Will you survive winter here in the upper midwest?
I've got six tips to help you survive winter in the Iowa City area.
Hi there, my name is Emily Farber and I'm a Realtor® with Lepic-Kroeger, Realtors® in
Iowa City. I create YouTube videos all about real
estate and the Iowa City area. I have people reach out to me all the
time who have found me on YouTube and I love it. If you'd like to chat with
me about real estate, buying or selling, here
in the Iowa City area, you can find all my contact information
down below in the description box. If you're
watching this on your phone, all you need to do is tap the title of
this video and that description box will open right up.
I meet a lot of people who are new to
our area and they feel a little bit nervous about winter.
This video is for you! As an added bonus, I've created a
checklist of items for your car to help you be well-prepared
for a worst case scenario. You'll find the link for that
down below in that description box. Number one. Have your car prepared. You do
not need to run out and buy a four-wheel drive vehicle
just because you're moving to Iowa. Of course, there are some situations where a
four-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive vehicle would be nice,
but honestly, if the roads are that bad you shouldn't be out driving it.
In terms of vehicle preparedness, make sure you have decent
all-weather tires with good tread. Winter time is not the time
for a set of bald wheels. Make sure your car is in proper
working order. A tune-up would be a great idea,
and try not to let your gas fall below a quarter of a tank.
The reason is if you get stuck somewhere out in the cold
you want to be able to run your car to stay warm.
Number two. Brush up on your winter driving
skills. We get a fair amount of both snow and ice here in Iowa
and driving on it can be stressful. First off, you're going to want to
clear your windshield. Scraping only a tiny peephole for you to see out of
is dangerous and it makes you a jerk to the other drivers out there.
Clear off the top of your car from the snow
so that you're not blinding everyone behind you as it blows off.
And remember, even if you are driving a four-wheel drive vehicle,
that does not mean it has four times faster
stopping power. The most important thing for you to keep in mind
if you're not familiar with winter driving conditions is to
slow down! Leave early to give yourself time.
Drive like you've got your grandma in the car, with a pot of soup on her lap,
and you're taking her to the church potluck. Yah?
Give more space between you and the other vehicles on the road, and break
early. Do not jam on those brakes. If you feel yourself sliding,
let gently off the brakes and the car will straighten out
and you'll regain control. Yanking on the wheel in the opposite direction of your
slide isn't going to fix it. If you're braking
in a straight line and you feel and hear your car breaks
vibrating and chattering that just means your vehicle's anti-lock
brakes are working. Don't freak out, and let the car do its
thing. Three. Dress for success, and in the
winter that means layers. You want to keep moisture away
from your skin so choose a base layer that wicks moisture away like
wool or a technical fabric. Obviously, you'll want a winter coat, so
look for a coat that's rated down to at least the teens if not zero degrees.
Personally, I like coats that have zippered layers in them so that I can
adjust as needed. Consider putting form over
fashion. Trust me when I tell you that a winter
coat that fully covers your rear end will be life changing.
While short coats might be cute you're going to freeze your buns off,
and every time you sit down in that cold frozen car
that slice of skin between the top of your pants and your coat
is going to be exposed to the icy tentacles of frozen air.
You're gonna want gloves or mittens, and you'll probably lose a mate over the
course of the winter season, so buy more than one set. And listen to all
the mamas out there in the world-- wear a hat. If you can't stand the
thought of messing up your hair at least cover your
ears with ear muffs. If you're going to be spending a lot of
time outside, or you're planning to play in the snow,
you might want to grab yourself a pair of snow pants or snow bibs while they're
available, also. Four. Let's talk about shoes for a minute.
If your life will involve being outdoors at all
you're gonna want boots. Again, consider function over fashion.
Choose boots that are waterproof, come up high enough so that you don't get an
ankle full of snow, and have good treads. Snow in Iowa is
generally heavy and wet which means it gets super sloppy.
Leather Uggs are not going to be your best choice.
If you're going to be walking outdoors a lot you may want a pair of snow and ice
grips for the bottoms of your boots, something like Yaktrax. Side note
about all the winter gear: buy it early. It's not available in
stores all the time and it gets picked over.
Five. If you're the kind of person who always feels cold
in the winter, even indoors, and your co-workers won't let you crank up the
thermostat, come prepared with a cardigan. I have one
that pretty much lives in my office. I also love scarves.
I find that if my neck is covered my whole body stays warmer,
and sometimes I even break out my super cool
fingerless gloves. Something about having your wrists covered up
helps regulate your overall body temperature but keep your fingers free
to carry on with your daily activities. My co-workers tend to make fun of these
and they call me a Cindy Lauper wannabe... but I don't care. Number six. There's a
Scandinavian word called hygge, which loosely means finding comfort and
coziness, focusing on warm, welcoming atmospheres,
and good people. While the weather outside may seem bleak,
you can create a soft warm nest in your home to ride out the winter.
Focus on the small things that bring you comfort. Good music,
good books, good food. Have warm throw blankets,
light some candles or your fireplace, use lamps to warm up the dark corners of
your house, enjoy warm beverages, grow some plants
indoors to bring life into your spaces. My favorites in the winter are amaryllis
and paper whites. Even though it's cold, still bundle up
and go outdoors. People find that fresh air really helps
improve their state of mind. Try to enjoy the simple things
outside like the sparkle of sunlight on the snow,
or the sound of your boots crunching through the snow crust.
I'm not gonna lie. Winters in Iowa can be long
and they tend to be overcast-- gloomy for days on end.
It can get to you. People get the winter blues.
If you find your mood negatively affected by the season
you might want to consider purchasing a light therapy lamp
or talking to your doctor about getting your vitamin D levels tested.
I'd love to hear your suggestions for surviving winter,
wherever that may be. Just don't tell me if it's on a beach.
Leave a comment about it down below. If you're interested in more information
about the greater Iowa City area I have a playlist with all things Iowa
City. You should check it out! I'll leave it
right up here. Hey, it's been fun, and I'll catch you later.
Oh no! My snapping ability has been negatively-impacted by my gloves...
See ya!