WINTER IN TROY

Last updated: November 12, 2001

Keeping in mind that many of you have never been exposed to such harsh weather as we are expected to witness in the coming months, here are some useful tips to keep in mind about winter:

Get in the habit of listening to weather reports on the radio or TV.

How to dress?

Wear many layes of loose fitting clothing as it ensures that there are pockets of air between the clothing that insulates your body from the cold. For example: undershirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater and a coat. For the lower half of the body, a long underwear will also keep you warm. Tight fitting pants do not keep you warm.

If you haven't bought a Heavy Jacket yet, try to get one with a hood and one that comes below your hips. Down jackets and full-length are the warmest. If it has a nylon outer shell, it provides good protection from the wind. Wool is a good insulator but not effective against the wind. Leather is effective against the wind, but it is a poor insulator. If your coat doesn't have a hood then make sure it has a collar to protect your neck.

Get gloves or mittens as they keep hands warm. I suggest at least 2 pairs because one always gets lost.

Get a hat! At least 60% of the heat lost by the body is through the head. When the wind blows your ears get very cold.

Get a scarf because you can wrap the scarf around your face when the wind blows.

Boots! Another must wear item. If you want to see a picture so you'll know what to look for, click here.

Water proof leather shoes/boots with Silicon spray. It can be bought at a shoe store or a discount store like Walmart and Price Chopper.

Long underwear. Silk is great. It's lightweight and warm but expensive.

Where to shop? Some of the large department stores in the mall can be expensive. But you should be able to get good-quality clothing, fairly inexpensive at Walmart up on Hoosick Street or Price Chopper in Troy Plaza.

Best time to Shop is during a sale. Many stores will have sale around various holidays (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Right after Christmas (December 25) stores will have BIG sales because they want to get rid of there winter clothes to make room for spring & summer clothes. But don't be FOOLED - January and Feburary are the coldest months of the year in this area.

Key words to look for when shopping

Thinsulate It is a type of insulation-warm.

Down-Goose down Very warm and expensive.

Fleece Warm material great for light jacket, or sweatshirt; it does not absorb moisture, which is another good characteristic of this material.

Waterproof means its been specially treated to repel water.

When dressing, don't put on so much you can't walk. (Remember layer) When you get inside your lab or classroom, take off your coat. Otherwise, when you go back outside it will not feel like your coat is helping you stay warm. Always bring your gloves or mittens.

When you are walking keep your hands out of your pocket. If you slip and fall and your hands are in your pocket, they will not help you with your balance and you could really hurt your elbow along with other parts of your body.

Take care of your car

Try to keep your car's gas tank at least half full at all times.

Keep the radiator filled with antifreeze/coolant.

Keep the wiper reservoir filled; do not use water (it freezes), use special windshield fluid.

Put dry-gas in your gastank so you don't get fuel line freeze-up.

Keep car battery in good condition.

Check the brakes, headlights and wipers periodically.

Many people keep a bag of "CAT LITTER" or SAND in their trunk in case they get stuck in ice. You can sprinkle it under the tires to give you more traction.

If your car starts to slide, turn the wheel slowly in the direction you want to go. PUMP the brakes. If you step on the brakes hard they will cause you to slide more.

Be careful walking or driving, often times you won't see ice on the sidewalks or road. This is called "Black ice"; the ice is thin and smooth and the light makes it shiny, so you don't notice it until you slide on it. Road reports often talk about "black ice".

If you have to drive always keep a ice scraper in your car. This helps you scrape the snow and ice off your windows. Clean your windows completely before you drive. I always put a broom and shovel in my trunk. Push the snow off the front hood so it doesn't blow onto the windshield while you're driving. I strongly recommend you brush all the snow off your car before you drive and make sure your headlights and tail-lights are clear of ice and snow. I recommend you start your car and let it warm-up while you're brushing the snow off it.

Keep a blanket and snacks in the trunk. If you are traveling with children in your car, keep extra clothes for them (baby food and pampers, etc. in case your get stranded someplace). If you slide in a ditch you might have to wait for sometime before help arrives.

When driving, remember, allow a little extra distance between you and the car in front of you. If you have to stop quickly and the roads are slippery that extra distance could save you from an accident. REMEMBER PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

Everyone is a little nervous during the first couple of snowstorms while they adjust to winter weather.

Be aware of children, many times when the weather is bad, they put their head down as they walk and forget to think about cars.

If you don't like driving in the snow take the shuttle bus. Parking becomes more difficult with snow.

Try to keep a supply of canned or dry food on hand in your apartment so if the weather is really bad you don't have to go out for groceries.

Keep in mind, just because the sun is out in the morning does not mean it will be out all day. The weather can be very unpredictable.

Be aware that if the weather gets bad at the end of the day, staff are concerned about getting home so don't come in the office at the end of the day with a concern that can be taken care of anytime. Same thing is true in the morning when we have had a snow storm the night before, staff members might be a little late getting in, because of road conditions.

Winter Activities

Try skiing or snowboarding with the ski club.

Go sledding at Frear Park. If you don't have a sled use a tray. If the snow is packed down hard you could use part of a card board box.

Make a snowman.

If your children make a tunnel and snowcave out of the BIG mounds of snow, be careful, the cave could collapse on the child, and they could get hurt, or worse, not be able to breathe.

If its snowing look at the snowflakes and be amazed how everyone is different.

My last words are: Enjoy the weather. Winter can be lots of fun!