Moving to Indiana...help me prepare for the cold and snow

[MotherGoose]

Jeepers, aren't you all going a wee bit overboard with all the "cold and snow" stuff and layer upon layer of parkas and flannel? Seriously? Indiana is really far south compared to my world in Canada or other parts of the US where there is serious winter weather. AWD or 4WD? Choosing a house based on the driveway? You have got to be kidding.

 

OP. You are going to be fine. You are not going to the Arctic. You can handle shoveling a little snow here and there. Just relax. Winter is only a few months of the year, and it's WAY easier to put on layers to get out and about in the winter than it is to strip down and exercise in the heat of the Texan summer. If the winters days are a little shorter, it just means that you have nice long days in the summer to be outside and enjoying the beautiful weather.

I agree with the OP! I cannot fathom living in snow and it would scare me!!! I imagine you are like my sister's neighbors who retire indoors at 85 degrees because it's too hot, where we Southerners think 85 in August is a perfect cool snap. :)

[lexi]

Y'all are scaring me!!!

 

I found a house I like. It has an awesome basement with kitchen. I plan to hibernate all winter with books in my lovely basement (assuming we buy that house)!

[Annie G]

You'll be fine. I grew up in Georgia but have lived in Northern Illinois for years. It's not that difficult to adjust. 

 

A mudroom is really helpful to keep boots, coats, etc. from overtaking your house. 

 

Look at the driveway and sidewalks- even if it's just a few times a winter, look at them and remember that you'll have to shovel or snowplow them when you get snow.  So that lovely long driveway or that house on the corner with TWO sides having sidewalks...not so much fun when it has to be shoveled. 

 

In a few years, you'll wake up in early March and a sunny 30 degree day will feel so nice and you'll be outside with just a hoodie to keep you warm. You'll be fine.  Enjoy your adventure!

[wintermom]

Y'all are scaring me!!!

 

 

Come on now. You're a Texan. Aren't you supposed be made of sterner stuff? ;)  If all the poor little Canadian babies can survivie our cold winters, surely you can manage a mild, Indiana winter. Don't phych yourself out. It's a lovely state. And the best part is - no time change!! 

[5of5]

Choosing a house based on the driveway? You have got to be kidding. 

 

 

No, I'm not.  I have a long, steep, driveway now, and used to have just a long driveway.  It's a major PITA.  If you actually read my post, you'll see that I said "all other things being equal".  I wouldn't pick a house with a short driveway if everything else was sub-standard.

 

The OP asked for advice, and people are sharing it.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Jeepers, aren't you all going a wee bit overboard with all the "cold and snow" stuff and layer upon layer of parkas and flannel? Seriously? Indiana is really far south compared to my world in Canada or other parts of the US where there is serious winter weather. AWD or 4WD? Choosing a house based on the driveway? You have got to be kidding. 

 

OP. You are going to be fine. You are not going to the Arctic. You can handle shoveling a little snow here and there. Just relax. Winter is only a few months of the year, and it's WAY easier to put on layers to get out and about in the winter than it is to strip down and exercise in the heat of the Texan summer. If the winters days are a little shorter, it just means that you have nice long days in the summer to be outside and enjoying the beautiful weather.

 

I feel like I'm in the Arctic.

[Momto6inIN]

Come on now. You're a Texan. Aren't you supposed be made of sterner stuff? ;)  If all the poor little Canadian babies can survivie our cold winters, surely you can manage a mild, Indiana winter. Don't phych yourself out. It's a lovely state. And the best part is - no time change!! 

 

Except we do have the time change now.  When I first moved here 17 years ago part of the state did and part didn't and some were on Eastern and some were on Central and it was a major pain just to figure out WHAT TIME IS IT WHERE I'M GOING for goodness sakes because we lived right on the transition line.  Now we still have part of us on Eastern and part on Central, but we all do daylight savings.  (At least I think we all do?!?)  They had to pass a law and everything.  It was a big deal for us Hoosiers lol

 

ETA:  It may not be the Arctic, but there are many, many times when the weather here is colder and windier than in Alaska.  Just sayin'

[Guest bknrmock]

As someone who lives in Fishers and moved here a few years back from Northwest Indiana/Chicago area...the ice in winter is what took us by surprise!  We, unfortunately, bought a home with a slightly slanted driveway and it's proving to be a mistake in the winter.  We deal though!  Another thing we are learning...if it snows enough to go sledding...GO...you may not get the chance later in the day or the next day when it might be more convenient.  Winters aren't very sunny...lots of grey skies :(

 

4WD, etc. vehicles are overkill.  Just slow down and you'll be fine.  Like another poster said, I would be more concerned about tornadoes and/or hail storms (make sure you check your homeowners insurance for what kind of coverage you have..at some point you'll probably need it!).

 

Carmel and Fishers are both about 30/40 minutes from the heart of Indy where there's TONS to do and you're only 3-3 1/2 hrs from Chicago and 2-2 1/2 hrs from Cincinnati.  Lots of day trip/overnight potential there!  I think you will find the winters unbearable at first, but will quickly adapt and find it's a great area to homeschool and raise a family in!

 

Welcome to the Hoosier State!

 

[mom2att]

Jeepers, aren't you all going a wee bit overboard with all the "cold and snow" stuff and layer upon layer of parkas and flannel? Seriously? Indiana is really far south compared to my world in Canada or other parts of the US where there is serious winter weather. AWD or 4WD? Choosing a house based on the driveway? You have got to be kidding. 

 

 

Sure, compared to Canada, an Indiana winter seems quite mild. But coming from the south, it's a life-changer.

 

I grew up in Indiana. I have lived in Florida for the past 18 years. I do not miss winter. At all.

 

Here, we have flip flops and shorts out all year. "Winter" means we wear jeans for awhile, and maybe socks around the house to keep our feet warm. Why have coats, when just light jackets suffice? There is no such thing as snow, ever, so we don't worry about mud rooms or places to keep boots, hats, scarves, mittens, coats . . . our kids wouldn't know what an ice scraper was if you promised them $100 to identify it. I imagine this is the kind of reality the OP is dealing with, coming from Texas.

 

So going to an Indiana winter is going to be a big deal. Yes the OP will survive, but she is going to want to know ahead of time that coats, boots, snowpants, and all of the various winter apparel are necessary. Driving in snow is nothing to be scoffed at if you've never seen or experienced it before.

 

OP, one thing you should know is that northern homes are prepared for winter. We were in Indiana at Christmas with temps around 10 degrees. I was shocked at how toasty warm my dad's home was. Here in Florida, we are prepared for summer--our a/c units work well against the long summer days. But our electric "heat pump" units are worthless against the cold, so when on an rare, very cold winter day in the 40's here, the house is freezing in spite of the furnace constantly running.  But those northern homes are well-insulated and have powerful (often gas) furnaces. The weather outside may be frightful, but your home will most likely be warm and comfy, and your energy bills affordable.

 

Basements are wonderful things--something you never get in the south.

 

Indiana is a great state with wonderful people--enjoy the Hoosier state, winter and all!

[Jilly]

I grew up in Indiana until I was 15, and then I moved to Southern California. This last winter I spent several weeks back in Indiana visiting family. 

 

 Winters aren't very sunny...lots of grey skies :(

 

 

This is what I had the most trouble with. After living in California for so long I found myself unprepared to deal with the lack of sunshine. The day we left to come home I was so depressed from the constant grey skies. If I had to move there permanently I would look into getting a light box. 

[lexi]

I'm making a shopping list and we fly up next week to look at houses. It's a little overwhelming! Yikes!

[Teneo]

I'm making a shopping list and we fly up next week to look at houses. It's a little overwhelming! Yikes!

Carmel is considered Indianapolis. I'm in the area and commute to church up there. Basement is really most important. Layers. Snow pants for the kids. Lots of lotion and a humidifier for the house in winter are a must for my kids. Salt for the driveway and an ice scraper for your windshield. I don't get the front or all wheel drive thing. I have a regular car and it does fine. So do most I know. The cities here treat the roads quickly, especially compared to Evansville, a city in the southwest corner of the state. It's mostly the neighborhoods that have any trouble. Now, I did grow up down South (Gulf Coast) and moved here for the desert southwest so I found winter driving intimidating at first. If you must the first winter wait to go out until later in the morning, but everything should be fine.

The dark is a bother, but as long as you're on Eastern time it will stay light until 5 instead of setting a bit after 4 in the central time zone areas of the state. The cold is worst if there's wind. There are indoor playgrounds and they really help.

[JennyD]

 

Not from Indiana, but if you're prone to being chilly, I highly recommend silk long underwear.  It's light enough that you can wear it all day under your clothes indoors and out.   The winters are short where I live now, but even so on cold days I often wear a full set of silk long underwear, including sock liners.  I buy mine from Wintersilks.  It isn't cheap, but I have some pieces that I bought in 1994 that still look and wear just fine.  

 

 

[BlsdMama]

I live in south Texas, y'all. I'm going to freeze to death this winter.

 

We are moving in June so I have time to prepare.

 

So, can anyone tell me about Indy? What do I need to know for winter?

 

We will be living north of Indianapolis. We fly up in two weeks to house hunt. I know nothing about this state. I'm feeling totally overwhelmed.

I predict:

 

 

You will LOVE it. I've been to warm places. I've even lived in SoCal. Yet I keep coming back to the Midwest. Why? Four seasons!!!! It's so under appreciated.

 

 

You can now have:

Awesome mugs reserved for snow days

Hot cocoa after building with snow

Snow

Jack Frost visit your windows

Snow days

Rainy cookie days in the fall

A real harvest season

Hot apple cider

Warm mittens

Funky hats

Wool socks

 

All these things were pointless in Texas and they are some of my greatest tiny joys. Congratulations!!!

[MrsBasil]

If you buy a house on a corner lot you may be responsible for shoveling quite a bit more snow off the sidewalk. :).

 

Also, in every place I've ever lived the day or so before a predicted blizzard or ice storm means a huge crowd at the grocery store.

 

Snow can be fun too, my kids love sledding and playing in the snow. Find a rec center with a fun indoor pool or an indoor bounce play place or trampoline park for days when the kids just have to move or you need to get out of the house.

 

Find a place in your house(bathroom, garage, laundry room) to hang wet gloves, scarves, hats, snow pants etc. Having a dedicated space in winter, however unsightly, made my life much easier this past winter.

 

If you have a nice warm-ish day after weeks of gray and cold, get out in the sun! Take a walk, hit the park...something to soak up the sun!

 

Good luck with your move!

[mom@shiloh]

In terms of house shopping -- look for a house with good windows and plenty of insulation, both in the walls and in the attic.  It makes all the difference in the world in terms of keeping your house feeling warm and keeping heating bills low.  

 

No 4-wheel drive necessary unless you're going to live waaay out in the country where roads aren't cleared very quickly.  

 

Winter really isn't that bad.  There might be a few days where it's too cold to play outside.  If you need to go out, warming up your car first helps.  Look for a Groupon deal for having a remote starter installed.  Then you don't even need to go out to start it and it will be warm when you get to it.

 

 

[Trilliums]

We moved from CA to IA a few years ago and it was defintiely a shock.

 

I wish we had purchased a house with a 3 car garage and a larger house in general.  We spend so much more time inside now than we used to.  OUr basement is very cold in winter.  If you plan on spending a lot of time there, you will probaly need an extra heater unless you have a dual system.   Right now the main floor and upstairs are comfortable wihtout any heat or cooling, but the basement is downright fridig.

 

I also wish we had a designated mud room.  Mud is a much bigger problem here than other places I have lived!

 

I am glad we bought a newer home with excellent windows. 

 

GL with your move!  We also have had many new experiences, like marveling over sheets of frozen water and experimenting with frozen socks and water balloons.