Submitted by WHOLLY_GUACAMOLE t3_xuvnos in newhampshire
Hi guys,
My partner and I will be moving to NH asap, and as it looks like we will be doing the bulk of the moving in the wintertime, are there any wise words or cautions we should consider?
We’re from Los Angeles so we take weather for granted, but I do know it get pretty snowy and stormy in the granite state.
Any information is highly appreciated!
To add into the emergency kit: A folding shovel or entrenching tool and road flares (or, even better, reflector triangles), a spare cell phone charger.
Thanks!!
This is all great info. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
#4 is a great tip!
I'm going to say this in a kind but not necessarily nice spirit that you'll need to get used to up here: I've been to LA, and I've seen how you drive in rain: you all have no fucking idea how to drive in any kind of weather. Be extremely cautious until you know yours and your vehicle's limits in snow and especially ice; preferably, wait until the roads have been thoroughly cleared and sanded and then take it easier than you think you need to. Also, get yourself a pair of yak traks or similar sized appropriately for your boots ( you do have a decent pair of boots, right?), and relearn how to walk on icy or snowy pavement. Walk like a penguin; small steps and keep your center of mass over your feet. You'll get the hang of it quickly, but until you do you need to be far more careful than you think your do.
You'll get way more hate on this sub than you're likely to find in real life, just like anywhere else on the internet. If you're moving anywhere near the seacoast, feel free to shoot me a PM, I'll be happy to point you in the direction of good restaurants, mechanics, stuff like that. Also, welcome to NH, hope you like it here.
Seacoast or thereabouts is where we’re hopefully headed, so will likely message you once we get settled!
No joke, LA drivers not knowing how to drive in any weather condition is a joke amongst all drivers. Especially the ones with no self awareness haha
You might get the impression people here rush on snow roads but in my experience everyone slows the fuck down. So don't worry about going slow if you're out and it is actively snowing. Be in the most right hand lane, as it is just common sense, but no worries. You'll be passing those who slid off the road and you'll make it home while they're still stuck.
Google and figure out how to navigate a rotary properly before you kill yourself or somebody else.
Buy a snow brush and an ice scraper. You can use a broom to clear snow off of your vehicle, especially the roof. Snow flying off of your car roof can kill someone in a car behind you.
After awhile, a 35 degree day will feel like spring.
I’ve been in heat waves most of my life, I am quite looking forward to cold weather. Thanks!
We moved here from Texas 3 years ago. The cold will be a shock to your system! :) You will eventually adjust to it though. It took us awhile to get proper gear for winter - that one “coat” you likely own now will not be warm enough! I had zero shoes warm enough for a NE winter either, and no real gloves (pro tip - keep an extra pair of gloves in your car for de-icing your car after that surprise snow storm). Layering is key. Once you’re warm enough though, winter is awesome! We love all of the snow. Our first snow here we got 23” in a little over 24 hours!! I had never seen anything like that.
And summers are simply enchanted. It’s rarely super hot, and there are so many beautiful places to hike, kayak, etc. and so many beautiful lakes. We love it - hope you do too!
It snows and it gets cold. It will be cold thru early May. You will need to shovel to move the snow when it falls. Water will freeze and the roads will get slippery. This is Winter. Welcome to NH
When has the snow started in recent years?
October in Central NH.
We’re looking more towards Salem/Derry/Hampton so southern nh. Hoping the snow starts a bit later and not as severe?
We moved to NH in mid november years back and we had an assload of snow week after week as soon as we moved in. We're from the northeast so it wasn't so bad but if you've never shoveled snow before then get ready!
Anytime between mid Nov onward.. honestly. It can snow then fully melt.off several times before the snow actually "stays" for the season.
This right here. I've lived here my entire life and I don't feel I like it "snows" until January. And from Jan-Mar there is snow on the ground. But truthfully it can snow from October to May. It snowed during my college graduation on may 12th, 2002!
I was going to say it's snowed in July before.
It may start a *bit* later, but the southern tier also gets more of the "ice storm" flavor of nor'easter. It'd rather have a foot and a half of snow on the ground than an inch and a half of ice in the tree tops (well, for a little while, until they snap and take the power lines down... again). Look up the 2011 Halloween Nor'easter. Of course we also had the winter several years back where the curbs were buried under several feet of packed snow and ice; you never saw so many MacGyver'd mailboxes (think hockey sticks stuck in snowbanks with five gallon buckets hanging from them; I didn't see my regular mailbox for weeks).
The latitude makes a difference, too. There are days where you might not see the sun except through your workplace window because both commutes are in darkness. That's when the sun manages to burn through the clouds. If you think you're susceptible to seasonal depression, get some "daylight" bulbs, light boxes, etc.
Plan your trips... more than once I thought I'd given myself enough time to get home and discovered that my nominal 40 minute commute was two and a half hours driving through tire tracks on highways with snow four inches deep.
Remember that four wheel drive does not necessarily mean four wheel stop. Wrecker drivers can tell stories of people who thought their SUV was immune to road conditions. Keep a blanket, light, shovel, and possibly even traction mats in your car.
Above all, make nice with your neighbors. In New Hampshire you likely won't be buddy-buddy with them, but a friendly greeting here and there may buy you some good will in the form of help digging your car out of the snowbank you didn't realize the plow left behind.
Hampton will give you the unpredictability of the Ocean Effect, depending on the storm it’ll either keep snowfall down, or boost it and ice storms will be more common near the coast
Derry is further inland (in the Manchester area) and gets more snow than ice
Salem is somewhere in between…
Thanks for clarifying - a non-condescending response is quite refreshing at this point.
If we get all the way to Thanksgiving without appreciable snow on the ground it's practically a miracle.
Sometimes in those areas it snows on Halloween.
Winter is either 6 months (Nov thru April) or 2 months (Jan & Feb) depending on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist. For most of us the winter just drags on too long. You get to January with no major snow/ice and you think hey, this is not so bad. Eight weeks later after a foot of snow every other day you will be wondering if the winter will ever end. Come March your attitude will be who cares, it will all be gone in a few weeks. The town road crews do a great job. It can snow a blizzard overnight and by the next morning the main roads are plowed and people are going about their day as usual. A few times a year (summer or winter) you will wish you had a generator.
It's the wind that bites
Do you know where you'll be living yet? And have your ever driven in snow? In general - the further north you live, the more you'll need 4wd or awd. Further south you can get by with front wheel drive or rear wheel drive if you have snow tires if you know how to drive in snow and ice. If you're new to snow driving - go with Awd/ 4wd.
As for NH- it was a culture shock for me when I moved here 30+ years ago from a deep blue state. Not the fact that it is a purple state - but that as a battle ground state with the first in the nation primary - campaigning never stops- constant visits, TV ads and debate with one of the highest voter turnouts and a knowledgeable population. Lastly - despite the reputation, you'll find granite staters very welcoming.
Good luck
Sort of related but id say find hobbies for the winter. It's easy to feel trapped inside but there's plenty of places to snowshoe, cross country ski, etc.
You don't want to dread half the year. It can definitely affect your mood.
Remember to bend with the knees, not with the back.
I moved in January 1, 2022. Also coming from the south/west. It was ok. Moving in was physically not a problem. Our apartment complex salted the parking lot so we had no trouble unpacking. Plowing here is taken super seriously -- keep an eye out for "Snow Emergency" lights, which, when flashing, means there is no street parking. Keep in mind that you must re-register your car within 60 days of moving. The winter is super grey and wet. Buy some waterproof leather snowboots and be prepared to wear them. Consider vitamin D supplements and a SAD light.
Besides that, keep a shovel and brush and extra de-icing washer fluid in the car, it's useful to have. We also kept kitty litter in the car but never needed it (see above, super serious about plowing).
Thanks for the details - my concern was mainly for the process of moving during potential freezing weather with/without snow, and your reply makes me feel bit more secure hah
Sounds like you're moving to Southern NH.
If your car is reliable and has AWD then you should be OK with good all season tires, just keep an eye on your tread. If you have a FWD only car then def look into winter tires. Don't drive in a storm if you can avoid it. It's not like its snowing 24/7 in winter, we really only get a handful of big storms usually and you def know about them at least a day or two in advanced.
Check the weather before you leave the house. Weather in NH is nowhere near as predictable as SoCal so its a good habit year round.
Don't be too put off by your first winter here. Winter can def be rough especially moving from a perpetually sunny place but it brings its own fun. Try to get into winter sports/activities and it will def help stave off some of the seasonal depression. Ski/Snowboarding, Crosscountry skiing, Snowshoeing, Snow Mobiling... theres something for everyone and it can help you make new friends.
NH is a beautiful place. Enjoy.
Thanks! This is helpful.
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Take it slow
4 years ago January we moved in January. Ice and snow and it was cold!!Waterproof gloves with a grip, for sure and dress in layers.
If either of you tends to get cold easily, I’d suggest getting Milwakee heated jackets and a couple of spare batteries.
This will 100% be a crapshoot. It could be nice weather (yet cold) but it could also be blizzarding lol. My best recommendation is pack your cold-weather gear where it's easy for you to find it and unpack it at a moment's notice. Good luck! As someone who recently moved (from a city in NH to another NH town), I wish the moving process on no one.. I wish we could just easily teleport with all of our things lol.
NH is full
Generally snow tires and being cautious are helpful
Sent you a dm!
👏
Get winter clothing... peacoats, boots, gloves, etc. If you are going to be outside for a while (e.g. working, shoveling your driveway, etc) then buy some kind of face mask. While driving, accelerate slower, break slower (break over a longer distance). Keep in mind that RWD cars oversteer in snow and FWD cars understeer.
Please try not to drive when the roads are icy or snowy, and just stay home until the roads are cleared if you can. It’s better to practice driving in the snow in an empty parking lot, as it takes a while to get used to it.
Massachusetts would be much better for you.
It’s really not that hard to do separate research to figure out the climate and when snow hits.
I’ve seen a foot of snow in Merrimack when Manchester gets 4 inches. So posting Salem/Derry/Hampton isn’t helpful. Weather varies wildly between the Vermont border and the coast so saying Southern NH isn’t helpful either.
Google weather reports for the specific towns you’re looking at and go from there.
As an example, I can guarantee you Salem and Hampton will ALWAYS have wildly different snowfalls for any given storm.
What a coincidence, your reply isn’t helpful either
I literally told you why the info you provided isn’t helpful and directed you to google specific towns normal weather when you decide where you’re moving.
Stay in Cali.
Nah.
MacTechG4 t1_iqy5xl4 wrote
Winter/snow tires are worth their weight in Gold Pressed Latinum.
When driving in winter conditions;
1; plan extra time for everything, double up your distance between other vehicles, make deliberate, predictable moves
2; always carry emergency supplies, a change of winter gloves, hat, a warm blanket or sleeping bag, and emergency foods like granola bars and assorted nuts
3; packed snow on the roads isn’t a big deal with snow tires, you can actually get a grip on snow, just plan ahead, the conditions you need to watch out for are slushy melt-off and rutted roads (can pull you off course) and ICE! I have no problem driving in snow or slushy roads, but ice storms?!? I’m staying put if at all possible (and I’ve lived in Northern New England my entire 53 years) even with studded snow tires, ice is tricky.
4; once we get a decent snowfall, find an empty/deserted parking lot, and practice your snow driving, deliberately try to induce skids , slides, and loss of steering control, first, to learn how your car behaves if you do nothing (let the skids happen) and what it does in inclement conditions in a safe location, then repeat it and try to recover from the skids and unpredictable reactions. It’ll help you not panic as much when it happens on the road in real life.