How do you people up north live???

[texas*princess]

Tonight we're on a "freeze warning" and we'll be getting plenty of ice.

So everyone is stocking up on groceries, getting things ready for a weekend indoors so they don't have to take on the icy roads.

It seems like when it gets colder than 50 degrees in Texas, our entire world stands still (except of course for the pizza delivery places!).

So my question is - how is it in the northern states? Do you just carry on as normal because you're used to cold weather?

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by texas*princess
So my question is - how is it in the northern states? Do you just carry on as normal because you're used to cold weather?

Pretty much. Things only really shut down when it's a bad storm: sleet and snow and winds or excessive snow (to the point where the plows can't keep up). Otherwise, you go about your normal day -- just slower and with a lot more layers on.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Pretty much. Right now, it's in the 30's-40's and sunny. Dry and cold. It's supposed to be cold tomorrow and colder at night. But it's not going to stop me from going snowboarding tomorrow.

But we also don't get the ice storms like other places.

Now, when we get snow it's a different story.

But our problems are mostly wind and flooding.......

[KSigkid]

We have to - we spend most of our months in the cold, so you either adapt or you move someplace warmer.

Honestly, temps in the 20s and 30s are just standard for us in the winter months, and only when it gets into the teens and single digits does it affect us. On top of that, we're used to at least a couple of big snowstorms a year.

It doesn't mean we always like it, but we're used to it.

[sageofages]

Originally posted by ISUKappa
Pretty much. Things only really shut down when it's a bad storm: sleet and snow and winds or excessive snow (to the point where the plows can't keep up). Otherwise, you go about your normal day -- just slower and with a lot more layers on.

Wind chills below zero here.

Some "fool" accidently turned the heat off on the 5-7 floors of the Register last night. You could see your breath in my office this morning! eeek!

the short answer...is as ISUKappa said....

LAYERS, LAYERS, LAYERS...

[winnieb]

I don't consider myself to live in the north, KC- but it is 19 degrees right now. Overnight it will be down to about 0. It is cold. But you get used to the cold-- it is just part of winter.

The only time things really slow down is when we have a forcast for lots of snow, and ice. It is the ice that causes trouble. Generally the first storm of the winter season slows people down, the stores will be full of people and the shelves will be empty-- but nothing usually comes of the storms that keeps you in once it hits.

Just bundle up -- but today I made sure to throw a coat in the car and never even wore it into the office.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

We just had a blizzard on Saturday night and Sunday which dumped a NYC record of 26 inches of snow. The weather people announced that the snow would begin at 4:00. When the snow hadn't begun by 6:00, I hoped we had dodged a bullet. When I woke up Sunday morning, it was white out conditions which means there is almost no visibility and all you can see is white snow.

The Department of Sanitation is in charge of snow removal on the streets and highways. They were really the only people driving on the streets in their big trucks. The Mayor and his Commissioners requested that people stay home. If they had to go out to work, they should not drive and should take public transportation. Most people listened and stayed home because that type of weather can be really dangerous. By Monday most of the snow in the city had been removed from the street and sidewalks. Public transportation was running, but it was delayed. NYC is accustomed to this type of weather. There are plans in place so we are really prepared. The only bad thing is the streets filled with slush so I had to jump over or walk through huge puddles.

In 1996 we had about 16 blizzards and snowstorms. I remember they couldn't clear one of the streets in my neighborhood because it had frozen solid with ice. This was a potentially dangerous situation because emergency vehicles could not drive on that street.

I have cousins who lived in Rochester and now lives in Buffalo, NY. They act like two feet of snow is nothing, and it's not cold unless the temperature drops below 0 degrees F. They think that we're wimps.

[aephi alum]

If it's just cold weather, we do pretty much just carry on as normal. If there is ice and snow, we take precautions. Part of living in the north is knowing that there will be snow and ice at some point during the winter. So you prepare. You put good all-weather tires, if not snow tires, on your car. You make sure you're always well stocked with food and water. You buy a generator in case you lose power.

A few years ago, I was down in Virginia in February. It snowed half an inch, and everyone freaked. Traffic on the interstate was moving at TEN MILES AN HOUR because no one down there knows how to drive in snow. (Which is the right thing to do - if you're not confident in your winter driving skills, slow down and be careful.) Meanwhile, up here the local driving schools offer winter driving lessons on closed, iced-over courses.

[KSigkid]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
I have cousins who lived in Rochester and now lives in Buffalo, NY. They act like two feet of snow is nothing, and it's not cold unless the temperature drops below 0 degrees F. They think that we're wimps.

My wife is from upstate NY, so she thinks the same way. It takes a lot of snow to get her frazzled.

That's a big reason why I didn't go to Syracuse's school of journalism; I wasn't sure I was ready to be snowed in that many months of the year.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream

I have cousins who lived in Rochester and now lives in Buffalo, NY. They act like two feet of snow is nothing, and it's not cold unless the temperature drops below 0 degrees F. They think that we're wimps.

You want me to kill myself, you send me to Rochester in the winter!! Seriously, I went to Buffalo once in the winter, and cried everytime I had to go outdoors!!

We're lucky - it gets cold here, but we never seem to get the brunt of a storm. Oh, it's cold enough to wish we had a few more loaves of bread, soup, and munchies, but mostly, we just gripe about it!

<-- has an Outback & can drive in almost anything!!

[texas*princess]

Originally posted by aephi alum
A few years ago, I was down in Virginia in February. It snowed half an inch, and everyone freaked. Traffic on the interstate was moving at TEN MILES AN HOUR because no one down there knows how to drive in snow. (Which is the right thing to do - if you're not confident in your winter driving skills, slow down and be careful.)

That sounds about right. In Dallas/Ft. Worth, we drive that slow if it so much sprinkles.

When it snows or ices, we go waaaaaay slower than 10 MPH.

I remember a couple of yrs ago we got some ice on the roads. My bf at the time was living with me, and the normal 45 minute commute took 6 HOURS.

He got home about midnight

[Tom Earp]

People who live in The North are insane=COOOOLd and Snnnooooow and short summer. Get snowed In and cant drive anywhere.

People who live in the South are crazy=gets a little cool and freeze. If get snow cant drive cause dont have a friggen clue.

Now, In The True Middle of the country, We get it all and can handle it, bitch like hell but that is Us. ICE, now that is a different subject.

Ice should be in Arenas and in glasses!

[RACooper]

Ya get used to it...

Some snow and cold is the norm during the winter, so it's no biggie to deal with. However some extremes do affect us... like today for example - driving home from the cottage the highway was a disaster - iced over with blowing snow reducing visibility to just about a car length... so I did what most did, pulled off the road and hit a Tim Hortons or somewhere showing the Olympics. 'Course this was nothing compared to what hit Montreal - heard a train got blow over going over a bridge (over water).

Of course the ya get used to anything if that's the enviroment you were raised in - I have no idea how people could deal with it being hot all the time (or no snow at Christmas or New Years)... or how folks on the praries deal with the flat landscape...

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by RACooper
Ya get used to it...

Some snow and cold is the norm during the winter, so it's no biggie to deal with. However some extremes do affect us... like today for example - driving home from the cottage the highway was a disaster - iced over with blowing snow reducing visibility to just about a car length... so I did what most did, pulled off the road and hit a Tim Hortons or somewhere showing the Olympics. 'Course this was nothing compared to what hit Montreal - heard a train got blow over going over a bridge (over water).

Of course the ya get used to anything if that's the enviroment you were raised in - I have no idea how people could deal with it being hot all the time (or no snow at Christmas or New Years)... or how folks on the praries deal with the flat landscape...

Of course You get used to the environ, but I think the rwo hghest suicide States were Az and NM were because it was going to be 120 and sun shining every damn day!

Coop, it aint all flat here Bro! Come visit!!!! A few Chapters around here!!!!

Oh, wow, 2 right now, was 64 Sat. It has been like this all winter here????

[saetex]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
People who live in The North are insane=COOOOLd and Snnnooooow and short summer. Get snowed In and cant drive anywhere.

People who live in the South are crazy=gets a little cool and freeze. If get snow cant drive cause dont have a friggen clue.

Now, In The True Middle of the country, We get it all and can handle it, bitch like hell but that is Us. ICE, now that is a different subject.

Ice should be in Arenas and in glasses!

I live in the south and have no problem driving in the ice. its called 4 wheel drive.