CAMom Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Dd goes to college in Northern Virginia. She was born and raised in So CA. :) Last winter her outerwear wardrobe was lacking. If you have daughters who are fashionable and live in a colder climate, where do you get their coats/boots/etc. for the winter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I used to live right by a college and we went to a bunch of events there so I'll give you an idea of what people would wear. If you're going for fashionable, everyone and anyone wears fleece North Face jackets for a warmer outer layer if you're going for college casual. A traditional cute peacoat was typically worn as well. Huge knit scarves were big, as were boot socks with the tall boots. I'd suggest going to Tyson's in Mclean for fancy stuff although the Crystal City mall is good too. If she's on a college budget the Fairfax Mall would be cheap and nearby. Woodbridge had a ton of outlets near IKEA that are really really cheap. The boots are usually that camel color or black, worn with lululemon black leggings. Basically anything incredibly expensive or overpriced will help her blend in. ;) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Ok, so I asked dd where we got her attractive, warm, snow boots and she says, "Canada." Canada has all the good looking winter wear. How about a trip to Montreal or Ottawa? :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I second the "Canada" suggestion. Bogs or Baffin boots. Not stylish, but very warm! L.L. Bean or Land's End for long down parkas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hard core snow boots wouldn't really be necessary in NoVA. Everyone likes to pretend that they get a huge amount of snow constantly but it's usually a) a dusting of a couple inches that disappears in an hour b)forecasted to arrive but doesn't c)comes but turns into a slushy mess by the next day with some chilling in snow banks sllloowwly melting. Keeps everything wet, muddy and dirty. It's lovely :) I used rain boots more in the winter than snow boots b/c of the slushy melting snow. It never stayed consistently cold enough to keep it snow for long. Often, we'd have snow forecasted and then it'd rain from the temp being too high. I had a really cheap pair of snow boots from Kohl's that I'd wear if I had to go out in the actual snow and couldn't wait an hour til it melted. My kids were only able to make a snowman 3 times ever in 5 years of living there. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Well, I'm in NoVa, and we have gotten a bit of snow the last few years. We've lived here 14 years, and have had 3 years with blizzards that dumped a ton of snow--19 inches once, IIRC. So it does happen. BUT--it is more likely to be a moderate amt followed by warming, then more, then warming, rinse-repeat. There are lots of places that sell warm coats. Really any mall will have a Forever 21 or Macy's or JCPenny's type of store. You can find good boots at the many discount shoe places around. I don't think there is any need for a Bean's or REI type of outfitting. It just isn't that cold or that snowy. Good layers and a decent coat, and just wool socks and decent boots should be easy to find. Woodbridge does have Potomac Mills, which offers a huge amt of stores, but any mall should be ok. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyB Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Most of the girls here wear North Face parkas, but we have really cold winters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 both dds attended school in upstate NY. so, I have seven winters of keeping them warm. layer. layer layer stay AWAY from cotton. (it traps perspiration next to the skin and will make you feel colder.) good quality long underwear. - you want breathable and wicking. wool or silk for natural fibers, quality polar tech. smart wool type socks. 1dd had a high quality down parka. she hated it. it was too bulky, she couldn't carry a back-pack, and it didn't cover her legs from the wind . . . . I ended up buying her a :eek: $$$ :eek: (and that was on sale!) long hooded wool/cashmere/angora blend coat with a real fox fur ruff. (it actually helps keep the face warm). so so soft and lightweight. and very very warm, she wore it nearly every day at school in the winter, and still uses it when we have cold spells. between that, gloves from REI, steger mukluks for boots (very durable, very warm and very lightweight - still lots of life), long underwear,, the only thing cold was her nose. 2dd had some type of lands end jacket she wore (she had a bunch of winter sports stuff from the winter she did crew), with muks, fleece scarf, ear warmers, good gloves - and again good quality long underwear makes a huge difference. here she is always cold (the damp that goes clear to the bone) - there she wasn't. she was ready to play in the snow - her friends were ready to go inside. my niece went to school somewhere even colder - the stegers were her favorite item. eta: if you really want to go the parka route - probably the best there is, is Canada goose (that's a brand). (I'd seen them on an Antarctic special - and a mt Washington in the dead of winter. was surprised to find them in a local store.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 oh - and Costco gets sheepskin boots in august/sept. they are really quite warm (if you're not talking routinely subzero temps) even when the surface got wet in the snow. that's what I wear in the winter. love them for errand running, just slip them on and my feet are warm. much cheaper than uggs. (and real sheepskin, not acrylic like most knockoffs.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Ha! I live in Alaska. The high school girls here don't appear to be aware that they are living in a cold climate. I see them at the bus stops in heels and bare legs and what looks like a spring jacket. Their legs are usually blue..... Anne 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 The first ten years I lived in central md, the winters were laughably mild. These last three have been harsh and COLD. You NEED serious winter clothes in that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Dd (19) wears a North Face jacket. It's very thin and very warm. I can't remember where she bough her winter boots, but she wears her rain boots way more often than her winter boots - we get a lot of slush here with temperatures going low and then warming back up again. She likes having big, warm scarves (infinity scarves), sweaters, and leggings. The Canada Goose parkas are worn a lot around here, but I think they're very expensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I am not sure if they are the fashion thing there, but in West Michigan Bog boots are the rage. http://www.bogsfootwear.com/shop/womens-winter-snow-boots They are WARM and WATERPROOF so they work for snow, cold rain, slush, mud, etc. Lots of different colors, etc. We wear them on the farm but the local fancy stores in the mall sell them as "fashion" boots :) LL Bean, Columbia, North Face are good brands for warm winter stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 The college girls here wear black leggings, boots, LL Bean coats, and infinity scarves. Of course they also wear hats, mitts, ski socks pulled to the knees, and a lot more layers than anyone would need in Virginia, but that should do for outer wear for your daughter. Giggling at the thought. :) Eta: I well remember when I moved from California to Ohio. I wore 2 long wool coats layered and I was still freezing. I'm sure all my other clothes were completely inadequate. It took awhile to adjust, I guess. The key is thin layers, not bulk. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 FWIW, it doesn't get cold in Northern VA with the exception of record setting days - even then - it's only overnight lows. It doesn't get cold often here in Southern PA either. :lol: (Realize this last sentence was typed by someone who spent 17/18 of their first years in life in far northern NY where -20 to -30 was common in the winter and there were several days where the highs of the day didn't move past 0. It's all perspective! ;) ) For my guy going to school in Rochester NY, we had him buy his winter coat, etc, up there because few stores around here carry real cold weather outerwear. He might have been able to find an item or two if we had hunted around, but up there he had multiple options. Considering your daughter is coming from an area that stays warm and therefore she considers 20 - 40 to be cold (that perspective thing), she might want to head further north to shop... or, as suggested, maybe check REI. One of my favorite memories from living in FL happened on a day when we got down to 31 degrees. The radio station DJ got the idea of calling a media someone in MN to ask them how to deal with the cold. The person on the other end of the line asked how cold he was talking about. The DJ said, "It's predicted to get below freezing, down to 30!" The guy on the other end immediately broke out laughing, then said, "Well, I guess you could take off the shorts." In FL, people take off the shorts in the lower 70's! In far northern NY, people are complaining about the heat by the mid 70's. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 The college girls here wear black leggings, boots, LL Bean coats, and infinity scarves. Of course they also wear hats, mitts, ski socks pulled to the knees, and a lot more layers than anyone would need in Virginia, but that should do for outer wear for your daughter. Giggling at the thought. :) Eta: I well remember when I moved from California to Ohio. I wore 2 long wool coats layered and I was still freezing. I'm sure all my other clothes were completely inadequate. It took awhile to adjust, I guess. The key is thin layers, not bulk. Agreeing that leggings, boots, LL Bean style coats, with lots of accessories are what I've seen on campus in NOVA also. Dd has tall rain boots that are far more a campus necessity than snow boots. She'll wear them in the snow when needed too. Shopping is nice in NOVA. We stick to the more budget friendly Fairfax Mall (probably because it's closest to her school). Dd noticed the climate difference and needed warmer clothes although we are just a few hours south. It's not so much the temperature difference, but it's more humid where she is, so it feels more damp and chilly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 One of my favorite memories from living in FL happened on a day when we got down to 31 degrees. The radio station DJ got the idea of calling a media someone in MN to ask them how to deal with the cold. The person on the other end of the line asked how cold he was talking about. The DJ said, "It's predicted to get below freezing, down to 30!" The guy on the other end immediately broke out laughing, then said, "Well, I guess you could take off the shorts." In FL, people take off the shorts in the lower 70's! In far northern NY, people are complaining about the heat by the mid 70's. YEP......all perspective and what you are used to. I was talking to my sister in GA and she was freezing......at about 65. I was outside LOVING the "warm" weather in my jeans and hoodie.......at 40 and sun. I will admit that anything over 80 is too hot for me....but we do have humidity of 90% or more most of the time. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I used to live 2 miles away from where I think I remember your daughter going to college. I used to get all my winter coats and boots (and rain coats and rain boots) at the Costco in the town approximately 10 miles to the east. There is also a outlet center there, too. ETA: there is a large LL Bean store at Tyson's Corner Mall in McLean, VA. Along with just about every other store you could imagine. It is approximately an hour away from the college. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Fleece lined leggings kept dd warm. She loved those!! I'm awful about underdressing. If I'm just out running errands, I wear a coat and maybe gloves, but no hat or scarf or anything. It's too hot to wear that in the car and when I go into stores or something, I melt. Dd is the same way. If she was just walking to class, she wore a coat and gloves but she picked her coat carefully to make sure it wasn't too bulky to wear a backpack with. Coming from California, I'm guessing your dd is going to need some time to adjust. Layers might be her best friend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 So, I live very close to that school too. We often drive over to University Mall across from campus to go to cheap movies. I agree it's not really cold here, but there is perspective. If you are used to the year round temps of So. Cal. No. VA probably feels cold. The other thing that makes it feel cold is the range of temps in the winter. Some weeks it can get down to single digits, then bounce up to 50 the next week and then back down to the teens. Your body never adjusts (or at least mine doesn't anymore). My dd has a ski jacket she inherited from a neighbor. If she did not have that, she would have an LLBean 3 in 1 coat. You can layer more stuff under the 3 in 1 if it's particularly cold. I think decent gloves are good to have, but I will admit that most of the time wear $2 knit gloves from Target. Really you only need good gloves if you intend to play in the snow--they need to be gloves that won't absorb water for that. We've had decent snow falls the last few years, but that doesn't always happen. And a pair of boots with a waterproof layer--lots of slush here and my dd wears them in cold rain too. If your dd finds it particularly cold and wants something that covers her legs, I suggest layers for legs too --tights under jeans work well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Been n/w of Chicago over half my like now, and my teen and now young adult dds wear Ugg boot knockoffs (ok, one dd took my $5 garage sale Uggs when they proved too small for my feet) after blasting them with ScotchGuard. Coats, one dd wears a pea coat from J.C. Penneys, the other layers cammies, shirts and hoodies or wears a Lands End "packable" (ultra thin but warm) parka. http://www.landsend.com/products/womens-lightweight-down-packable-parka/id_280936 hers sorta look like this, it is warm down to -15 . A lot more stylish than my regular parka. Check Lands End for packable parkas. The temp - or wind chill, that is the biggest factor - has to be getting down into the teens before either girl will deign to wear a coat/parka. Neither has more than a their jeans on their legs. You do not need to layer legs, if it is really cold you probably won't be outside long enough to bother. I moved here from S. California when I was 26, and had gotten long johns, sock liners, etc. NONE of which I used after the first couple wears, as it was just not needed. More important is is stylish headbands or caps etc to cover heads and ears when the wind chill dips low enough that warnings about frost bite are made. But that rarely happens. I suspect Virginia is not quite as cold as Chicagoland. The only reason those girls don't just wear sneakers out in the snow is it is not fun to get snow in one's shoes. BUT - soon after snowfalls most walkable areas are either cleared or the snow is packed down enough by other folks (in boots) that the sneaker clad can traipse about easily. Yeah, that's me, too ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 There are no good looking warm boots and I'd love to be proven wrong. Well I think last year LLBean had knee high lace ups that were not an eyesore but they seem to have discontinued them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 FWIW, it doesn't get cold in Northern VA with the exception of record setting days - even then - it's only overnight lows. It doesn't get cold often here in Southern PA either. :lol: (Realize this last sentence was typed by someone who spent 17/18 of their first years in life in far northern NY where -20 to -30 was common in the winter and there were several days where the highs of the day didn't move past 0. It's all perspective! ;) ) For my guy going to school in Rochester NY, we had him buy his winter coat, etc, up there because few stores around here carry real cold weather outerwear. He might have been able to find an item or two if we had hunted around, but up there he had multiple options. Considering your daughter is coming from an area that stays warm and therefore she considers 20 - 40 to be cold (that perspective thing), she might want to head further north to shop... or, as suggested, maybe check REI. One of my favorite memories from living in FL happened on a day when we got down to 31 degrees. The radio station DJ got the idea of calling a media someone in MN to ask them how to deal with the cold. The person on the other end of the line asked how cold he was talking about. The DJ said, "It's predicted to get below freezing, down to 30!" The guy on the other end immediately broke out laughing, then said, "Well, I guess you could take off the shorts." In FL, people take off the shorts in the lower 70's! In far northern NY, people are complaining about the heat by the mid 70's. Because 75 is HOT, that's why! :lol: I think it was 51 this morning... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 My wool pea coat keeps me very warm here in south central PA, and NoVa is a little warmer than we are here. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I think it depends on her style. If you're really up north, you have to have north face or some of these other brands being mentioned here, but in nova, she'd be fine with a nice wool coat. Boots are good to have, but I don't even have snow boots anymore - I have fleece insets for my rain boots and it's fine. I get tons of wear out if my regular boots though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Canada Goose is the rage with the college students in my town. I have one myself. But it is hard-core cold here. Like the-windchill-is-75-below-zero-and-class-is-still-on cold. I often put a down vest on under my Goose. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 For boots, we go online and look up styles and read reviews on places like Sierra Trading Post, REI, etc. Then we shop around for price. We've often found the exact style we want on Amazon for less money. We live where it's gets very, very cold. For running between classes, a hat, scarf and gloves are necessary, but you wouldn't need boots for that. It's easy for us to find coats because it often gets crazy cold here, and department store get them by September and there are usually good sales. Lands End is another favorite place to shop for coats and jackets. My kids all prefer down, although we've also discovered Primasoft which places like Lands End has. It's a down alternative and it often isn't as heavy, but seems to keep you quite warm. (I don't know if every store calls it by that name or if that's a Lands End name, but many outdoorsy-type stores have a similar type.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 My daughter wears North Face and Sorel boots or Uggs. If she can't find stuff local we usually find on zappos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Kinda' giggling at the idea of VA being cold. Uggs. Northface. layers. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Be careful. Some of our advice is from the far north and isn't city stylin. :D However a layer of silk long underwear, wool socks, boots that fit with warm socks, layers, scarves, and a longer coat help wherever you are. When I was young and lived in NYC I noticed the young adults from Florida and California didn't want to wear warm enough clothing. It was like they were willing it to warm up. Sometimes you just can't wear cute shoes outside and stay warm. And beware of those northern folk who manage not wearing coats until its below freezing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 And beware of those northern folk who manage not wearing coats until its below freezing. I had to laugh as last winter I headed out to church WITHOUT a coat and thought it felt a bit chilly. I looked up at the car thermometer and it was 4 BELOW zero F. Guess that does make for coat weather :-) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 You've gotten some great input, I wanted to add that fleece lined leggings are one of my girls very favorite things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Ha! I live in Alaska. The high school girls here don't appear to be aware that they are living in a cold climate. I see them at the bus stops in heels and bare legs and what looks like a spring jacket. Their legs are usually blue..... Anne We see that here too. Basically with high school kids you either see the ones in denial of winter dressed as mentioned above, or they fully acknowledge it is winter and opt for warmth over fashion lol College age most opt for warmth over fashion. Sorel boots, a good parka, hats, mitts and sometime even snow pants. By College age here everyone has pretty much figured out blue is not a fashionable color for ski unless you are a smurf lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 A light down coat and Bogs may not be the latest in style but very warm and last for years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Be careful. Some of our advice is from the far north and isn't city stylin. :D However a layer of silk long underwear, wool socks, boots that fit with warm socks, layers, scarves, and a longer coat help wherever you are. When I was young and lived in NYC I noticed the young adults from Florida and California didn't want to wear warm enough clothing. It was like they were willing it to warm up. Sometimes you just can't wear cute shoes outside and stay warm. And beware of those northern folk who manage not wearing coats until its below freezing. Depends on time of year. -10C is cold at the start of winter, requiring winter coats, but by March that is t-shirts and no coat weather after all by that point we have already gone through months of -30C to -40C temps. And yeah cute shoes are reserved for indoors only. No point buying cute ones to wear to a christmas party in someone's home, you need boots outside and most homes here you do not wear shoes inside. Heck even cute halloween costumes for kids are out most years unless you can buy it 2 sizes too big so it fits over the snow suit. End off topic info session lol 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 nm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Layers - a close fitting cami or long-sleeved shirt or both under everything else makes a huge difference. Wool - a cashmere or merino wool sweater is super-warm over a long-sleeved shirt and cami. Fleece-lined leggings look the same as regular ones but are way warmer. Wool or fleece socks are very warm - way warmer than cotton ones. It matters. No, they aren't cheap. A wool scarf can be worn casually or wrapped around the head and face in bad weather. Pick a color scheme so that all of the above can be worn with each other. I see lots of blacks and greys in the winter for this reason. NorthFace makes interchangeable pieces - a fleece jacket that can be zipped into a snow shell or a rain shell, and the shells can be worn alone if it's warmer. They aren't cheap but they are very good, and the interchangeable aspect means you've got a coat for every need. Lands End makes something similar, but NorthFace is THE brand to have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 North Face or Marmot jackets and coats here in CT. The boots are usually Uggs or Hunters. I second the fleece lined leggings. I always seem to be able to find them at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Because 75 is HOT, that's why! :lol: I think it was 51 this morning... :iagree: This morning felt really nice outside. We've gotten used to 75, but 80 is my upper limit for what I like in heat. My parents wilt at that level and used to wonder why I let the boys play outside when it was so hot! It was 76 at the time... my guys thought it was great. Kinda' giggling at the idea of VA being cold. Even after living in southern PA for 19 years I can't get used to what they call cold or snow. We really do get used to what we grow up with. I PREFER winters here because they aren't as rough and they still look pretty. I'm just not used to calling anything above 0 cold, and while we occasionally get a snowstorm > a foot deep, those are super rare. Contrast it with the "only 4 inches overnight" that is pretty average where I grew up. That 4 inches easily closes school here! We've only hit negative temps here a handful of times, and then only overnight. Nova has hit them less than we have. They have downright WARM winters. ;) And beware of those northern folk who manage not wearing coats until its below freezing. Freezing? That's still lightweight coat weather unless is also comes with a strong wind. :coolgleamA: It has to be colder than that for me to pull out my winter coat. Depends on time of year. -10C is cold at the start of winter, requiring winter coats, but by March that is t-shirts and no coat weather after all by that point we have already gone through months of -30C to -40C temps. Definitely true! Except where we live now, they'll use 50F/10C as "cold" rather than 14F/-10C as per your comparison. In FL (St Pete) anything lower 70's/20's and below was cold at any time of the year. 60's/15+ were sweater/coats/mittens/hats weather. because the snow there is not like up North. It's often wet and heavy and slushy, ... Also, the wind can blow off that water around there and make if FEEL much colder than it is. Think humid in the winter versus up North where it gets so cold that there doesn't seem to be much humidity at all, thus minimizing the effects of the low temps. You evidently didn't live near where I grew up when you were up north. Yes, there are light fluffy snows up there when it's colder, but they definitely also have the wet slushy great snowball snows too and far more of them than we ever get around here. Wind chills and pure COLD of -30 also feels much colder than anything I've felt around here. The coldest I recall in my life was when I was walking home from school when the wind chill was -76F. It was a very memorable afternoon. My mom tells me they now close school when it gets that cold, but they didn't in my youth. I agree that southerners have no clue how to drive in snow and southern areas often have far fewer snow removal devices too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 You evidently didn't live near where I grew up when you were up north. Yes, there are light fluffy snows up there when it's colder, but they definitely also have the wet slushy great snowball snows too and far more of them than we ever get around here. Wind chills and pure COLD of -30 also feels much colder than anything I've felt around here. The coldest I recall in my life was when I was walking home from school when the wind chill was -76F. It was a very memorable afternoon. My mom tells me they now close school when it gets that cold, but they didn't in my youth. I agree that southerners have no clue how to drive in snow and southern areas often have far fewer snow removal devices too. Yeah, I doubt that it feels colder there than we get here. Yeah yeah we get a dry cold, but when you hit -30 or even -40 plus the wind chill making it even colder I don't care how dry the cold is, it freezes you to your bones if you are not dressed properly. Schools out here do not close. Buses don't run once we are hitting -40 temps, they won't start, but schools are still open. THey are pretty close to empty but they can not close incase kids walk there and they don't want them standing out in the cold. In my town there is no bussing unless you are a farm kid. Everyone goes to school even on a -40 day. Snow days are things only known on tv. I always laugh when I hear of places being shut down do to a drift of snow. Like on vancouver island, an inch of snow shuts them down. Where as I have driven through blinding snow storms to get to and from work, and our snow can be waist deep at times (not from a single snow fall typically, but we can have a storm where a foot of snow falls in it). Now of course we have good snow tires and on the island they are lucky to have all season tires on their cars. I also know those coming from ONtario often do not have block heaters in their cars, they have to either use external ones or have them installed if they move here. That is something to me that comes standard in cars. Cars need to be plugged in once we are hitting -20 temps to be sure they don't freeze up. TOtally off topic now, back to being fashionable in the cold lol 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 nm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 My mom tells me they now close school when it gets that cold, but they didn't in my youth. They've closed for cold as in temps below 0 with windchills taking it to -teens or more. Since the weather has not typically been that cold and if it is that cold it's only for a day or two, the school districts do not invest infrastructure in equipment that will get busses going--warming engines and diesel fuel. It actually makes sense that they don't invest in this stuff and just close school because there are so few days that this happens. The other issue is while counties in no va are very wealthy, there are also significant low income populations. My dd attends a high school with 35% free lunch. We have coat and outer distribution drives for all the school kids, but some kids still end up without. They don't want a kid standing at a bus stop in a hoody in temps below 0 when the bus is on time let alone when the bus is very late because the engine couldn't start in the cold. I grew up here. I don't recall the wild ranges of temps we've had the last few years in the winter. Some very cold days, some warm days, and the days I hate most--cold rain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I agree with pp that cold rain is the weather I hate the most. And ice storms. When I was in college, we had to walk to get lunch after an ice storm. Every sidewalk was a solid sheet of ice. Dear Roommate (dr) was from Texas. She wanted me to help her since I was from Pennsylvania and had more experience with snow/ice. I told her to let go of my arm, because if she went down I didn't want to go with her. Then I told her that you couldn't walk on the sidewalk (downhill, solid ice); we would have to walk in the grass so that we could get some traction. She looked at me and said, "But I'll get my boots dirty!" I told her that I was going to walk in the grass and that she should probably get someone else to help her. OP, when you are buying boots for your dd, think traction over fashion, please. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Thank you!! I feel like I'm pointed in the right direction now! :) The one winter she spent here in OR before she left for college didn't prepare her. In So CA we rarely had days lower than 60* and the vast, vast majority are 70* and above. Even in January. ;) She runs cold anyway so moving somewhere like NOVA was a weather shock to her. I will run all of these suggestions by her and we'll see if we can't keep her warm this winter. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 . The Canada Goose parkas are worn a lot around here, but I think they're very expensive. in a word . . .. . The key is thin layers, not bulk. this. layer layer layer. you can add and subtract layers as needed - bulk, not so much. wool tights are great too. they can go under everything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I agree with pp that cold rain is the weather I hate the most. And ice storms. When I was in college, we had to walk to get lunch after an ice storm. Every sidewalk was a solid sheet of ice. Dear Roommate (dr) was from Texas. She wanted me to help her since I was from Pennsylvania and had more experience with snow/ice. I told her to let go of my arm, because if she went down I didn't want to go with her. Then I told her that you couldn't walk on the sidewalk (downhill, solid ice); we would have to walk in the grass so that we could get some traction. She looked at me and said, "But I'll get my boots dirty!" I told her that I was going to walk in the grass and that she should probably get someone else to help her. OP, when you are buying boots for your dd, think traction over fashion, please. :) yaktrax. and warmth over fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Also, I would note that layers may or may not be helpful. I went to college in central PA, where they never, ever canceled classes for snow and cold, unless the governor called and insisted, and our dorm was at the bottom of the large campus, so it was a ten or fifteen minute walk to pretty much everywhere. (One January, I had a swimming class, which was obviously indoors, but my long hair actually froze while walking to my next class.). But the buildings were heated well and warm. Waterproof boots were important, and so was a good coat, plus hat, gloves, scarf, neck warmer, ear warmer, whatever. But I never wore two layers of pants, not even tights, because then I'd have been too hot in the classrooms or dorm, and I never recall wishing I'd had them. OP, I think I'd ask your DD what her biggest complaints were -- did her feet get wet, were the classrooms chilly, etc.? Maybe she needs a few hoodies or cardigans to out on in chilly buildings, or maybe she needs better boots, or maybe she needs a better coat. And I highly recommend LLBean flannel PJs. They're so soft and comfy. I wear the pants with long sleeved tees even during the day a lot because they're so cozy. But also decent enough to run to the mailbox or even answer the door. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 oh - and Costco gets sheepskin boots in august/sept. they are really quite warm (if you're not talking routinely subzero temps) even when the surface got wet in the snow. that's what I wear in the winter. love them for errand running, just slip them on and my feet are warm. much cheaper than uggs. (and real sheepskin, not acrylic like most knockoffs.) This is what I was going to suggest. It seems like in southern PA, the common winter-wear is North Face coat, black leggings, sheepskin boots with boot socks, and infinity scarves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 yaktrax. Thanks for the suggestion! I might get some of these for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Honestly, where we live fashion doesn't enter into the equation. During our winters the temps can get to -45 below with the wind chill--and the wind blows ALL.THE.TIME (even now there is a good breeze going). Therefore, if it's warm; it's worn-regardless of whether or not it's in fashion. Of course matching colors, when you can manage it, is ideal. Our winter days begin by donning our wool socks and breathable long-johns quickly followed by thick fleece pants or jeans, and a mock or regular turtleneck to be swallowed up by a choice of one of many bulky sweaters or sweatshirts. If we can actually see through the blizzard conditions outside and the temp is a balmy -10 or so, we may venture outside to ski or snowshoe. This adventurous endeavor necessitates the application of snow pants; winter boots with the best thinsulate rating available; thinsulate mittens; wool or crochet scarf; wind-stopper fleece vest; old, heavy black ski jacket; and to top it off: my rabbit-fur hat with ear flaps. If, however, the outdoor excursion involves going to church or otherwise being in the midst of civilized people, we ditch wearing the snow pants (however they are in the car in case we go off the road) and instead of the old, black jacket, I wear my red, wool Johnson Woolen Mills 3/4-length coat with flannel lining. I trade in my rabbit-fur hat w/flaps (although that is also in the car), for my red (to match my coat :coolgleamA: ) breathable, windproof, fleece ear band and to heck with how my hair looks afterwards as long as I can feel my ears! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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