Over the past few years I have had the privilege of hiring staff from such varied locations as San Diego, Miami, Atlanta, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Idaho, Italy, Nepal, and India. Many of these individuals have the same question: “What’s winter like here?” Having moved here just four winters ago myself, I had this same question not too long ago.
The short answer is that winter in Minneapolis is almost definitely not as bad as you think it is. Routine life goes on, and at least for us office workers, we have heated buildings and cars just like everywhere else. In fact, there are a few things that can make winter in Minneapolis less of a hassle than in a place like Chicago or St. Louis or Boston. For one, we have more equipment available to deal with snow, so driving is often less impacted than you might think (my street has always been plowed before I need to leave in the morning). Two, a lot of our buildings are connected by skyways or tunnels. And three, it’s often too cold to get the really nasty ice storms or slushy, heavy, messy stuff, for most of the winter our snow tends to be light and fluffy.
Nevertheless, winter is something you need to plan for around here, it’s not something you want to just wait and see what happens. We do see wind chills down close to -40 a couple of times each winter and the temperature itself will dip below zero regularly in the winter (sometimes never getting to 0 all day). So, some preparation is necessary.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a fair amount of wisdom which I try to impart to our new arrivals before their first winter sets in. I think of it in categories, from absolutely essential to probably unnecessary. If you’re preparing to move or have just moved here, maybe this list will help you, too.
The Absolute Essentials
This list is what I consider the absolute minimum for managing a MN winter successfully.
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A good winter coat
This is the first thing you should buy. It’s amazing how a good coat can make the difference between miserable and completely pleasantly warm. You want to invest some dollars here, probably a couple hundred of them. The more you spend, the better synthetic materials and construction you’ll get, which will keep you warmer while at the same time being less bulky. The paradox of the huge, puffy winter coat is that it’s often not warm at all, because it’s made with cheap materials. The nicer coats do a much better job of keeping wind out, too, which is often a bigger problem than the cold itself. Make sure it has a hood, removable is nice but not essential.
Get something with a removable inner liner and you’ll make the investment go farther - liner for spring and fall, shell for rainy weather any time of year, and the whole package for the winter. The little things matter, like flaps over the zippers to prevent wind from getting in, or cinches around the waist and hood that stay put.
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Good winter boots
I have a pair of Columbia Bugaboots that I like, if you’re looking for ideas. My litmus test is that I should be able to throw them on with thin socks or barefoot and do some snowblowing without getting uncomfortable. It’ll take another investment, but it’s something you’ll use dozens of times each winter, and good boots will last several seasons, so you’ll get your money’s worth.
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A hat
Not picky here, just any hat that’s not too thin and can be pulled down to cover your ears.
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Car prep: washer fluid, battery, and maybe oil
If you’re coming from a more temperate climate, chances are that your windshield washer fluid will freeze in your system up here. And you’ll learn that at a really inconvenient time, like on the highway behind a truck which is making a mess of your windshield. So, drain out that old stuff and put some -35 degree rated washer fluid in upon arrival here.
Also, make sure you have a good battery. Take it to an auto parts store and have them measure the voltage to check that it’s still in spec. A battery that’s totally fine in a warm climate can be totally not fine up here if it’s borderline. The first cold snap will kill it. So, get yours checked, and get a new one if it’s not up to snuff.
Some people also like to switch to a lighter weight, synthetic motor oil heading into winter. It’ll flow easier in a cold engine. Probably not a bad idea, but maybe not essential.
See my note below on snow tires.
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Ice scraper
You dont need to go too fancy here, but don’t go bottom barrel either. Get something with a sturdy brush and blade combo on it. I was surprised at how often I see someone cleaning off their car with their sleeve, or a newspaper, or other silliness.
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One decent snow shovel
Don’t plan on using that metal gardening shovel to move snow. Most of our snows are of the “few fluffy inches” variety so it’s usually pretty easy to shovel with the right gear. You want a plastic shovel that keeps your body in a comfortable position and can push a good amount of snow on each pass (like an 18” or more width shovel) to save you time. Technique is important to prevent injury. But really, if you have a lot to shovel, see the Snowblower section below.
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Emergency kit in car
Ok - I’ll be honest. Until recently, I didn’t have a winter kit in my car. I rationalized it by saying “I’m almost exclusively in urban/suburban areas, a short walk to help if I break down or get stuck, and I always have my phone with me.” But, you’re closer to trouble than you think, even in an urban area. It doesn’t take very long at all for a stalled car to get really cold, and with how dark it is at night, if you stall out in an inconvenient place it could be hard for others to see you. Plus, if I’m in the car going from home to work, I’m dressed for the office, not for sitting on the side of a road for an hour or for changing a tire for 20 minutes. Now that I often have a child in tow, I’m more responsible about keeping critical items in my car - some sort of blanket, some non-perishable food, some flares. Sure, it’s probably not a matter of life or death given that I’m usually around other motorists and not in rural or secluded areas, but I don’t want to find out I was wrong.
Non-Essential but Go a Long Way towards Making Winter Enjoyable
This list contains the things which may make you actually want to go out and enjoy winter rather than just survive it.
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Mittens
I was always dismissive of mittens, thinking of them as less useful than gloves. Then my wife got a nice pair of mittens and wouldn’t stop raving about them. I finally relented and tried some myself, and I won’t go back. So. Much. Warmer! If you miss the functionality of gloves, you can combine mittens with a touchscreen liner glove so you can slip your hand out when you need extra dexterity or to use your phone, without totally exposing your hand. Or, you can compromise with lobster claw mittens (two fingers go in each half of the claw - great for biking too).
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Snow pants
I prefer pants to a snow bib. Easier on/off, and my core is usually warm enough with other layers, so I just want to cover my legs. Useful for snowblowing or shoveling, because they add both warmth and waterproofness - clearing snow in jeans is a recipe for a soggy, cold mess.
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Wool socks
I really wanted to make these essential, but I suppose you can get by without them. But why would you want to?! Wool socks are super functional winter gear. They keep your feet warm but not sweaty, they dry quickly, and they hold up to wear and tear. I wear them every day in winter and well into spring. When they are all in the wash and I have to wear regular cotton socks, I feel sad.
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Muckers
After a couple of winters here, I found I had a gap in my shoes. I needed something I could quickly slip on for taking out trash, running out to the store, or getting into work from the parking lot. Something that was weatherproof but didn’t require all the effort of a snow boot, and that I could drive in easily. I picked up a pair of Merrell Arctic Mocs, but anything that’s slip-in, warm, and with some waterproofing should do the trick. I use them constantly in the winter.
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Flannel lined pants
Many people would say this is purely extravagant, but I came to realize that while it is easy to layer the upper half of your body, there’s not a lot of options for pants. You can do thermal underwear, but that takes a fair amount of effort and is not that comfortable for long periods of time. It’s embarrassing to show up at work in snow pants. I finally tried some flannel lined jeans from Eddie Bauer, and wish I had done so earlier. Great for any time we’re going to be outside for a while, but where I don’t want to wear snow pants. Everything from going to a winter kite festival to waiting for a bus has been made far more pleasant with these pants. I’ve since picked up some flannel lined khakis, too.
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Thermal underwear / base layers
There are lots of choices here, I went with a synthetic material from REI. There are different weights and different materials, and it’s really personal preference. These get worn when we’re playing in the snow or if I’m biking towards the beginning or end of the season when it can be quite cold in the morning.
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A snowblower
One thing to remember about winter here is that the snow is on the ground for months. If you don’t stay on top of the shoveling and your sidewalk gets compacted and icy, you’ll be dealing with that all winter. So you really want to stay on top of the snow removal, and if you have more than a small sidewalk or parking spot to clear, a snowblower can be a huge timesaver. It’s also good for anyone with physical limitations for whom snow shoveling is a challenging activity (and frankly, I’m in decent shape and snow shoveling is still exhausting). I have to clear a large driveway, so it’s either 30 minutes of shoveling or 5 minutes of snowblowing. The snowblower doesn’t have to be that fancy. My blower is a single-stage model spec’ed for up to 9” snows. My neighbor gets by just fine with an even smaller model. On the rare large storm, I just try to do a pass in the middle of the storm to keep ahead of it, or my other neighbor has used his big two-stager to clear the end of my driveway once or twice.
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More shovels
After a few MN winters I began to understand that different snows call for different shovels. When it’s a really light, fluffy snow, I want something with a really wide path to clear the sidewalk or driveway in just a few passes without lugging out the snowblower. So now I have a wider shovel for that task. I also learned that I’ll want something sturdier to break through the compacted ice that the snowplow leaves at the end of the driveway - for that I got a small, 8” metal flat shovel. Finally, a good, wide push broom for clearing light snow off of sidewalks works pretty well in a pinch.
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Ice melt
Keep your sidewalks safe for yourself, your visitors and the mail carrier. Get some of the pet/eco friendly salt and make sure your walking areas are clear down to the pavement. Visitors will thank you for it.
You Can Probably Skip These
These are things that you may think you’ll need, but you probably won’t.
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Scarf.
With a good coat, hat and hood, a scarf is just redundant, bulky and in the way (and never wear one while snowblowing.)
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Ear muffs.
Hat + hood trumps earmuffs. Unless you’re fickle about messing up your hair, I think these are unnecessary.
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Balaclava / other full-face covering.
This is probably overkill. When it’s cold enough to matter, you likely won’t be outside anyway. Understand that even in -35 wind chill it takes between 10-30 minutes to get frostbite. I don’t have one (except for winter biking), and I’ve never missed it. If it’s comfortable enough to be out playing in the snow, you almost definitely don’t need this.
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Snow tires / all-wheel drive car.
This is a debatable one. I actually have snow tires on one of our cars, and they do make a big difference. So why are they on the “skip” list? Because they can be a big expense, and you have to store them and get them switched out twice a year, which is a chore. And it’s perfectly fine to drive around here without them as long as you practice normal winter driving. The majority of cars here do not have snow tires, and we get by. Roads generally get cleared and treated quickly. I’d try a winter without them first, and see how it goes. Some cars do a lot better than others, but as long as you’re around the city and ‘burbs, you’ll be able to get around with or without snow tires, and with or without 4 wheel / all-wheel drive. After all, there are tons of cars like Civics and Priuses and even smart cars around here, and they all manage. Just drive sensibly (allow lots more room, brake early, go slow).
You may change your mind after your first winter, but it’s not an immediate essential.
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Engine block heater.
Very few people have an engine block heater any more. Although advice varies, it’s becoming less and less important on modern cars. You’re better off doing the car prep items I listed above in the essentials area.
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Ergonomic shovels.
I thought this was a good idea, but it ended up being pretty unnatural to use and the weird angle of the handle meant that it was less stable with a full load of snow. I realize I’m probably going against formal advice here, but I find the “regular” shovels to be more comfortable than the ergonomic ones.
So that’s my list. What did I miss? What do you disagree with? Comment below!