Winter Tips

If you have never experienced a Midwestern winter before, this page is for you! It consists of a bunch of tips for living and driving in the winter.

General Winter Tips from the State of Indiana: https://www.weather.gov/media/ind/PrepWeeks/Winter/2017_PrepWeek_Newsltr.pdf (submitted by Kyle Dahlin)

General Living

Driving

  • How to drive a car during winter (submitted by Kyle Dahlin)

  • Keep a blanket in your car, and also a phone charger that plugs into your car for emergencies. Ask your insurance company for a phone number to call for a tow truck, and keep it in your car. (submitted by Nicole Eikmeier)

  • I don't think there's a need for "winter" tires unless you really have terrible terrible regular tires, or maybe if you have rear wheel drive. If you do have a tough time with ice or getting stuck after parking you can keep huge bags of sand in your trunk. Also ask your apartment complex to keep a bag of salt/ice melt out for you to use if your parking lot is particularly susceptible to being slick. (submitted by Nicole Eikmeier)

  • Once or twice per winter, put HEET in your gas tank after you have filled up your tank. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • Do NOT ever use hot water to get the ice off your windshield. It will crack the windshield. Get an ice scraper. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • When the roads are icy, brake before you think you need to. Drive a little more slowly. If you brake and start to slide, pump the brakes instead of holding the brake pedal down, unless you have anti-lock brakes - then do not pump the brakes; instead, hold them down, even though it feels weird. (submitted by Kelsey Walters and Eddie Price)

  • Make sure you know what to do if you skid on the ice. (Turn the wheel into the direction you want to go, but don't turn the wheel too hard or you could end up skidding the other way.) (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • If your car is stuck, don't press harder on the gas. You will either shoot forward or dig yourself in deeper. Look up ways to get your car unstuck (carefully rocking the car if it won't damage your transmission, using sand, etc.) (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • If it is snowing very heavily and you have to drive, consider using your low lights instead of your headlights. The headlights reflect off the snow and make it harder to see. Even if it is light outside, put on your lights so that cars behind you can see you. Again, this is only when it's snowing heavily. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • If it's so bad out that ice is forming on the windshield while you drive (this is only in very extreme circumstances- avoid driving if this is the case), take the extra time to pull over and scrape of the windshield before continuing driving. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

Apartment/Home Living

  • Don't set your thermostat much higher than 72 F, and never turn it below 50 F (even if you're leaving town) - your pipes could freeze/explode and you could be in huge trouble. If you live in an older home, with faucets on an exterior wall, you can leave your faucets on at a very low drip when the temperature drops below 32 F. This will prevent them from freezing (and costs you next to nothing). If you are leaving town, also keep the cabinets below your sink open. (submitted by Nicole Eikmeier and Kelsey Walters)

  • Don't turn the heat too high in your apartment. It will just drive up your heating bill and your apartment can only get so warm. If you can keep it somewhere in the 60s, that's good. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • Wear socks to bed. You lose heat from your extremities. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • Put plastic over the windows in your apartment. (submitted by Kelsey Walters)

  • It can get very dry in the winter, which can lead to your skin getting dry and cracked. This is unpleasant. Consider getting some lotion and/or getting a humidifier for your apartment to try to keep your skin from drying out and cracking. (submitted by Eddie Price)