Moving to Columbus: Winter Tips from Local Residents

Columbus winters are known to be brutal, so if you are moving to Columbus, Ohio from out of state, especially from a more topical location, you will 100 percent want and need some advice on how to handle the winter weather. All My Sons Columbus has been moving families to and from the area for over 25 years and has winter tips from local residents on what you need and how to survive your first Columbus winter.

What You Need:

• Outerwear - Columbus residents say that you should never skimp on buying a great winter coat. You should find a winter coat that will indeed keep you warm and be able to withstand the winter weather of Ohio. Winter coats are best when filled with down and waterproof. After moving to Columbus you should also purchase winter gloves and snow boots with good traction. Many of the winter tips from local residents comment on how icy the roads and sidewalks get, so boots with traction are a must. As the locals say - “throw fashion sense out the window: warm and dry ears, hands, and feet = happy winter.”

• Layers - Underneath your major outerwear attire, surviving the Columbus winter weather means layers, layers, and more layers. If you have children who stand at a bus stop or walk to school, always make sure that they are layered in enough clothing to keep them warm. This means turtle necks under a sweater, under their winter coat. For girls, it is recommended to wear leggings or tights under pants when possible.

• Snow shovel - A snow shovel is one item that no one can move to Columbus and live without. Columbus movers and locals not only suggest keeping a snow shovel handy for your driveway and walkway, but ice scrapers to keep in each car as well. Other Columbus residents recommend getting a snow roof rake as well, in order to scrape the snow off of the top of your house.

• Extra Items - Many of the winter tips from local residents that can be found online say to keep the following items in your car: small snow shovel, ice scrapers, candles, blankets, cell phone charger, bag of kitty litter. The small snow shovel will help in case you get snowed in at work, candles and blankets are great in the off chance that you get stuck in your car, a cell phone charger in case you have an emergency and your battery is low, and kitty litter to help get you out of places that you might be stuck in (put it in front or behind the tires on top of the snow/sludge).

Some Advice for Your First Winter in Columbus:

• Columbus movers and residents want new residents to not be deterred from living in Columbus after witnessing their very first winter; they say it takes a little bit of time, but you will get used to it and there are so many other things about Columbus during the off-season that you will love.

• If you can get an automatic start installed in your vehicle it is much easier than having to go out in the freezing weather to start your car in order to let it warm up. Also, when it comes to cars, some of the locals suggest keeping a lighter in your purse or on you in the event that the car door locks freeze up a little.