Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
Alea iacta est |
Hot hands. Thank me later. 
| |||
|
Drill Here, Drill Now |
Winter is what you make of it. If you just shovel the driveway and clear snow off your windshield ( You need a snow brush to keep in each car) then it's pure drudgery. However, if you get into winter sports (e.g. downhill skiing, crosscountry skiing, ice skating, hockey, etc) then it's fun. Now, for some old school levity.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. | |||
|
Member |
I missed a couple posts. I’ll look into those shovels TT. Nine years to retirement! Just waiting! | |||
|
Member |
LOL! Do you have a FP or wood stove? If so load up on firewood now. No car is as much fun to drive, as any motorcycle is to ride. | |||
|
| Like a party in your pants  |
Talk to your neighbors, they already know the ins and outs. I run synthetic oil in everything,it does not get thick like dino oil when its cold.Use the oil weight recommended by the manufacturer. Your close to the Lake so the Winter temps are usually tempered but you may experience more Lake effect snow.Rather than spend a fortune on snow removal equipment I would investigate a neighbor kid to shovel your walk ways or a landscaping service to do snow and lawn care. A couple GOOD snow shovels are all you need, and ice melt. By the time you invest in lawn care equipment and snow removal power tools you could pay for the landscaping service unless you plan on staying in that house for years. Especially if your schedule is not certain all the time. The last few Winters here in Chicago have been a breeze, hardly any snow and only about a few weeks of Very cold weather, the Weatherman love to build up the doom and gloom by focusing on wind chills NOT what the actual temp is. I would focus on emergency situations during the Winter like power outages from ice or snow. You don't want to get caught with no power to power your house especially the furnace. Frozen water pipes that burst are no joke. Don't over think it, your NOT in North Dakota, your closer to Kentucky weather. Welcome to the Midwest. | |||
|
Member |
It got cold enough in Buffalo that at times my dogs looked uncomfortable standing on snow and ice. I started using Mushers on their paws and they seemed a lot better and didn't drag as much snow into the house. https://musherssecret.com/ | |||
|
semi-reformed sailor |
I learned to flip your windshield wipers so they are pointing out/or lever them outward and not laying on the glass, then you can just use a push broom to clear snow off the windshield. I had a neighbor who draped a blue tarp over the roof covering the windshield and rear glass, then he just took it off and it removed the snow-but we didn’t get snow often in western NC one thing dad did when we moved from Fla to WNC was to make an underside car spray device. He took a length of pvc, drilled tiny holes in a line and connected a garden hose fitting to it and a cap on the other end so he could wash the salt off the underside of the trucks. Salt will quickly eat up a cars frame. “You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020 “ in my opinion, anything that we can do to trigger a potential aneurysm in a leftist is a good thing and worth doing” nhtagmember 2025 | |||
|
| Member |
Don't forget windshield washer fluid made for freezing temps. Fan of Sig, Colt, S&W, Beretta, Browning, etc, etc. | |||
|
| Member |
Remote starter for the car. If you don't already have one, get one put in. Not so much to warm the car but to defrost the windshield so you don't have to scrape or if it's too thick to scrape, sit in the car while it softens. | |||
|
Member |
Not sure how far up north you are! Lot of good info so far here. I live in northern Minnesota and have a wee bit of experience. If you park outside, look into a block heater for your vehicle. Most homes are built to withstand significant snow loads. Backup generator to run furnace and a couple of things. I have a Honda EU2000 that I keep in the basement and ready to go(And yes, I do move it outside when in use). My furnace has a switch I flip with an extension cord that I use with an outlet that does not use current power supply. As for heat, someone mentioned a woodstove. If you don't have one, or too much work, look into some type of backup heat in case your furnace goes out. Be wary of electric plugin heaters (not sure how old your house is). I have a basement with a woodstove that runs most of the winter but cannot keep everything warm when it is really cold and windy. Also, I have one of these for the main level, https://www.mrheater.com/18-00...-cabinet-heater.html Used mine for a week this spring when my main furnace went out, worked like a dream along with the woodstove. Also, have used this heater in my fish-house for years without an issue. Pretty much covered the most important things! Sigs P-220, P-226 9mm, & P-230SL (CCW) | |||
|
אַרְיֵה |
Get a windshield cover. It makes the morning routine much easier. הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | |||
|
| אַרְיֵה |
Excellent suggestion. Keeps the engine at a reasonable temperature for cold morning starts. הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | |||
|
| Green grass and high tides  |
as far as snow shovels go. I like more of a flatter style. I also like to put like a paint roller extension pole on the shovel handle with a couple of hose clamps to extend the handle another 4' or so. I find it really helps with leverage and for me really increases the effectiveness of the shovel. "Practice like you want to play in the game" | |||
|
Chilihead and Barbeque Aficionado |
Get a good ice scraper for your windshield. Your credit card won’t work very well. There will be times when you don’t use a cover. _________________________ 2nd Amendment Defender The Second Amendment is not about hunting or sport shooting. | |||
|
Member |
Ice-scraper with extended handle and brush for car - kept IN the car. -25 windshield de-icer - gallons on-hand if you drive a lot. Ice-Melt or rock salt for ice on walkways. Backup heat source. Always keep a few days of food (for you and pets) in the house. -Scott -NRA Pistol Instructor -NRA Shotgun Instructor -NRA Range Safety Officer -NRA Metallic cartridge & Shotgun Reloading Instructor -MA Certified Firearms Instructor | |||
|
| Member |
You will have several different styles of snow shovel if you're doing it right. Stay off the road after the first significant snowfall. That is when everyone learns to drive in snow again. As reflex/deflex said earlier, don't have your foot on the brake during turns. Go find an empty parking lot to practice sliding around if you've never driven in snow. Slow down, Most problems occur because people are driving too fast for conditions. ------------- The sadder but wiser girl for me. | |||
|
Member |
I tried the boot approach with a few of my dogs. It didn't go well. I suspect the boots need to be part of puppy training. That said, Musher's Secret worked and my dogs liked it. It's a wax that minimizes the snow buildup on their paws. One applies it to the pads and any fur around the pads. All of my dogs were OK with the application of the wax. There is a secondary benefit. I live in PA where road crews SALT the roads. Musher's Secret minimizes the salt on paws and I would use a wet towel to clear the salt after every walk. While we didn't walk in the street, we did cross a few streets and the salt isn't good for dog paws (or people, cars, shoes...) Let me help you out. Which way did you come in? | |||
|
| No More Mr. Nice Guy |
Some dogs do fine in the snow, others get snowballs in the fur between their paw pads. If they get snowballs, they are unhappy. Road salt can be harmful to their paws. For both reasons you may want booties. We will be trying them this year for our new dog. In the past, I've never had a dog that kept all 4 booties on for an entire walk. Some brands seem to have better ideas these days. I'm going to buy from RockyMountainPawProtection. There are various paw balms which can help protect their paws from salt. Like chapstick but for their feet. As far as your roof, it should be good to go in terms of weight of snow unless you get absolutely buried in multiple deep snowfalls. But as someone else posted, the big threat is an ice dam at the edge. The snow will melt from the underside as heat from the house penetrates up through the roof. Snow or ice in the gutter will block the runoff and ice forms at the lower edge of the roof, blocking further runoff. That runoff backs up under the shingles and does a lot of damage to the roof and can leak into the house doing a lot of damage to your ceilings. You may have to put down salt on your driveway or sidewalks. There are a variety of kinds of salt, some of which are less destructive to concrete. Your best strategy is to clear the snow before you drive or walk over it. If you don't, the packed down snow can be very difficult to get up later, and will probably turn to glare ice. Seriously consider getting micro-spikes for your winter boots for clearing the snow from your driveway. Falling on ice is a lot easier than you think. I gave myself a good concussion last winter by being stupid and not wearing my spikes that morning. Despite being athletic and active, it completely took me by surprise when I went down. | |||
|
| Leftists, what more needs to be said? |
The most important one that’s been suggested is getting hoses off the house before freezing temps at night. The freezing water will burst pipes and flood your house. The sand tubes mentioned are for your trunk to help with traction and the sand can be used to throw down on ice if you get stuck on a patch. I’ll second the advice on shovels. Snowblowers in Wisconsin are as common as grits in the south. If it’s feasible, buy one. Theres no shortage of good used ones up there. Airens is a quality brand that you will see everywhere. They are designed and built about 100 miles north of you. There’s probably no shortage of kids willing to clear your driveway for cash if you’re in a subdivision. I can’t recall if you have kids old enough to help with shoveling chores. I’d also suggest clearing rain gutters and check the caulking around windows before the temps drop. Don’t forget that opening day of deer season is probably 1 vote shy of being a state holiday so expect small businesses to close. | |||
|
| I know what I like I like what I know  |
I wish to emphasize the above suggestions from MaSigchist. It's a little early in the season-cycle for there to be ice melter at the home centers, but get a 25 pound bag when they do appear. Also consider calcium chloride as your ice melter as it is supposed to be less harsh on the concrete. Best regards, Mark in Michigan | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata | Page 1 2 3 4 |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
© SIGforum 2026