Howdy! I am planning to move to the southeast part of Michigan around this new years. I am excited to get out of my state and see what other parts of the USA have to offer. But one thing that really worries me, and that I wanted to reach out about, is the winters in the north.
I'm moving from Texas, so for the most part, snow or ice is rare, and it usually meant the whole city shut down for a few days if it happened that year. And now I need to coordinate a moving truck up to Michigan, which from what I know, snow is to be expected? Do y'all have any tips for dealing with this?
I'll also be moving into a suburb area, is there anything I need to know about that? I've heard shoveling snow is kinda important, is that true? How often do you need to shovel snow?
Thanks y'all
Before you move probably look up Michigan Lefts and how to navigate them. When I moved here that was pretty confusing for me.
When it comes to snow, winter tires can be a godsend, but as others have said the snowfall the past couple years has been pretty light. Something my parents did when they were younger is go to a big empty parking lot when it had snowed lightly to learn what sliding feels like and how to correct it YMMV with that method.
Aside from that invest in a good coat, an ice scraper, and pair of winter shoes. When you have to travel in the winter bringing along an emergency blanket and any tools you might need to get unstuck, like sand or planks if you're extra. Hope you enjoy Michigan!
Ah I didn't even consider the ice scraper and winter shoes. I wouldn't even know what kind to buy for that
Look for something like snow boots. Generally all you really need is something that comes up a bit above the ankle so the snow doesn't come in the top and are waterproof. Spending longer out in the snow you might want to go with a boot with some kind of inner lining for warmth as well.
For ice scrapers a cheap one will do just fine, usually they come with a brush on one end and a scraper on the other. I find that I have to scrape my windshield the majority of winter days to get rid of the small shell of ice that forms from dew on your car. If you have remote start or can start your car a bit before you have to leave the defrost can help you avoid this somewhat
If you can avoid going out the first one or two heavy snows of the year, do it. We talk a good game about driving great on snow, but a lot of us forget between one season and the next.
If you're moving somewhere fairly urban or in the suburbs, you won't have to deal with much snow on the roads as we've got a lot of experience with snow and those plows will be out salting the night before and plowing at 4:30 AM. The further you are from the main roads, the later you'll get plowed.
If you live in an apartment I'd expect the parking lots to be plowed as well as they can but of course a bunch of parked cars are hard to plow around.
Lately snow has been sparse. I think I only got out my blower twice the whole season. That's very light compared to twenty, thirty years ago when snow would cover the ground in January and you wouldn't see grass until late March. So if it's a heavy year, watch out, but I'd say probably 2-4 times per month on average, usually clustered together into like a bad week or something.
You're not accustomed to shoveling snow. If you can afford it, get a snow sweeper. You shouldn't need a full-size snow blower, so have a shovel on hand if you get more than a foot of snow.
Get an ice scraper for the car. You'll need some salt for the steps and walkway. Snow tires are nice (I've heard. I'm from the UP, never used them myself.) Keep a thin pair of gloves in the car. I keep a blanket too, but that's only in case I have an emergency and sleep in the car.
