Preparing for Winter (Nova Scotia)

[FLBiker]

My family recently moved to Nova Scotia from Florida, and I want to make sure we're prepared for winter (without going overboard).

Here's what we've done:
1) Snow tires on car.
2) Undercoat (lanolin-based) on car.
3) Turned off water to exterior hosebibs.
4) Got two pallets of pellets for our pellet stove (we also have a minisplit upstairs and baseboard heat as a backup).
5) Moved battery for yard tools from shed into basement.

Since we've never lived (as homeowners) in a cold climate before, I wanted to see if there was anything else we needed to do.
 And if you have any questions, please just ask.  Thanks!

[lthenderson]

Stock up on warm clothes as it usually takes a full winter season to acclimatize the body to the new temperatures.

[GuitarStv]

I agree with the clothes.  You want winter basics:

- Heavy winter parka (needs to be large enough to fit heavy sweater underneath)
- Heavy winter boots (again, make sure they're loose enough to fit very thick socks underneath without being snug on your feet)
- Ski gloves or mitts
- A decent toque and scarf.
- Ski pants/snow pants (necessary if you're planning on doing outdoor activities . . . like skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, hiking, camping, etc.)
- Long underwear (get tops and bottoms)

It doesn't get too cold in Nova Scotia, so the above will be plenty to keep you comfy when outside.


Also, if you have external taps on your house remember to turn off the water to them (there will be a water shutoff in your house) and then drain them.  Otherwise they can freeze and split.

[habanero]

Get some clothes that are warmer than you possibly thought necessary. I have a really  thick jacket and some winter boots I use only for one purpose: Whenever I do something that involves standing still outside because I have to watch kids or sth like that. As long as you move or do some activity you need surprisingly little clothing, not much more than something that is wind-proof and some warm underwear, but once you have to stand still it gets surprisingly cold surprisingly fast. It doesn't even have to be really cold outside for that.

Do you live in an area where power outrages are normal during the winter? In rural areas it's pretty common that trees get heavy from wet snow, break and take down power lines. Should be much less of a problem / get fixed much quicker in more urban areas, but if you live remotely I would have at least some backup way to cook food etc, like a gas-fired stove and a couple of gas bottles. With the pellet stove heating is taken care of I assume.

[FLBiker]

Thanks all!  I've got kind of a hodgepodge of winter clothes (I've lived in various cold places over the years) and DW and DD have bought some stuff so I think we're good.  And I don't think we lose power very often.  We're on city services (in a small town) and live next door to a guy from Nova Scotia Power.  The house is actually wired for an backup generator, but the previous owners never bothered to actually install one.  If it ends up being an issue, though, we'll do that.  Thanks again!

[Dogastrophe]

Hello from Halifax and welcome to Nova Scotia.

What part of NS? Some areas get cold, others get very cold. I wear a light down filled coat and gloves most of the winter and only occasionally have to dust off my very cold weather gear. If I were in the northern part of province, I would be wearing the cold weather coat for more days than not.

Pick up a few snow shovels now - if you wait until the first real snow (the one last week doesn't count) you will not find one on the shelves. Don't put them away until end of March (typically get a decent storm around St. Patrick's Day)

If you are along the Eastern Shore or South Shore, get a few bags of road salt - we often get snow followed by rain followed by flash freeze - salt comes in handy.

[habanero]

Pick up a few snow shovels now - if you wait until the first real snow (the one last week doesn't count) you will not find one on the shelves.

It is very fascinating that this
1) happens every single year
2) is international

[Dogastrophe]

Pick up a few snow shovels now - if you wait until the first real snow (the one last week doesn't count) you will not find one on the shelves.

It is very fascinating that this
1) happens every single year
2) is international

I know, right. It's like everyone forgets that it will eventually snow ... and what happened to all the shovels from the prior year.  Putting on snow tires is similar - people wait until after the first big storm. Guess they have plenty of time to think about it as they are stuck in gridlock for hours while people are spinning out on the roads with mild inclines

[FLBiker]

Ha, good point on the shovels -- I've got a couple, thanks!  And we're in Kentville (Annapolis Valley).  Thanks!

[Dogastrophe]

Kentville (and the entire Fundy coast) gets more snow than Halifax (people from Halifax go to the Valley to snowmobile) however, temperatures are decent - normal winter temps in Jan and Feb normally in the -5 to -10C range with a few -25C thrown in for good measure. You won't see the same number of freeze / thaw / snow / rain / flash freeze events that the Atlantic coast gets.

As an aside, in early March when the temps start to hover around 0C and the sun is out, that's shorts and tee weather. :)

[SunnyDays]

If you do any highway driving, it's a good idea to have an emergency car kit with things like candles and matches (and a couple of tin cans to put them in and also use to melt water to drink), a blanket, extra hats, mitts, flashlight, granola bars, etc.  Oh and a shovel in case you end up in the ditch.  A tow rope wouldn't hurt either.  And some kitty litter for traction.

For the house, clean out the eavestroughs now so there are no surprise floods around your house when all the snow melts off the roof.

For the yard, if you have any tender plants you hope to keep, mulch and cover.

[the_fella]

Deicer for your car windshield. You can just spray it on, wait a minute, turn on the wipers, and go. They're usually methanol or something similar. And you'll want some deicing stuff to put in your windshield washer fluid reservoir. Last thing you want is for that to freeze and damage the reservoir. A space blanket is also a good idea. I keep one in my glove box.

It's unrelated to winter specifically, but I also keep a tire plug kit in my glove box. It has saved me having to change a tire several times.

[SunnyDays]

Deicer for your car windshield. You can just spray it on, wait a minute, turn on the wipers, and go. They're usually methanol or something similar. And you'll want some deicing stuff to put in your windshield washer fluid reservoir. Last thing you want is for that to freeze and damage the reservoir. A space blanket is also a good idea. I keep one in my glove box.

It's unrelated to winter specifically, but I also keep a tire plug kit in my glove box. It has saved me having to change a tire several times.

I have never heard of putting deicer into the window washer reservoir.  Most are rated to -32C, unless it's specifically a summer one or a bug wash.  The only thing I've found that might freeze over is the hole that the fluid sprays out of, and a quick quirt with lock deicer does the trick.  (Keep one in your car and also one in the house, because once the locks are frozen, you can't get into the car.  It will also work if the door seal freezes shut.)

[Sibley]

Something to deal with ice outside. I don't use much, but when there's a sheet of ice right where I need to walk, I'm pulling out the ice melt so I don't slip and kill myself.

If you have dogs, consider if they need boots/jackets.

Does it get damp there? If so, the cold will feel much colder than if it's dry. You'll need throws, sweaters, etc. Slippers are very helpful for keeping the feet warm(er). If it's very dry, or your heating will dry out the air, then you may need humidifiers.

[GuitarStv]

Good fucking luck getting a dog that's not a puppy used to putting boots on it's feet.  :P

[NaN]

I found this to be absolutely hilarious earlier:

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/jsexc8/its_the_most_wonderful_time_of_the_year/

[FLBiker]

Thanks all, I really appreciate it!  We definitely need to put something together for the car.  I've cleaned the gutters (aka eavestroughs) as well as I can, but there are a couple of spots I can't reach.  Thanks again!

[TrMama]

That video was hilarious. I thought it was shot in Vancouver, but it turns out even Real Canada^TM has this problem ;-)

While you're out shopping for the less fun stuff, like shovels and salt get some fun winter toys so you can have fun too. Sledding is good for all ages. So is cross country skiing, skating, snowshoeing, building a snow fort and even just walking around looking at how different everything looks when it's sparkly and white.

[habanero]

Now you can move on to the more hardcore stuff - and ask the important questions in life such as
- "What do I need to become a year-round biker up here" ?
- "No real mountains up here, but any good tips on snow shoes" ?
- "Should I pick up cross-country skiing" ?
- "Any good youtube vids on how to build an igloo in case the kids fancy one" ?
- "What's a decent sleeping bag for when its freakin' cold and I want to go camping in the wild" ?
- "For the all-season-tent, storm mattresses or not - pros and contras" ?
- "My portable gas burner does not work when it gets as cold as its up here - which multi-fuel type do you recommend" ?
- "I found this great lake - what do I need for ice skating" ?
- "Someone told me you can go fishing year-round, what's best for making a hole in the ice for that" ?
- "I like surfing but wheater is rather cold up here - any good tips on wet suits" ?

Embrace the cold, its more fun then.

[FLBiker]

Now you can move on to the more hardcore stuff - and ask the important questions in life such as
- "What do I need to become a year-round biker up here" ?
- "No real mountains up here, but any good tips on snow shoes" ?
- "Should I pick up cross-country skiing" ?
- "Any good youtube vids on how to build an igloo in case the kids fancy one" ?
- "What's a decent sleeping bag for when its freakin' cold and I want to go camping in the wild" ?
- "For the all-season-tent, storm mattresses or not - pros and contras" ?
- "My portable gas burner does not work when it gets as cold as its up here - which multi-fuel type do you recommend" ?
- "I found this great lake - what do I need for ice skating" ?
- "Someone told me you can go fishing year-round, what's best for making a hole in the ice for that" ?
- "I like surfing but wheater is rather cold up here - any good tips on wet suits" ?

Embrace the cold, its more fun then.

Excellent!  I'm very interested these! :)  I'm not super interested in fishing (as a vegetarian) and I'm more interested in scuba diving than surfing, but this list is a great start.  Thanks!

[RetiredAt63]

Great list so far. One thing I used when I lived in a house with an unheated garage was a little compressor that plugged into the car power source (the thing that used to be a cigarette lighter).  If your weather has been at -5 to -10C and it drops to -25, your tires will be soft.  It's a lot easier to get them up to pressure at home instead of driving to a garage on soft tires.

Does anyone still keep a box of sand or kitty litter in the trunk to use for traction on ice/slush?

[habanero]

Does anyone still keep a box of sand or kitty litter in the trunk to use for traction on ice/slush?

I have never had one, and I have snow tires on the car from early November until May so a lot of winter driving. But all my cars have had AWD wich helps a lot. 

[lthenderson]

Both of our vehicles are AWD so we never carry any either. I do usually buy one of those tubes of sand for trucks to spread on my sidewalk if I'm expecting guests. I don't like using salt just because of the negative effects it has on the nearby flower beds.

[GuitarStv]

Does anyone still keep a box of sand or kitty litter in the trunk to use for traction on ice/slush?

I have never had one, and I have snow tires on the car from early November until May so a lot of winter driving. But all my cars have had AWD wich helps a lot.

Even when I lived up north we never did the sand/kitty litter thing.  Usually if you were going off road you were in deep snow - the sand/salt isn't going to help you there.  We used to always kept a collapsible shovel, and ski equipment (snow pants, heavy mitts, heavy hats, extra sweaters) in case we had to spend the night after an accident.  Only had to use the clothes once, but they were very much appreciated that evening!

[SunnyDays]

I actually had to help a woman whose car was stuck in our work parking lot because she was on ice and the tires just couldn't get enough of a grip for her to back out.  So I've used the kitty litter once, and it worked, so I continue to carry it.  A small insurance policy!

[sonofsven]

If you can't park in a garage, try to park facing east so the morning sun will begin to melt the windshield ice. Don't lock your car door if you expect ice in the morning.

[lthenderson]

I think a charged up cell phone with a signal in the areas you frequently travel during winter is the most important tool followed closely by warm clothes.

[RetiredAt63]

I think a charged up cell phone with a signal in the areas you frequently travel during winter is the most important tool followed closely by warm clothes.

Definitely the cell phone.  I had to call a tow truck for a flat tire once.  I couldn't get the tire off myself, the lug nuts took a 200lb+ man jumping on a heavy duty extension pipe to loosen them.   It was January and at night.  I never drive without my cell phone.

[TrMama]

If you can't park in a garage, try to park facing east so the morning sun will begin to melt the windshield ice. Don't lock your car door if you expect ice in the morning.

I've always found a more secure way to keep my lock from freezing is to spray the key with WD-40 and then use it to lock and unlock the door a couple times. The WD-40 helps displace any water that may be in the mechanism so it can't freeze.

No idea how to handle keyless locks, but if they're not sealed I'd use the same principle and see if there's a way to squirt WD-40 into the lock. Thieves work in all weather across Canada.

[habanero]

I have a Tesla. The concept with frameless door widows where the window goes down a little automatically when you pull the door handle and auto-extending door handles was probably a magnificent idea in California. In the winter here, not so much. 

[lthenderson]

I personally don't like using WD-40 on any kind of lock because it is somewhat tacky and can lead to worse problems in the future when road grime and other debris on the keys get gummed up in it. If the lock itself is becoming hard to turn, I use products like silicone or graphite to lubricate them without becoming tacky and attracting more grime. If the lock is frozen, I use lock thaw which is just alcohol and works much faster than WD-40. The best preventative to prevent freezing is to just ensure the key hole mechanism is in good shape and seals properly.

[GuitarStv]

I think a charged up cell phone with a signal in the areas you frequently travel during winter is the most important tool followed closely by warm clothes.

Definitely the cell phone.  I had to call a tow truck for a flat tire once.  I couldn't get the tire off myself, the lug nuts took a 200lb+ man jumping on a heavy duty extension pipe to loosen them.   It was January and at night.  I never drive without my cell phone.

This is why I make my wife come out and change one of the tires on our cars each year when I switch from winter/summer and summer/winter.  There's a technique to removing them to learn.  (Also many of the places that you can pay to do the tire swap over-torque the hell out of them, making them way too hard to take off on your own.)

[GuitarStv]

I personally don't like using WD-40 on any kind of lock because it is somewhat tacky and can lead to worse problems in the future when road grime and other debris on the keys get gummed up in it. If the lock itself is becoming hard to turn, I use products like silicone or graphite to lubricate them without becoming tacky and attracting more grime. If the lock is frozen, I use lock thaw which is just alcohol and works much faster than WD-40. The best preventative to prevent freezing is to just ensure the key hole mechanism is in good shape and seals properly.

There's some stuff available here called Jig-A-Loo . . . it's in a penetrating carrier like WD-40 but dries to leave just a teflon flim on stuff.  Works great for that sort of thing.

[Just Joe]

Both of our vehicles are AWD so we never carry any either. I do usually buy one of those tubes of sand for trucks to spread on my sidewalk if I'm expecting guests. I don't like using salt just because of the negative effects it has on the nearby flower beds.

Here it comes - the AWD vs FWD vs vs all-season tires vs snow tires debate... Shhh, don't trigger it! ;)

[Just Joe]

I think a charged up cell phone with a signal in the areas you frequently travel during winter is the most important tool followed closely by warm clothes.

Definitely the cell phone.  I had to call a tow truck for a flat tire once.  I couldn't get the tire off myself, the lug nuts took a 200lb+ man jumping on a heavy duty extension pipe to loosen them.   It was January and at night.  I never drive without my cell phone.

This is why I make my wife come out and change one of the tires on our cars each year when I switch from winter/summer and summer/winter.  There's a technique to removing them to learn.  (Also many of the places that you can pay to do the tire swap over-torque the hell out of them, making them way too hard to take off on your own.)

If I rely on a tire shop for anything - I make them use my clicker torque wrench that i take along! They laugh at me but at least the tires come off again without commercial grade air tools. 

[habanero]

If I rely on a tire shop for anything - I make them use my clicker torque wrench that i take along! They laugh at me but at least the tires come off again without commercial grade air tools.

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world".

My FIL has a wrench with a very long handle so the tires always come off. I use the same long-handed wrench to tighten them anyway.

[Car Jack]

Lug nuts typically are spec'd at 75-85 pound feet.  Most gorillas torque to 200 foot pounds, thinking that they need to be more tighter.  It's why all automotive parts shop stock plenty of wheel studs, for when that guy with the pipe on the breaker bar twists the studs enough to brake them.  Why people do this......I just don't know. 

[Sibley]

Lug nuts typically are spec'd at 75-85 pound feet.  Most gorillas torque to 200 foot pounds, thinking that they need to be more tighter.  It's why all automotive parts shop stock plenty of wheel studs, for when that guy with the pipe on the breaker bar twists the studs enough to brake them.  Why people do this......I just don't know.

Plenty of shops are just as guilty, if not more so, with their pneumatic drills which over tighten things. Don't blame just the DIYers.

[RetiredAt63]

As the person who started this subtopic, my tires were put on by a garage.  Add in a winter's worth of snow and salt and the lug nuts were well and truly stuck.

I always have a couple of flattened boxes in the back of the car, something to kneel on other than wet/snowy/dirty road.