Winter up North

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Got a TN boy attending school in Philly now. Any advice or helpful hints for enduring a Northern winter?
We only see an inch or two of snow here every few years. Bikes to school most days, but has a small car with him. Renting an apt nearby.
Thanks Y’all

2

Have him buy a good winter (down) coat, hat that covers his ears, gloves a scarf, warm socks, and some kind of boots (perhaps a work book which you can spray to waterproof or some kind of waterproof boot). for the cold. He should also have a few sweaters and/or sweatshirts. On snowy/icy days I’d recommend walking or using mass transit to get to school (depending on how far he is from campus) rather than taking a bike or car.

3

Buy him warm socks! Warm socks (like wigwam warm wool socks) can make or break your winter experience and cotton doesn’t cut it w regards to NE winters… :slight_smile:

4
  1. If he is living in an apartment nearby, buy a snow shovel to have in the apartment. He may either need to shovel in front of the apartment or shovel out his car if it is parked on the street. Philly plows will plow the street and pile up all that extra snow on his car.
  2. Get jumper cables, or some way to recharge his car battery.
  3. Walk to class, do not bike when there is snow and ice on the ground.
  4. As he is in an apartment I assume he may shop for groceries. If so, be prepared for a run on the food stores whenever there is threat of snow.
  5. Go somewhere warm over winter break. By Feb you get tired of it being dark early and cold. Philly many times still gets snow in March. Two winters ago it was single digit temps with negative wind chills for over a week. If you go somewhere warm over winter break it helps you tolerate the cold until spring break comes around.
  6. Enjoy the snow! The first time you experience a big snow storm you realize how much fun it can be. The next time you experience that storm living in the city you realize it is a PIA.
5

What’s the best way to deice a windshield… Scrape or spray?
I would have never thought about snowplow piling up the snow… We don’t have those we are just stuck for a couple days until they salt the street and things melt- an inch or so can shut down the city.

6

Definitely get a good snow brush/scraper for the car. I grew up in the Northeast and never used spray. Something like this (this is just the first one that popped up). Also be sure wiper fluid in car is filled up.
https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-532-Mallory-Brush-Colors/dp/B000BPLNXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479829203&sr=8-1&keywords=car+snow+brush

A shovel would be good to have as well, especially if he doesn’t have indoor parking.

7

I disagree with a few of the things DonCornelius said.

  1. Yes it is good to have a shovel, but 99% of landlords/rental companies will shovel you out after a storm. In fact, I found snow removal substantially better when I was off campus than when I was on campus - there were multiple 6"+ storms where Facilities never plowed/cleared paths on campus. Typically they missed areas leading up to academic buildings, but it wasn’t uncommon for them to miss paths to dorms! Off-campus, I don’t remember a single instance where I had to get somewhere but couldn’t because my walkway and/or the sidewalk were snow covered. When we had a pair of 24"+ storms within a week of each other, they didn’t clear a path until midday, but classes were canceled so it wasn’t an issue. Regarding his car, though, most students have very little reason to use their cars, and I would advise against driving when it requires shoveling out a car. A reality I have found is that Philadelphia gets enough snow for it to be significant but not enough for drivers to know how to handle it. An out-of-town driver not used to driving in snow is a recipe for disaster here… I’d just wait it out until the snow melts (and then promptly go to a car wash… salt will destroy the undercarriage of the vehicle if not removed).
  2. Completely agree. Jumper cables are key.
  3. I generally agree, but to be honest, I found riding a bike easier than walking in the snow/ice. That might be because I grew up in the city and rode my bike in the snow as a kid, but I slipped and slid a lot more on foot than on wheels! I suppose that’s not a great plan for everybody, though.
  4. Completely agree. There is a run on milk, bread and eggs before even the slightest chance of a storm. It’s hilarious to see it happen (and to participate!).
  5. Also agree!
  6. I disagree… there are two main reasons to hate snow: a) shoveling/removing it and b) getting around in it. As a student, you don’t need to deal with either of those things! Snow removal is addressed for you, and Penn’s campus area makes walking the only necessary form of transportation. It isn’t too tough to walk in snow, especially compared to driving. Plus, you get the added benefit of being at a school full of nerds during a snowstorm. During my undergrad, the three best things I saw during snowstorms were a giant (20’+) snowman built by 15 people, a snowball fight that included about 2,000 people on Superblock (this happened during a major storm where the trash/recycling receptacles were under the snow, so we wound up burying our empty beer cans, which was a sight to see after it melted!), and an honest-to-God beer pong table fashioned out of ice (gotta love engineers!).

Regarding winter apparel, consider the following:

  1. Heavy winter coat for normal circumstances (I have a peacoat, which is very, very warm)
  2. Weatherproof coat for snowy conditions, unless there is little chance he will be outside for an extended period during a snowstorm
  3. A hat or earmuffs (I use 180s, which are about $20-$30, keep me plenty warm, and take up next to no space in my coat pocket, compared to a bulky hat!)
  4. Warm gloves
  5. Snowboots (or any waterproof boots, really)

Hope this helps!

8

My only comment is to enjoy the winter!! I moved from Texas to Maine 30 years ago this month, and still love the winters. The inconveniences are worth it. :slight_smile: