an hour.

Also, if you start to skid, don't slam on the brakes.

If it is a long skid and you have time to react, drop your vehicle down into low gear (which should not be very difficult because you've been driving slow right?) and let off the accelerator and allow the resistance of the drivetrain to slow you down.

If you feel yourself decelerating you can try tapping the brakes but if you do not immediately regain traction and slow back down, let off the brake.

When you are in a skidding situation, do not White knuckle your steering wheel. Especially when you are turning against the skid, suddenly regaining traction with your tires at an extreme angle can put you into an entirely new skid. You need to be prepared to let go of the steering wheel as soon as you have traction if need be.

Finally, practice.

When there is a gentle snow, which there often is prior to large snows, take your car out and drive it around. Find out how your car reacts in the snow and get a little bit of practice with the small skids that you might encounter on the roads that you travel.

If you live up or down a large Hill, find out if there are alternative routes that you can take to get to your destination. If there is no way to get to your house without either going up or coming down a large hill, identify places where you can safely park your car away from the hill and walk to your home.

Finding that information out beforehand will save you a lot of hassle in the event of a winter storm.

I'll finish that up with saying, if you expect yourself to be in severe winter weather, it is a good idea to get some chains and some traction devices and some blankets and some water and store them in the trunk of your car during the winter season.

That way, if you are caught unaware's, you will be prepared.

All of my advice are for severe places like Wisconsin. If you live in a place where the snow is well managed that might be Overkill.

If you don't have a car that can drive in snow, don't drive in snow.

Last blizzard I was in, I had to pull over to try to help two people get up a small hill.

The first woman was afraid to steer while me and and a tow truck driver pushed her up. She wanted one of us to steer her car, but that just couldn't happen. She ended up paying the tow truck driver more than $300 to tow her.

While that was going on, a Honda Civic ended up sliding backwards down the hill. I pushed that one about 100ft along the road until it leveled out enough to move on its own.

We have a Civic, but it sits in the driveway for blizzards.

If you get serious snow where you're moving, and you have to drive, get something with all wheel drive. Just remember that all wheel drive doesn't mean you can stop. You still need to drive like a Granny in Sunday church traffic.

Layers are the key. Lots of small layers especially something sweat wicking on the bottom layers. It's good to have lots of layers to add and subtract

Depending where you are moving to, snow may not be the only sort of inclement winter weather you may have to deal with. For instance, ice may build up on trees, power lines, and/or roads.

If on roads, don't drive unless you absolutely have to, and if you do, be way more careful than you think you need to be. Look up safety tips for driving in icy conditions before you have to put them into practice.

If you have any trees that might fall on anything of value, kindof watch their condition. If any are splitting down the middle, hire someone to treat them before the winter season to avoid major problems like this.

Or it's possible you'll live somewhere ice buildup is unlikely to be an issue. Maybe look into the history of the area or talk to someone who has been there a long time to find out what conditions might be an issue.

Also, the ability to work remotely is kinda nice, I guess. It's a double-edged sword, though. If you can work remotely, you never get days off due to weather. But if you can't, you may be pressured to drive into the office when it's very dangerous.

If your state salts the roads in the winter, it's strongly recommended to undercoat your vehicle with a coating to preserve it from rusting and shortening its useful life. Fluid Film is one of the better coatings, and is based on sheep lanolin, so it's not toxic to the environment.

4wheel drive is nice, but tires are EVERYTHING. You absolutely cannot rely on all season tires, you MUST get proper Winter tires if your region snows heavily, or you will have a bad time.

There are now fabric snow 'socks' for cars that act like snow chains to get you out if a bind, which would be worth having in the trunk.

In the winter, ALWAYS bring winter rated clothing in the car along with water, a small amount of food, heavy duty blanket, and a small liquid paraffin candle for heat in the event you get stuck in a storm, or go off the road from ice.

Stack up on basic meds for when you catch cold. You're likely to have it a lot, it's kinda normal.

Also, if you're gonna live in an area with central heating, make sure heaters in your home are fully operational and don't need to have air removed. They should be hot all throughout their surface.

In warmer weather, mind the geese. They're really fucking aggressive!

Regularly go through a car wash WITH UNDERCARRIAGE CLEANING or your car will be ruined by the road salt and rust.

Find a snow brush long enough to reach every part of your vehicle, buy two; keep one inside your home and one in the vehicle at all times until the weather is consistently above 50f.

You can be pulled over in places for not completely clearing snow off your vehicle; it will fly off in chunks that can smash windshields of others.

Dress warmly, but not so warm as to sweat. Sweat is moisture, moisture freezes, you'll be colder than if you had dressed lighter. Multiple thinner layers, with a moisture wicking innermost layer to keep it off your skin.

Everywhere will absolutely blast the heater in every office and store, so if you're going to be outside very little, probably best to leave the heavy coat in the car.

It can in fact thunderstorm and snow at the same time. can even do it while alternating between rain and snow causing layers of ice hidden in snow. if you're moving to a place that does this, just stay in doors and enjoy the show. if it's one of the regions that can also spawn tornados during these storms. you watch the storm on tv from a basement.

oh i dont see it in the comments yet. all of which are great. proper snow boots. even it only snows a little where you are. just because i can walk across an ice rink on leather soles doesnt mean i'm ever going to. if the experiance of walking on ice and snow is new, use footwear meant to help you from slipping. plus they hold up better to road salts and deicing chemiclas if they're used there.

From the top of my head:

Everyone forgets how to drive when it first snows. Try to avoid driving as much as possible during the first few days of winter.

Stick to busy roads if it recently snowed as they get plow priority, and the heavy traffic will help pack down the snow which will make it less slippery.

Fresh snow is a heck of a lot more slippery than snow that fell a few days ago.

4 wheel / all wheel drive is great, but you don't actually need it. If your car has traction control and a good set of tires, then you've got everything you need to drive in the snow with confidence.

Snow tires are a worthy investment. People think that you don't need snow tires if you have all seasons, but there's no comparison to tires that are specifically made to be driven in the snow.

The posted speed limit is for ideal weather conditions. If there's snow on the ground, then that's not ideal, and you need to drive slower than the speed limit if you want to be safe and not fly off the road. One time a car passed me and about 2 miles later I saw that exact same car in the ditch. You don't want to be that person. If you are that person, then everyone that passes you will be silently judging you while you sit there and wait hours for a tow truck because 30 other people all did the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Not really snow related, but cars with old batteries have a really hard time starting when the weather is at or below zero. If your battery is more than a few years old, it might be time to get a new one.

Bridges will freeze before anything else when the temperature gets below freezing. Just because the roads aren't slippery doesn't mean that any bridges you go over will be the same.

• If you're the owner of the home, know what bylaws there are regarding snow removal near your home. Where I live you can get a fine + snow removal costs if you aren't reasonably prompt getting snow off the sidewalk.

• Snowy surfaces (sidewalks, driveways, roads) are often icy surfaces = slip and fall hazard. This is especially serious for older folks but it can hurt/injure at any age. This gets worse if it snows then melts then refreezes. Don't run if you don't have to. Sand/grit on these surfaces can help, and in my area you can get sand for free at certain town facilities.

• Frostbite on exposed skin is a genuine hazard. Look up the weather forecast when it's cold and take time-to-frostbite warnings seriously.

Norwegian here, and there are some common mistakes I see in people not used to the climate.

• When walking on ice, at least the very slippery kind, use short steps. It reduces the chance of slipping.
• And if you do slip and begin to fall, take it like a champ and sit down gracefully. The most comedic sights are the ones flailing to try and stay uptight.
• Buy a snow shovel.
• There are many expensive things sold as ice and snow thawers, but these are usually just variations of salt and gravel. Whatever salt you can buy in bulk at the grocery store works just fine. And any sand/gravel that you can find in the summer will do.
• When shoveling snow, clear a wider path than what you think you'll need. A narrow strip is hard to keep clear after a while of heavy snowfall.
• If you have a car, make sure to have proper winter tires. If you do, you won't have to bother with snow chains.
• Car batteries don't like the cold. Make sure yours can hold charge well. Overdoing it with AmpHours is also a bonus.
• Get a scraper to remove ice from your windshield.
• Wet feet become cold feet. Stay dry. Wool socks are amazing at keeping your feet both warm and dry.

So you spent the day outside shoveling snow, maybe you had to walk 20 minutes to get to a friend's house, maybe the cold itself just took it out of you because your body was burning calories just to stay warm. You finally get home and you are out of breath and just wanting to dry off and get warm again- and that's when you thank your past self for what you did on meal prep Sunday:

French onion soup.

You can look online for recipes, but here's what I improvised last Sunday (probably not definition french onion soup, but at least a variation on a theme). Mine takes about 1 hour to make (10 min prep, 50ish minutes to cook)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon fat (I use leftover bacon grease)
• Onions (I used 4 but you could do more)
• garlic (I used 1 bulb, but you could always do more)
• Apple (I used 1, but you could always do more)
• veggies (I like zucchini and carrots)
• mushrooms if you like em
• protein (stew beef, ground meat, chicken, turkey, hell even sandwich meat will do)
• cardamom
• Curry powder
• vinegar (I use white balsamic, but apple cider vinegar or anything flavorful will do)
• chicken broth

1. Cut up the onions into thick chunks, no need to get precise, just hack 'em quick so you have less time being in a tearful agony
2. Peel the bulb of garlic, but leave the cloves whole- don't crush them.
3. Heat up your butter and fat, then add in the onions and garlic. Let it sautee for like... 30 minutes? If you have time to do a proper caramelizing then do that, but it's still good if you want to make it faster.
4. While the onions and garlic do their thing, prepare your meat in another pan. Of course if you use ham or something pre cooked you can skip this step.
5. Slice your apple(s) however you want, I like thin slices but cubes are good too.
6. Add in veg and apples, let them cook for 15 minutes or so
7. Add meat
8. A couple dashes of cardamom and curry and also pour in your broth to desired consistency
9. Give a taste then add a dash of vinegar to see how it really cuts through the fattiness

Dish and serve! If you want to really clog those arteries, go ahead and add some cheese on top, I like smoked Gouda. I also use a pipe sweater to torch the cheese and give it a little melty/ crispy texture. This soup should be thick and hearty to restore your energy and give you the gumption to brave the elements again. If you were link in legend of Zelda, you're getting at least 10 yellow hearts from this.

That and a hot tody will give you the coziness that will lift your spirits in the dark cold months.

Good luck!

Clothing

• Make sure to have a good winter coat, neck gaiter, hat, gloves and boots. Staying warm and dry is important.
• Hand warmers can be handy if you expect to be outside for a while. There are several variants (chemical, reusable, rechargeable)

Driving

• Winter tires. It may seems like an extra expense, but it will make your summer/all-season tires lasts longer. In some provinces, they are mandatory for residents (ex: Quebec)
• Make sure to clear the snow from the car, INCLUDING the roof (aka don't leave a snowhawk). Keep that snow brush in the trunk.
• Make sure to keep your windshield washer fuild filled.
• Have a small snow shovel just in case you get stuck in snow.
• Keep one of those metallic safety blanket, and those emergency candle in case you get in an emergency.
• A car battery booster might come in handy. A drained battery isn't fun.
• Drice defensively, it's easier to lose control of the vehicle.

Homeowner

• A good shovel to clear out the driveway isn't a luxury
• Some sand in a bucket with a lid, to put over ice patches when it gets slippery. You don't need to put a lot, just enough to not fall.
• Be sure to keep the temperature above 18°C. If the temp inside the building drops too low, ice can form in water pipes, and you can imagine the mess it can make when a pipe bursts.

A lot of people have pretty well covered how to drive in snow and ice, but here's a little secret they won't tell you:

• Over the summer, the locals forgot how to drive on snow, too.

The first big snow will bring the car fairy to sprinkle wrecked cars along the side of the road. Most of these are given by people with plenty of experience driving on snow.

Stay home that first time. If you absolutely must drive, be the one going too slowly. After that, you can kind of do as the Romans do.

When there's snow on the ground, drive like you have an open cup of coffee in your lap. Turn, brake, or accelerate too hard and you spill steaming hot coffee on your bits. Winter tires will help a lot, but drive like you don't have them.

I moved to a snow city for the first time well into adulthood.

The big thing I have for you is that walking on snow is awesome for like two hours and then it's constantly threatening to kill you. Slippery sludge or ice is the worst feeling in the universe and all the locals will just strut right over it like it's nothing while you're fighting for your life.

Just buy good shoes and plant your feet vertically, no sliding motions.

Many people mentioned clearing ALL the snow off your car, but I didn’t see people mentioning why. Here are some videos to elaborate how terrifying and dangerous it can be when people don’t do that.

One, two, three, four

It takes a lot of energy to clear the car off, but it’s critical. Don’t be the person that harms someone else just to save a bit of time and effort.

Stopping takes longer. Drive slower; leave more space to stop.

You'd think it's common sense, but a huge number of the accidents in winter are because people drive like idiots.

There's more to know if you plan to drive a car.

Four-wheel drive helps to accelerate in icy conditions, it does not help braking.

Make slow, careful changes when it's snowy or icy. Slow down more than you normally would to take a turn. Give yourself triple the distance to slow to a stop. Don't turn hard.

Use windshield wiper fluid appropriate for freezing temperatures.

Put any rage or impatience aside and get to where you're going safely.

If you live in a place that clears the streets and you don't have to go anywhere, consider staying put. Wait a couple hours until the streets are cleared.

If you'll be driving somewhere more remote, have clothes and boots appropriate for the weather in case your car breaks down or gets stuck and you have to walk. I also keep a jug of water, flashlight, and blanket/sleeping bag in my trunk during winter for this reason.

Mittens are warmer than gloves.

Winter shoes must fit a woolen sock and not be too tight, otherwise the insulation gets compressed and doesn't work.

Better to wear many layers rather than just one layer of super thick clothing

• learn how to drive on a slippery surfaces
• building on the previous one - buy a set of winter tires and if needed chains
• always have spare warm clothes in the car
• make sure your house gets enough warmth and ventilation to prevent mold
• keep a huge bag of road salt in a garage
• get yourself few sets of breathing underwear
• depending on the outside temperature learn how to dress like an onion

Last but not least, learn to ski/snowboard. Best way to spend time outdoors. Also, develop a taste for a mulled wine.

Ask a local to show you some of their winter clothes or to take you winter clothes shopping. Your warmest clothes right now are not warm enough. Capacitive touch gloves will let you use your phone.

If you have a car, get a snow brush and ice scraper (for windshield and windows). There is winter windshield fluid, get and use it when it's snowing. Get winter tires, it makes a difference. Insurance companies give a discount for having them. If there's snow on the road, go slower than you think you should, and start braking at least twice as early as when it's dry. Accelerate and brake slowly. If your car is sliding on ice, resist the temptation to keep pressing your brakes, try your best to steer the slide instead.

If your car gets stuck in snow and you need to run it to keep it warm, make sure the tail pipe is well clear of snow (carbon monoxide). Keep an emergency blanket, hat, gloves in the car in case of breakdown. If the wheels are stuck in a snowbank (just spinning in place), some sand or non-clumping cat litter can give you traction. You can sacrifice your floor mats for this, too.

If you walk instead of drive, consider crampons for your boots for if it gets icy out.

There's different textures and density to snow. Wet snow is dense and heavy, dry snow is light and fluffy. Shoveling can be very different depending on the snow. Lift/push with your legs, now with your arms or back. Take breaks if needed.

If you wear glasses, they will fog up when you go from outside to inside. Sorry. You could get anti-fog stuff used for snow and ski goggles, but most normal people just wait for them to warm up.

A scarf makes a big difference.

Wool can keep you warm even when wet.

Be prepared for power outages especially if the area does not bury power lines. Heavy snow, or worse, ice, can make tree branches heavy and fall and snap power lines. If this happens, be mindful of carbon monoxide. People, families have died trying to keep warm by running generators, stoves, etc indoors without proper ventilation.

Snow reflects sunlight; wear sunglasses if the sun is out and there's snow on the ground.

Go outside and listen when the snow is falling. It makes everything quieter and it's really ice to hear.

Snow that's warmed slightly then frozen again is crunchy and fun to walk on.

If you're north enough, the sunlight will not be sufficient for creating vitamin D. (Plus you'll probably be indoors more, less daylight in general.) Consider a supplement.

Consider a SAD light if lack of daylight affects your moods.

Drive slowly on snow. 90% of driving works just fine so long as you go slow. And that doesn’t mean 35 in a 40 zone. That means 10 in a 40 zone.

Drive super fucking slow on snow, and you’ll be fine.

People who come from warmer climates to snow always fuck this up, and it’s so simple. I think there’s a pride thing involved. So just get over your “I can do this” pride, and drive ultra slow.

At least at first. You can speed up a little once you get a sense of what makes the car slide, but to start with just go ultra ultra slow.

Drive your car like it doesn't have brakes. Treat it like a boat.

When you get parked, knock the snow and ice out of the wheel wells before you start driving again.

Layer your clothing.

An undershirt + a shirt + sweater + jacket + a shell is a really warm combination. On your legs, long johns + pajama pants + regular pants is great.

As the seasons change, you can omit items to get just the right temperature.

I live at 2000m altitude

I had a problem with skin on the tops of my knees drying out and flaking, it was quite painful

Turned out it was the antiperspirant I was using on my armpits got on my knees when I bent over to put my socks on and dried out the skin 😂

Watch out where the huskies go.

Don't you eat that yellow snow.

Aside from all the practical tips... It's very pretty at night -- snowglow. Also sledding is super fun and can be done for cheap/free.

It's ok to eat a bit more nutritious food when it's cold - your natural body heating costs energy.

Cover your head when outside, your head loses an unreasonable amount of heat.

If your bed's too cold in the evening, buy a heating pad - a warm bed feels awsome.

If your hands get painfully cold, more excruciating pain may be waiting for you when they start to heat back up. To avoid the additional pain, put your hands under cold tap water first - I promise it's going to feel warm. Then increase the heat slowly until your hands are warm again.

Have good boots for winter, because ice or packed snow is slippery and often unavoidable. And when you're picking the boots, make sure they have enough space for thick socks.

If you are walking down a very snowy hill or something, I've found out that stepping with your heel first, so that your foot creates a stair-like step helps. Useful if it happens to be a path you use often.

Think about warm clothing and plan ahead. Especially in fall or spring, having extra warm clothing with you is super useful even if you don't need it at the moment, because you can never know when it gets suddenly colder.

Dress in layers. For example, the upper body could have the following layers:

1. shirt you wear indoors

2. thicker shirt/sweater

3. possibly another sweater

4. jacket/coat

Moving to Michigan from wv has taught me one thing, people don’t really realize how slick ice and slush really is. I man the mountains even if you are going slow you’ll slide up and down the hills and turns, even small ones. Up here where it’s all flat and straight lines people go 80 through ice that they probably don’t realize they can’t stop or even really turn on effectively without huge risk. TAKE IT SLOW always be sure of road conditions and you ability before going out

There is no such thing as good winter drivers and bad winter drivers. There is only those with snow tires and those without.

Best: 4 snows on awd and 2-4 water softener bags of salt in trunk for weight and getting unstuck.

2nd best: 4 snow on awd

3rd best: 2 snow on front wheel drive with 4 salt bags in trunk/bed.

4th best: awd no snows but good tread

Worst: fuckin everything else.

Household tips: insulate your pipes if in unfinished basement or have a heater running for really cold days or if the pipes will not have water FLOWING/RUNNING/MOVING thru pipes i.e. you go on vacation.

Plastic wrap your windows every fall. It sucks but helps a ton keeping heat in and costs down.

Spend the most money on gloves, hats and boots. Things that can't be layered and get rhe coldest.

Hot hands/heat pouches are life savers for winter sports/sporting events/hunting/camping. They make them in foot shaped stick on versions for boots, put one in each of your pants pockets and one each in your coat pockets.

Keep spare salt, shovel, gloves, hat, blanket, granola bars and water in your car for when you WILL go off the road and need to wait for AAA.

Don't fuck around with ice. Don't try and walk across it without losing balance. Dont try and walk across it because you think it's thick enough to hold you. If you are going on ice over water DONOT until you have drilled to check thickness or it is a large bodybif water that publishes the ice thickness.

Yes, snowmobiles can hydroplane across bodies of water.

Yes, skiis and snowboards can skate across bodies of water.

DO FUCKING NOT FUCKING TRY AND FUCKING HYDRO-FUCKING-PLANE OR SKI/SNOWBOARD ACCROSS ANY BODIES OF WATER.

Don’t use anything but a snow scraper to clear windows. Credit cards and anything else will scratch your shit up.

Your car will rust at a surprising rate.

All season tires are barely adequate. If you have room get a set of winter tires/wheels.

Remote start is a godsend.

When driving in snow or icy roads it's worth knowing that there are times where it's best not to panic and slam on the brakes. Sometimes it's safer to take your foot off of both the brake and gas pedals particularly if there is little danger of colliding with what's in front of you. Every fiber in your body may be telling you to hit the brakes but you have to ignore it, similar to encountering a bear in the wild and your body wants to run. It's counterintuitive. I highly suggest finding an empty parking lot full of snow and driving around. Try to make the car slide. It's best to learn in an environment like this. Same thing goes for when your car drives through a puddle of water or just as importantly when half your car drives through a puddle. Two tires locking up while the other two get no traction can cause a spin out or loss of control.

Staying dry is just as important as staying warm. Melting snow on a mild day can soak your feet. Sweating from dressing too warm can make you clammy and cold. Minor adjustments in your clothing like removing or adding a hat or gloves can make a big difference. A scarf or neck gaitor can make a big difference.

Another driving one... check your driving app of choice for traffic before you're leaving the house. Be patient. Know when to put your foot down and tell your boss it's just not worth it.

Lastly, take up a winter activity. You may find yourself (like me) looking forward to winter. Buy cross-country skis and it will never snow enough