Winter Weather Survival Guide, For People Who Think 50 Degrees is Cold

Highs are in the 50s on this spooky Halloween day. You laugh, thinking, "It's not even November 1st! I have months before I need to worry about pulling my snowboots out of storage. But Boston winter is coming. If this ominous statement conjures up a mental picture anything short of a snowpocalypse, you’re in for a rude awakening. You could have been at sunny Stanford, but instead you chose Harvard, and here, when it snows, it blizzards. Though the weather is still fairly nice, proper planning is essential to survival through long winters nights. Relax, my fair weather friends. Here are a couple of ways to stay warm all winter long. It is NEVER too early to prepare.

Layer Like You Mean It

This is not about looking cool. This is about survival. It’s time to break out that long underwear (think leggings and a long sleeve) to wear underneath anything. Though the additional layer may seem suffocating underneath your skinny jeans, come any walk that requires more than 30 seconds of exposure, you’ll be thankful for the additional warmth. Good layers will be wool or synthetic, and absolutely not cotton.

Cover Your Head

Qualities of a good hat: covers your ears, thick, cute, covers your ears. Did I mention it should cover your ears? A great thing about cold, windy climates is that the wind will make it feel 10 to 20 degrees colder, which will make your ears feel like they’re going to freeze off. You could also consider investing in a face cover, or a really big scarf you can cover your nose with.

A Good Jacket

A denim jacket will not cut it. Think puffer, wool duster, anything you might wear to go to Siberia for winter break. It should have a pockets to hide your hands in and a collar, because winter is the one time popping your collar doesn’t make you a total douchebag. If you’re feeling risky, hold off until black Friday, but just know that come December you’ll be wanting a serious coat.

Waterproof Shoes

Waterproof? But I thought there were sidewalks? Winter in the northeast isn’t just cold, it’s slushy. There’s this super fun thing called freezing rain which will permeate all but the toughest shoes. If you happen to have class on a snowy day, good luck keeping your suede boots dry. Also, make sure your shoes have some sort of grip on the bottom, or you’ll be sliding — think ice skating —around campus for three months.

Hot Coffee/ Hot Chocolate

Warm your insides to warm your outside. Spend some of your board plus in the name of keeping all ten fingers (and using Daddy Harvard’s free money), and walk around with a warm beverage all winter. Hand Warmers are a less tasty, albeit equally effective, measure.

Winter doesn’t have to be a terrible season. Sure, its cold, but it’s also the one season where you can always justify staying in and eating cookies in bed. But snow will be here soon, so don’t walk, run and buy those winter layers.