13 Winter Tricks From Minnesota, Alaska and Wisconsin, Like Parking Facing the Sun All Winter

Always push the first snow back further than you need to. It leaves room to keep moving additional snow it if it never melts.

Why it works: Every storm after the first needs somewhere to go, and early snow is the easiest to move. Road crews do the same: the Town of Washburn, Wisconsin, pushes its banks back before the next snow to make room for it.

One thing a lot of people new to a wintry state don’t seem to know: A/C in the car is not just for summer. With the heat on, turn the A/C on as well to remove moisture from the air and prevent the windows from frosting up.

Why it works: In winter, the A/C dries the air rather than cooling it, and the heater still warms it; car manuals say the same, and most cars switch it on in defrost mode. Keep recirculation off, or the car keeps breathing damp air onto the glass.

“Best part about winter is knocking off the snow buildup behind vehicle wheels!”

I know it’s not that big of a deal for buildup on cars to affect performance. However, I love knocking off the snow as it is satisfying as heck. Anyone else agree?

Why it works: Packed slush behind the wheels can freeze hard enough to rub against the tires or limit how far the wheels turn. A Minnesota newspaper’s advice: kick with moderation, because plastic wheel-well liners crack in the cold, and do it right after parking.

During the winter always park facing the sun. You’ll return to a warmer vehicle.

Why it works: A windshield facing the sun gets direct light as soon as it rises, enough on a clear day to soften frost and warm the cabin a few degrees. The January sun stays low in the southern sky, so that means facing south or east. Under clouds, you’re still scraping.

After a snow, don’t drive on your driveway until you’ve AT LEAST shoveled a couple tracks to drive on. The packed snow becomes ice and a huge pain later.

Why it works: Tires press fresh snow into a dense layer, and a thaw followed by a cold night turns it into ice a shovel can’t lift. Upstate New Yorkers give newcomers the same rule: shovel before it’s walked or driven on.

It’s a common tip but I’ll repeat it here: if you have trunk space for it, keeping a bag of kitty litter in your trunk will help you in two ways: helps to weight your car when it’s slick or greasy out; and can help get traction if you find yourself stuck.

Why it works: Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety puts a bag of sand or non-clumping kitty litter in its winter car kit: grit under a spinning tire, weight over the rear wheels. Clumping litter turns to paste when wet, so locals buy the cheap clay kind.

Hip check the door, it breaks the ice free. Then, open the door with the handle. If it still won’t open, hip check it again, or tap with a closed fist around the edge of the door. Works great for sliding van doors, too. Those van handles are so flimsy.

Why it works: Meltwater from a warm cabin seeps into the rubber seal and refreezes overnight. A bump breaks that bond along the whole edge, while yanking the handle loads one plastic part.

If you’re from a tropical country or anywhere humid, this place can devastate your skin because humidity at times can be lower than the Sahara desert (avg 25% compared to my Room’s 17%).

Buy a hygrometer and ensure you don’t go below 30%. Invest in humidifiers if it is. Buy evaporative humidifiers as the ultrasonic ones will send white powder everywhere if you don’t use distilled water.

Why it works: Cold air holds little moisture, so heated indoors its relative humidity drops sharply. University of Minnesota Extension recommends 30 to 50 percent, lower in very cold weather; frost on the inside of the windows means you’ve gone too high.

Generally you don’t salt a driveway. Clear snow when it’s powdery before it has a chance to thaw and refreeze. Salt is down for melting small amounts of ice, like on steps. Salting two inches of ice on a driveway is not something you can do. Just deal with it, it will melt. On a warm day you can probably push it off in sheets.

Why it works: Rock salt stops working once pavement drops below about 15°F and can’t eat through thick ice anyway. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency adds that most salt spread in the Twin Cities ends up in groundwater, lakes and wetlands.

Sand. So much sand. It adds grip. In the sun it heats up faster during the day because it’s dark and will melt ice, although not as fast as salt/treated salt.

If you over salt, you’re going to kill grass/trees/shrubs. If the driveway isn’t paved, treated salt will absolutely melt straight through and into the frost in the soil. If it gets warm and the frost melts, your driveway becomes a mud river.

Sand, sand, sand, and keep the snow clear as much as possible before it sets up into ice.

Why it works: Sand doesn’t melt ice; it gives boots and tires grip at any temperature and won’t burn the lawn. That’s why many towns keep a public sand pile for residents.

And walk like a penguin. Penguins are adapted for ice.

Oh, and ground that looks wet could be black ice. Treat all wet ground as ice until you’re certain it’s not.

Why it works: Feet pointed slightly out and short, flat steps keep your center of gravity over your feet, so a slip is easier to catch. That’s the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s advice every winter, along with keeping your hands out of your pockets.

Window plastic if you have old, drafty, or big windows. It goes up with double sided tape and then you hit it with a hairdryer to tighten and remove wrinkles. You can buy new weatherstripping and a draft stopper for doors, especially the exterior ones. When in doubt, check for drafts with a feather or ribbon. Trust me, if you’re paying gas or electric, you want to keep as much of the heat in as you can.

Why it works: Energy.gov recommends taping clear plastic film to the inside of window frames for winter; sealed tight, it cuts drafts from old windows. A ribbon or feather near a frame shows a draft you can’t feel.

Be careful shoveling. I learned to shovel snow from our 75-year-old neighbor Earling Knudsen. Go slow, there’s no rush to get the snow moved. I’m 70 now and will shovel again if we ever get shoveling snow again...

Why it works: The National Safety Council’s advice matches the neighbor’s: take it slow, pace yourself, and push snow instead of lifting it when you can. Nobody gets extra credit for clearing the driveway in one go.