Tips on Surviving Winter Weather

snow ghost

As much as I love the cold and snow weather, it clearly can have an adverse effect on many, especially the elderly and vulnerable.
So I thought it might be a plan to have a thread dedicated to posters giving genuine and serious hints, tips, links or support on how to survive the winter weather and whatever it throws at us, especially the cold, driving conditions, etc.

I’ve already read a few great tips on other threads, which although may seem obvious to many of us could be simple enough to save a life or at least make it easier. And information like using layers of clothing and a base layer that wicks moisture away may be obvious to the young, but could be a valuable insight to an elderly person who just didn’t know that. Or how to drive in snow, etc.

My initial tips:

First and foremost keep an eye on the predicted weather here from reliable sources - M.T. Craniums Daily Forecasts thread / Met Eireann and prepare in advance.

Buy a thermometer - there are many cheap, basic ones out there, such as ones on alarm clocks - and if you are struggling to heat the house, at least keep one room heated and monitor the temperature in that room, 18 - 20celcius is I believe a healthy indoor environment. If the temp drops below 10celcius in a living environment that can cause real problems, especially for the elderly, and no one should live in that cold, even if they are well wrapped up; they should ask for help.

The socks over the shoes trick does help to prevent slipping - but for best effect use woollen socks (with a mostly a wool mix in them) the wool seems to grip the ice and frost better than other materials.

snow ghost

Just seen Ambersky's similar thread - if mods would like to combine.