According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the winter solstice begins on Thursday, December 21. This puts us a little over a month away from another long, teeth-chattering cold Upper Peninsula Winter. You’ll have to get used to snow soon as well, with an average 110 inches of snow falling in the City of Marquette. Average winter temperatures also fall between 22 and 4 degrees in the month of January. In other words, winter is coming soon, and it will be a rough one.
But on campus, you’ll still notice a handful of students that walk to class not in boots and a thick winter coat, rather gym shorts, t-shirts and maybe a hoodie. This is not a recommended idea, especially for the particularly awful time of year where temperatures regularly fall into the negatives.
That’s why the North Wind Editorial Board rounded up to discuss the best ways to stay warm throughout the winter months. Whether you’re a freshman new to Marquette winters, or a born and raised Yooper, there’s plenty of tips we have to help you stay balmy.
Layers, layers, layers. We cannot stress enough the importance of layers, or how you most definitely should not go outside in shorts or a hoodie once snow starts coming down. If you ever find yourself thinking you don’t need layers because you’ll barely be outside, or that you’ll get right in your car and then go back inside somewhere else, do not listen to yourself. You really never know what’s going to happen.
It’s very easy to throw a couple extra layers over yourself, and you certainly have enough space on yourself for layers. Try to have at least one extra layer over yourself. For your upper body, undershirts, a t-shirt, a sweater, and maybe even a flannel can fit under most winter jackets. Wearing a long jacket is also important for when (and you will) slip on ice, unless you’d like to have snow fly up your back.
As many focus on layering up their upper half, they find their legs still freeze. That’s why you need to insulate your legs as well. It may sound a little silly, but long underwear can make a huge difference when working to stay warm in an Upper Peninsula winter. If the idea of wearing long underwear makes you feel like you should also wear suspenders and complain about your grandkids not visiting you, then you can always buy a fleece lined pair of jeans.
Putting on more clothes isn’t the only way to stay snug. Keep a blanket in the back seat of your car. That way, next time you wait for your car to heat up, you can throw that over yourself to make the wait easier. Besides, if the worst happens and your car breaks down, you won’t have to worry about staying warm until help arrives.
To put it simply, put a lot of layers on this winter. You’re going to be very, very cold, and for a long time as well.
For those in need of warm clothing, check out NMU’s Ripple Effect organization that helps provide free winter clothing and other necessities for students.
