Cedar City is a place where you can get frostbite and a sun burn all in a day’s work.
If you don’t believe it, the nearly 1 feet of total snow that dropped during Thanksgiving break has just about melted away already. Needless to say, the winter weather can be unpredictable.
Many students move to Cedar from more temperate climates across the country, or even around the world.
This can make it hard to know what to expect weather-wise, and some have never even seen the frozen white stuff known as snow falling from the sky.
Here are a few tips to survive the snow-ridden months ahead:
First, wear a coat and some boots. Chances are the sidewalks won’t be plowed before your 8 a.m. class, so bring some boots that are warm, waterproof and not slick on the bottoms.
Your coat should also be warm and waterproof or water resistant. A huge factor in staying warm is staying dry between classes and your apartment.
Second, the thing that scares people the most with snow is driving. It can be different but if you make sure you have a good ice scraper with a brush on it you can clean your car off quickly.
For those with two-wheel drive vehicles, a couple bags of sand from home depot in the trunk or over the axles will give your car some added weight and traction on slippery surfaces.
Always make sure you can see even if it means being five minutes late to class. When it’s snowy outside it’s easy to get hyped up listening to Justin Bieber Christmas, but just drive slowly and thoughtfully.
Professors are really smart so give them the credit of knowing that when it’s snowing it takes longer to get to school. You might even get up a bit earlier to have adequate time to get to class on time. Not rushing about will ultimately keep you safe.
Third, carpooling will help you in a lot of ways. If you get stuck in the snow, have some numbers on speed dial of friends to help push you out.
Fourth, play in the snow! There are a lot of great places to play in the snow, whether that’s at Brian Head or riding sleds down hills. Snow can be a fun part of Cedar City so take advantage of it when it comes.
These four steps will help you survive and thrive in the snow.
Story and Photos By: Gus Torgersen
outdoors@suunews.net
