I grew up and went to school in North Dakota. It's a very nice place to live and the people are great there. But I'm not going to lie, it's going to be very, very cold and windy when you arrive in January, especially if you've not been exposed to that kind of weather before.

Will you have a chance to visit in the fall before you get there? I ask because it would be best if you could buy your coats and boots up there where the selection would be better and you don't want to wait until January to start looking. I would recommend getting a warm coat - a to the knee down coat with a good hood. I don't know how much you want to spend - Canada Goose is a good brand but pricey, or something like an Eddie Bauer or even Land's End if you are on a budget. You'll also need a decent boot - Sorel's are good for cold and snow but can be bulky. Le Canadianne is good for more of a fashion boot for the cold but are still warm and many are snow/salt resistant. Get a hat you will wear and both gloves and mittens.

Bismarck should do a good job on the roads (ND does not get so much snow but what they do get blows a lot) and ice shouldn't be so much of a problem because the temps stay below the thaw stage so much. I would still encourage you to get an AWD vehicle if you are shopping for a new one and have a headbolt heater installed in your car so it can be plugged in at night if you do not have access to a heated garage.

Cold weather aside, I think you will enjoy your stay there. You can get warmer weather as early as March or as late as May but if you are prepared you will be fine. The locals always joke that 40 below keeps out the riff raff but it's true. People who are stupid or self serving don't do well there and leave. Your co-workers will most likely be very helpful and welcoming to you. I lived in Bismarck for a few months in college during an internship. I thought it was nice although I'm sure it's changed since I was there last.

Thanks sky!

I don't think it will be possible to visit before I move. I figure if I have snow boots and a sub zero rated longer coat, mittens etc I can manage. Do you think jeans with silk under garments will get me through? My boyfriend is up there often and can help me.

Thanks so much for responding!
Amy

I will have to do some stocking up once I get there. My

I have never been, heard great things about it though. I did want to suggest a wonderfully helpful and informative couple of sites.
The first is city-data forums. (aside from states, they have lots of general interest forums as well. The home stuff is not anything as good as this one but the other ones are quite good)
Also believe it or not, tripadvisor is sometimes a place you can ask these questions and get good information. good luck!!

Here is a link that might be useful: listing by state and then general interests

My mother was from North Dakota and i used to love the stories she told about her childhood there.

Unfortunately, I've never been but I was going to suggest that you post something on the "conversations" side as a guy named Faron (from Fargo) posts there. I think he is usually on the Painting forum.

A "Born and Raised" in Eastern ND farm-boy here!!

Lived in Fargo pretty much since the early/mid-80's college @ NDSU.

Winters here?!?...wellllll....at the VERY occasional -30 ACTUAL temp., it almost hurts to breathe!

Yes, you WILL need a good/new battery!!!
* Get the "Block-Heater" installed if your engine doesn't have one.
* You will NOT be going anywhere if your battery is suspect!!
* Sub-zero temps here are merciless on compromised cars/charging systems.
* Get your engine oil changed, and use FULL-Synthetic Oil! This turns over much easier when temps are way down...
* Have your cooling-system checked too. Coolant needs to be tested to -40deg. If it's been a number of years...have the whole coolant system flushed, and new coolant added.

>>>> You DO NOT want to be stranded in bad weather here. It'll kick your ass if you're careless. Make sure cellphone is charged/updated too!

Faron

Wow! Thank you guys sooooo very much!

This is invaluable info!

Faron- I would never have thought of all of that! Further...I drive a Honda 2000 Civic!

Hi again Amy!

A 2000 Civic...hmmmm....icy roads will be a challenge! Well...they are for ANY vehicle I guess.

Honestly-
Check your maintenance records. If you've never had your cooling-system flushed...DO IT.
* It's well-past-time anyway after a decade! If it hasn't been done, your coolant is literally worn-out, and you'll pay a big price up here!
* Again- have your belts, and charging-system checked. COLD weather starts are a LOT harder on a battery than in warm climes. Up here....any battery over 5 years old is on borrowed-time. Ask me how I know!!
* Tires- They'd better have decent tread on them! If your tread is getting low, you'll have a tough time if roads are even a LITTLE glazed over.
* People think anti-lock brakes will save them (I don't know if your car has them...), but on ICE...they're worthless. On ice, driving over 30mph is pretty risky in town. Drivers learn to leave space between cars!

Silk undergarments....hmmm....I don't use them, but it sounds sexy....;-)

Faron

Re the silk undergarments - If you are talking about a Cuddle Duds type of long underwear, yes it will help. You should still be layering something on top for warmth like a sweater. Usually the coatmaker will explain in it's weather rating standard what kind of clothes are needed to get to the temp rating (might have to search that online, not on the coat tag). It's the wind that is the worst so keeping your head and butt covered will help the most.

Anywhere you live, work or shop will be heated to a normal temperature but I'm guessing your Civic does not have seatwarmers. You might want to get some of those hand and footwarmer packages. They are little packets you open them up to air and they stay warm for up to 7 hours. You can put them in your boots or mittens I use them a lot when I walk my dog.

Faron is not exaggerating about not wanting to get stranded. He gave you very practical advice. Don't travel if you are not preparred!

Great clothing-advice from the Skyedog!

My DD used to use those "hot packets" for the many hours of figure-skating practice at the rinks!

Surprisingly, walking a dog when it's -10 is beautiful...IF the wind isn't blowing much!!! The air is so clear and clean, and the snow "creaks" when you walk on packed snow. Weird but neat!

Yeah...people coming here from warm climes are sorta "shocked" at how easy their car is brought to its knees if they haven't prepared it!!

It's literally "different" up here in the winter!
You may recall we easily won The Weather Channels "America's toughest weather City" tournament this past winter....flooding, heavy snows, etc.....

Oh...and welcome to paradise!

;-)

Faron

I was going to respond to your query that...
"Not anymore, they all left. Winter is coming; they may all be tough, but not stupid." But since someone is obviously still there, let me give you some advice from my time in Alberta, which is just a tad north of North Dakota.

Take faron's advice, especially the block heater. People where you are may never have heard of one, but don't wait. Also, get AAA or some road service. You might have to buy winter tires when you get there, do it. My first night in Calgary I stayed in a motel, when I decided to get on the road, NOTHING, and I mean nothing. Battery, cooling system, tires, nothing worked and even though I had AAA, the first thing they asked me was, "Do you have a block heater?" "Sorry, it will be at least noon before we can get a truck out to you."

One other thing. In your trunk always have
1. water
2. parka or down sleeping bag, preferably both.
3. some kind of food or snack
4. candles! Believe it or not, a single candle burning in your car (with windows cracked) can keep you from freezing or suffocating. The candle can worn you of impending anoxia and provide adequate warmth to keep you alive.
5. all of the usual emergency stuff like flares,placards, etc.

If you don't think you can get stranded in the "frozen north" so close to civilization, then you'll soon learn differently.

Happy Trails.

Wow, I thought Texas heat sucked but at least all I have to do is wear a hat and drink some water!

North Dakota? Ha! North Dakota is absolutely tropical. I have to drive 2 hours SOUTH just to get to North Dakota ;-)

My best advice: if the radio stations say stay off the roads, then stay off the roads. Last winter we got caught in a storm between Fargo and Grand Forks and the usual 1 hour drive, took us 4 hours and I thought we were going die the whole way.

Bad news is that the mosquitos are worse than the cold.

I live in Minnesota.

Believe it or not after awhile you'll get used to the weather. If you have an attached garage at home and a parking ramp at work or at a shopping center, it's easy to dress for short exposure time. That's fine if everything goes well, but it would be a serious problem if you got stuck or had to walk. I keep a down coat, hat, mittens, boots, blankets and a shovel in the car in addition to all of the other emergency stuff.

People are generally very nice here in the winter and help each other. I've always wondered if knowing that bad weather can kill contributes to that.

One other thing, I'm assuming that things are the same in ND, but also have a short extension cord because parking meters might have plugs for your car so you can plug in your block heater.

I found my years in ND to be easier to deal with than summers in Florida!! It is very liveable. You can dress warm enough for the weather. My son's car sits out in Grand Forks no plug in and does fine..I remember as a kid in Minot dad plugged the car in that did not have a garage..but otherwise it really isn't that dire, these days. It does upset my dad to this day he compares the temps in Fargo to Anchorage and often Fargo is colder. But still people go out every day to jobs, shopping, recreation. Life is much the same in ND as it is in any state.. The flooding issues are new. Too many people moving in? Sure we did some sand bagging back in High School but things never got to the level of disaster they had this year. My fondest memory of 9th grade in Minot is riding a bus through cut out snow drifts that were has high as the school bus. Road clearing technology is much improved. Getting around is not a big deal, except for the first 24 hours after a weather event. You will be fine!!

Thank you ALL for your suggestions and first hand experiences. You probably have saved my life and I don't mean that figuratively!

We are going to be renting a house several blocks from downtown. Unfortunately the garage is useless and not attached. Well maybe not useless if I can get my car in there!

Looks like I have a great deal to do to get me and my little Honda ready!

I hope it will be an unusually warm winter this year!

Thank you guys again!!!

My advice: Plan a warm getaway in February. I live in MN and the winters are just tooooo long. We had snow for five months this past season. (Maybe six? I think I tried to block it out.) Anyhoo, since you are moving in January you will not have a full cold season :)

Good luck!

I live in northern New England, which doesn't get quite as cold. But it ain't hot here in the winter, either.

For the car, google "coffe can emergency kit" which will give you several different variations on small, compact, but still useful emergency kits you can assemble yourself. Useful for anyone, really, but you can burn a candle in the coffee can and warm up the car a little if you get stranded.

Silk long johns will keep you warm. However, if you will be outdoors and moving around a lot, they are not the best at wicking sweat, which is an issue--you don't want to be cold and wet at the same time. Look into the newer washable wool underwear that's available now--expensive, but warm and non-scratchy. If you will mostly be indoors, the silk is fine.

Actually, anything that helps you layer is good for warmth. Just a cotton tank top under your regular shirt will be warmer than your shirt alone. But silk is warmer. In the winter, my "pajamas" are a silk undershirt under an old, somewhat holey cashmere sweater. It may be 50 degrees in the house, but I'm stylin' in silk and cashmere. And I'm warm as toast.

Jeans are not the best if you will be outdoors in the snow. When they get wet, they get heavy. And they take a long time to dry. If you will be outdoors for long periods in the snow, wool or the new high-performance synthetic fabrics would be a better choice. And something that will block the wind.

Here is a link that might be useful: coffe can emergency kit

Can I just say I would never, ever survive!!!!

I live in NJ and can barely stand the winters. And I grew up here.

I wish you a warm winter!

From Buffalo, NY here ... land ofthe snow, but not so cold as some of the places mentioned above.

I work in downtown Buffalo, which is right on Lake Erie ... you can see the storms coming across the lake. So downtown is windy in the winter, bitter cold .. I invested in an LL Bean calf/ankle length down coat, fleece hat, sorel boots.

As other people had told you, it's all about layering .. cuddle-duds, etc. are wonderful. Your body adjusts over time .. thin wool coats with nylon lining won't cut it.

I also agree with Faron about how beautiful it is ... I live on a small farm, and just love the colder weather .. I really hate the hot summers.

Find an outdoor activity that you like, skiing, snowboarding, skating, sledding, snow-shoeing, x-country skiing, snow-mobiling .. there are tons of things to do in the winter to keep active and enjoy the weather.

I would much rather live through a protracted cold winter in the north than an unrelentingly hot and humid summer in the south :)

I love the silk layers here in Chicago - they really work. If you can use the garage, at least you won't be dealing with cleaning your car off after a snow. Our garage is detached and 30' from the house - it's still well worth it. My DH has a block heater for his truck and keeps promising me one for my small SUV but it has to be a retrofit and somehow we just never get around to it.

It sounds like you have quite the adventure ahead of you! There is an astounding beauty in a cold clear night, especially if you can get away from city noise and light. With a full moon in the country on fresh snow you won't BELIEVE how bright it is - breathtaking.

One other question I forgot to ask...just how dry can it get and how can you cope with the dryness?

Thanks again!

Interior spaces can get very dry, because of heating systems.

I work in a retail Hdwr/Paint/Decorating/Furniture/BBQ/Power-Equipment store (NOT a Big-Box), and Humidifiers roll out of here starting NOW thru March!
I s'pose you could just cook/boil a lot of Pasta...;-)

It's the opposite of this past Summer....
It was so humid & wet here in Fargo, until mid-August when the rain finally stopped! DE-Humidifiers were in big demand then!!

One extreme to the other here in ND!
I sometimes babble this-
ND is kinda rare I think, in that...in a calendar year, there can easily be a 130+ degree difference between the years' high temp, and a bone-chilling -35 January night.....

Uffda!

Faron

Yup, hand lotion for hands and feet, plus any girlie moisturizers. You don't want to have your hands start cracking if you're outside much; a real pain to get back to normal. I had the most trouble with my mustache freezing from moisture from just breathing. Wait 'til the hairs in your nose freeze just from breathing in. You know, REI and other places have these little hand warmers that run on lighter fluid. I found them useful when skating or when you might be standing around in the cold watching others keeping warm by doing something you're not.

Yes, go for the cuddle duds and try to find a house with hot water heat...it's heaven and not drying. We lived in South Dakota and Minnesota for about 10 years. High temp 108; low temp -38 temp/-75 windchill. I would have needed professional help in another year. :) We're in North Carolina now. I'll gladly take the 3 months of heat and humidity

My son moved to ND last January - drove up with his truck loaded like "Grapes of Wrath" with all his worldly goods. He lives in Dickinson and also finds people very friendly and helpful. He has no trouble driving because they keep the roads very clear. He did once get a low stage of frostbite on his hands from shoveling snow. He now has better gloves! : ) Said summers are great there!

Yeah-
That's a good point about roads up here!

Up HERE...road-crews KNOW what-the-hell they're doing!
Enough sand is used here to rival the Middle-East I think, LOL!
Storms and snows that would PARALYZE other Cities, are practically laughed-off here, 'cuz the crews & equipment are so good.
(New York....are you listening??...;-))

Faron

Your entire wardrobe is going to change, not just coats, longjohns and gloves. In my 9+ yrs in St Paul, I found that I never wore shorts in the evening from Labor Day until midMay. Sleeveless - not so much except for a couple of weeks in August. I steered away from poly/rayon clothing and instead went with the highest cotton or wool content I could find. Natural fibers are better IMO for staying warm or cooling down during mosquito season. My wardrobe of slacks increased in number pretty quickly.

I initially bought Sorel boots but found them to be too clunky and heavy to wear so I switched over to LL Bean duck shoes and I bought separate Dr Scholl's liners. Not at the top of the style-o-meter but when the snow is
high and you are cold, who gives a hoot about style.

Breathing bitterly cold air hurts the nose and lungs. I used scarves and
wrapped them around my nose/mouth when outside, waiting for the bus etc.

In MN, most winter days were really sunny. The lack of cloud cover allows all the warm air generated at ground level to dissipate. result, the beautiful sunny days are the colder days.

I've lived in NY, MI, IL and MN. Of those 4 states, MN is the one where people are outdoors year round. If you let the weather dictate your lifestyle in MN and ND, you will be indoors 1/2 the year. Just layer up.

If you move into a house with a yard/garden near sidewalks, do NOT use salt on the sidewalks. It kills vegetation. as Faron said, sand, sand, sand is your friend.

My mother in law, who lives near Dallas, made one trip to visit when we lived in MN and she would not come back from Nov to Mar. You may find the same with potential visitors...

A recommendation on boots: Baffin, made in Canada. I have a pair of tall ones, those are my boots on days when the big guns are needed, and are so warm and comfortable! On the most vile bitter days I've slipped them on barefoot and run outside to do something or other, toasty toes the entire time! And excellent quality, mine are probably 14 years old and still look great.

They run pretty true to size, and if you're a half size or tend toward a larger size in some footwear, go with the larger size in Baffins.

Good luck on the move and have fun : ) . I moved from NY to rural Alberta on a farm about 20 years ago, and it's lovely here.

Yes to the block heaters, heavy-duty long exterior extension cords, layers (esp long underwear -- I'm a fan of Cuddleduds since a trip to Macy's in NYC several years ago), warm hats, and keeping your vehicle well-stocked and prepared. Bag Balm, Aveda's Hand and Foot Relief creams are wonderful, I stock up when visiting the US. I would keep a pair of wind/waterproof ski/snow pants in the vehicle at all times as well to pull over jeans or other pants. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves. Instead of a scarf, I like a fleece neck gaiter -- much easier to pull, and stay, over mouth and nose. To keep in the car, just in case, I'd suggest a balaclava, the kind like a wimple (more than just the eye and mouth cut outs). Not fashion forward, but nice and toasty. I like to wear one under a fleece hat when doing farm chores or going for long walks. Keeps the ears and neck warm.

And yes, if you keep a pot of soup or stew on the stove, it'll not only be warming but will also help to humidify the house. But the jokes about "It's a dry cold" are right -- I've found it's much easier to tolerate a dry extreme cold than a damp moderate cold.

Oh, and when you drive for the first time on snow or ice, if the stretch of road behind you is empty for a bit, test your brakes to see how the car reacts and how long it takes to stop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Examples of neck gaiters

Thanks everyone! I keep getting such great advice here!!

Moon..which pair do you have? Great boots and site!!!

Becky...those scarves look ideal!!!

Jmc...I expect no visitors! Haha

Music and Pf its good to get both angles.

Faron...thanks again for all your advice and input!

Jmc ..I am excited to visit Minneapolis/St. Paul!! It looks like a beautiful city!

Amy

P.s. I hate dry weather and static in the hair etc. Any suggestions on that?

Minneapolis and St Paul are definitely 2 different cities. The residents of one are very clearly not residents of the other. There IS home town loyalty!!!!!