<p>I’d suggest high boots and a calf-length heavy coat. That way not much is uncovered.</p>
<p>Probably the stores up there will have appropriate clothing, and she can join the Facebook group to ask these questions. Students who are already there will be the best source of the best clothing. Will she be starting in September, or late August? There will be plenty of time, if so, for her to stock up on the right stuff. It’s hard to predict from here.</p>
<p>Well, I’m here in sunny Northfield MN, home of Carleton and St. Olaf College, and it’s currently -14°F…but long underwear isn’t really necessary just for the 5-10 minutes it takes to trek between buildings. More essential: hat, gloves, and scarf to keep the cold wind from going down your neck (and for pulling over your nose/mouth if you end up outdoors longer than expected at these temps).</p>
<p>A long coat is a godsend, though. Jeans just don’t stop those arctic breezes! I have a knee-length wool coat with Thinsulate insulation, and I feel so much warmer in that than a parka that ends at the hips. Granted, it wouldn’t be great for outdoor sports, but I’m not an outdoorswoman in winter.</p>
<p>If they’re cold, they’ll wear warmer clothes, but kids are MUCH more active even in walking than adults. Today is negative wind chills, my son wore his hoodie… but I demand he have a bigger coat in his car in case something happens. Other than that, if they want to be warm they have the tools. I stopped making my kids wear what I wanted them to wear in Middle School.</p>
<p>This said… I live very north and wouldn’t be caught dead in flannel lined jeans. Seriously… that is just not going to fly. Unless you’re outside for hours, a coat, gloves, maybe good shoes and a hat is all you really need.</p>
<p>-14 degrees!
Here in California, it’s supposed to be 70 degrees this afternoon.
For kids who grow up in sunny places, is it hard to get used to winter weather in other parts of the country?</p>
<p>My D just left for a semester abroad in London. I bought her a North Face Arctic jacket and a pair of longjohns that I bought from Patagonia which fit her under her tight jeans. It’s like a pair of tights, but the weave is tighter.</p>
<p>We have loooong winters, and just went through 2 weeks in which it never got above zero. My d wears flip flops and shorts until it gets really cold. She has a very good parka type coat and cheap, but warm boots for then. If your d is somewhere where kids ski, she’ll need the long underwear, insulated pants etc. But, for the most part, you’d be amazed at how little the kids on her campus are wearing, even when it’s very cold. BTW, the Ugg boots are cute and warm but completely impractical for campus life.</p>
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<p>Thanks for my laugh of the day, midwesterner. This was great.</p>
<p>what mathmom said: If she gets cold she’ll put on more clothes or come up with an alternate clothing solution on her own. No parental involvement should be needed here.</p>
<p>One of my kids goes to school in upstate NY.</p>
<p>Long underwear is not a practical idea, except for kids who spend extensive time in outdoor activities, because it is makes you too warm indoors. College students spend more time inside buildings than walking between them.</p>
<p>A really good winter coat or parka, waterproof boots, and an ample supply of winter hats, scarves, and gloves are the essentials.</p>
<p>dmd – 18 would feel balmy here. We are in single digits all week, with Thursdays highs predicted to be under zero (Chicago area.)
So heron – Does this mean she transferred?</p>
<p>On really cold days, or if DD is standing in line for student rush tickets in the city, she will wear a pair of her dance tights under her jeans. That was MY suggestion - LOL!</p>
<p>dbwes, she did! She’s starting on Saturday at the new school and is really excited about it (much different than last August). She stuck it out for the semester, and came back from her 4 months of “hell” so strong and confident. Life is full of surprises.</p>
<p>As for clothing, I don’t really care what she wears. She’s worried enough that she actually bought North Face waterproof boots, a hat, and MITTENS! She hasn’t worn a hat and mittens since she was seven. I mentioned the tights idea and she was already onto it. Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>Heron, I am so glad to hear your D is excited about her new school and that she has grown from the experience!!</p>
<p>I’ve done tights under pants, and sprayed with Static-Gard before putting on the pants.</p>
<p>Count my S1 as one who likes flannel-lined jeans. Then again, his BMI is so low that he needs an external heat source. He said that in Nov.-Dec. in Chicago, he was roasting by the time he walked across campus to his fourth-floor humanities class, but has learned to layer the shirts, etc. He loves his balaclava, which surprised me. Emailed yesterday asking for new sneakers, as his current ones are falling apart and “duct tape doesn’t hold up well in snow.” Well, duh! When I asked him what he needed while home on break, do you think new sneakers and snow boots would have come to mind?</p>
<p>I figure this means I am not yet obsolete.</p>
<p>S1 and S2 both liked the flannel lined jeans, but I think it is probably an S thing. Both had long walks across cold and windy stretches to get to classes.</p>
<p>Yeah, I can’t imagine my nieces wanting to add inches to their derrierres, even though they are both slim little things!</p>
<p>I’ve heard that ripped jeans are making a comeback too so maybe we’ll see the Curt Cobain look to - long underwear poking out through the rips.</p>
<p>Heron – so happy for your D. All the best to her and you.</p>
<p>leggings with fur on the inside</p>
<p>I’m a cyclist, and cyclists are always going out in the cold. One of the keys are base layers, as the provide the most warmth with the least bulk and bother.</p>
<p>Synthetic base layers start to smell, so the best are wool, specifically merino wool. Your student can wear them all semester before eventually getting around to washing them, and the roomate won’t complain. Merino wool because it is profoundly itch-less.</p>
<p>The place to get the merino wool baselayers, and all the other cold weather stuff, is Sierra Trading Post. Top brands. Deep discounts. Reasonable shipping. No sales tax. Great service.</p>
<p>[Merino</a> at Sierra Trading Post](<a href=“Page not found”>http://www.sierratradingpost.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?allwords=merino&searchdescriptions=True&page=2)</p>