Appalachian State seems like an awesome place to go to school until winter comes along. Boone winters can be BRUTAL, to say the least. The wind blows in twelve directions and you get frost bite in unimaginable places. Here are some tips about surviving this upcoming winter season:
First and foremost, buy a good jacket. I have a North Face triclimate jacket, which is super warm and honestly makes me sweat on warmer days (30 F and above). When I came to App last fall, I didn’t have a heavy jacket and the first few weeks of my first spring semester was so chilly. Try the Mast General Store for the best options here in Boone!
Second, don’t leave your room if you don’t have to! Although our county does an excellent job of making sure our roads are clear, ice doesn’t come off the road easily. If you don’t absolutely need to go anywhere, stay where you are! Wouldn’t you rather maybe miss out on one night of Tapp’s Tacos than slide on ice and end up having to buy a new car? I know that’s a little extreme, but driving with ice on the road is nothing you can prepare for.
Buy yourself a shovel and a box of salt to keep in your car. Last year, I had to shovel myself a parking spot at State Farm as they had only plowed a path for AppalCart. I also sprinkled the salt around my car if I needed to drive somewhere else. You’ll thank me later, I promise.
Always keep your car at like 3/4 full on gas. I know it’s an old folktale, but it makes sense. It takes your car longer to warm up when it’s cold, so the longer it sits running to warm up, the more gas it uses. You’d rather fill up everytime you go out than really need some shampoo at Walmart and your car be on empty.
Lastly, enjoy it! Boone winter lets you be snowed in with your roommates and create memories to last a lifetime. The snow also gives you beautiful lighting and backdrops for awesome pictures (as if there aren’t enough snow pictures on my Instagram feed). It also cancels class a lot and lets you catch up on sleep, so schedule 8ams for spring semester always.