Floridian Moving to SLC, UT in 2 Weeks--Need Cold Weather Advice!

[ajskydiver]

Here's my situation--I'm being relocated for work from Tampa Bay area to Salt Lake City in 2 weeks (with 2 weeks notice)...I've been in snow, familiar with it, etc. BUT I've never been or seen UT. If anyone can give advice or answer the following questions, I'd be very appreciative.

1. All my clothing is, at best, FL winter capable---Where can I go online to buy coats/gloves/hats and recommendations welcome? Not ski jackets (later), but everyday clothing.

2. Other than making sure my washer/radiator fluids are cold capable (they are), does my truck ('01 Toyota Tacoma V-6 PreRunner) need any other preparation (and I'll be driving btw)?

3. For SLC locals, are there any areas to avoid for housing in the SLC area? I'll be working downtown on Chipeta Way (like I know where that street is).

4. What are the local phone/cable/utility providers?

5. Is the public transportation widespread enough to eliminate city driving?

6. Any other comments, places to see/eat/etc. are welcome!

Thanks for reading...I know some ATers have some great experience and guidance to pass along!

~AJ

Edit: Spelling/Grammar

 

[Electric Amish]

1) I don't know. Current temp is in the 30's gets into the teens/low 20's at night in the valley. The place you will be working is on the East side of downtown in the foothills of the mountains. There will be hills to drive up.

2) Nothing much. You should be fine. Winter driving is more the driver than the vehicle (IMO). Just slow down and give yourself plenty of room when driving in snowy/wet/icy conditions.

3) In my opinion there are not too many. It depends on how much of a snob you are.

4) Phone= USWEST, Cable= AT&T (They do some phone too, depends on the area), Power= Utah Power & Light, Gas= Questar

5) Within town it's probably not too bad. There is a light rail system, but it's limited. I'm not much of a public transportation guy.

6) Nothing that I can really think of.

PM or email me if you have more questions.

amish

 

[bunker]

<< 2. Other than making sure my washer/radiator fluids are cold capable (they are), does my truck ('01 Toyota Tacoma V-6 PreRunner) need any other preparation (and I'll be driving btw)? >>


It doesn't have to be done immediately, but you may want to consider using 5w30 instead of 10w30 oil. The 5w30 is lower viscosity and flows better in cold weather.

 

[EagleKeeper]

1) Clothing - LL Bean will give you a good selection. You want wool/flannel shirts. Layers of clothing is best.
Lined/insulated outdoor boots.
A pair of shoes with some tread on the bottom. For when you do not need boots but the ground may be slick.

2) You may want to get a pair of chains/straps for your vehicle.

SLC itself I will leave for others to advise you. Been through there and worked at Hill AFB up north.

 

[vi edit]

I have nothing of use to add, but I missed the "C," and thought I saw SLUT in the title and then had a compelling urge to make a useless post.

Carry on.

 

[cipher00]

Ditto for Bunker; change the viscosity for your oil. Maybe when you get there.

As for clothing, I really like Cabelas. They specialize in hunting stuff but their winter clothing, though mostly sold out now, is very good. Their customer service is top notch, unlike some others I've noticed.

Have fun.

 

[Jhill]

Will you be working inside or out? When I moved here I just bought a couple of nice long sleeve shirts and a cheap jacket and I am fine. Dont worry about your truck, my 98 corolla gets around just fine around here. (unless a recent storm has hit)

 

[ajskydiver]

Thanks so much, everyone!
I knew there had to be a few UT folks around here

I'll be working inside with a typical desk job (programmer), Jhill...

amish, you must be local...high-speed access available up there? Don't think I could stand to go back to 56K...

Thanks again everyone for your input,

~AJ

 

MAKE SURE you can get some form of high speed Internet wherever you live...whether cable, DSL or (gasp) residential fiber??

Buy a The North Face or Columbia coat with a Goretex shell and a removable fleece inside - best $400-$500 you'll EVER spend (Columbia's will probably be cheaper - $200-$300).

Find out how the snow removal situation is - when I lived in Cleveland they would clear snow off ALL streets very quickly. Now that I'm in Michigan, I realize that it's not that good everywhere.

Have fun.

 

[clarkmo]

If you have a Burlington Coat Factory in Tampa you can get some steals on the heavy winter coats. They sell 'em but there is not much of a market in Fla.

 

[kami]

Geez, you guys talking about wearing layers and $500 jackets for 30 degree weather

WHat are you, a bunch of wimps? I don't put on a jacket unless it goes below 30-40 degrees (just wear a sweater).

Chains on the tires? Dear lord...

Maybe canadians can just cope easier. Either that or were not a bunch of wimps who can't drive.

 

[kgraeme]

I have to agree with Kami. Just go to Gap.com or EddieBauer.com and buy yourself some nice turtlenecks and sweaters. Maybe a nice wool coat. I have a wool car coat that I wear from 50 down to about 0 degrees. Any shoes with a little tread are fine. Unless the snow gets deep, you don't really have to go all-out. I wear rubber-soled black dress shoes. Generally, I only have to walk from my parking to the building. If I were a student again, walking all around a campus in the winter, I might consider something more. Maybe.

That's from Wisconsin not Utah.

Of course, my CA relatives are all wimps with thin blood. They crank up the thermostat and start wearing sweaters when it gets down to 60.

 

[trmiv]

<<

Of course, my CA relatives are all wimps with thin blood. They crank up the thermostat and start wearing sweaters when it gets down to 60. >>




Anything below 55 degrees is arctic like conditions for us Californians. I wouldn't have it any other way, I can't stand cold weather. My heaviest jacket is an Addidas reversable thing, that really isn't even that thick.

 

[Alienwho]

If you're planning on using public transportation, you're probably going to want to live actually in the city.

If I was you i'd live in one of the million suburbs right outside the city, since where you work is east i'd look for a house in the Sandy area.

 

[Bignate603]

I'll probably be out there next year, it's not to bad. It's actually milder weather then here in NY. Just get a decent coat, if you're not working outside you don't need a ton if you just wear more then a t-shirt underneath. Get a few sweaters and jeans and you'll be fine. Maybe a hat, that's it.

 

[EagleKeeper]

The chains/straps recomendation is because in order to get to SLC you will have to cross some passes in the Rockies unless you loop down through Phoenix and the up from CA through Las Vegas and into SLC.

There have been multiple times this year when the interstate in UTah & Colorado have been closed due to snow.
Do not take chances.

By wearing layers of cloth you can remove as your body warms up. Remember, those that are laughing at the word COLD are also used to it. Chilly Tampa weather is sun tanning weather in SLC.

 

[kgraeme]

<< Remember, those that are laughing at the word COLD are also used to it. Chilly Tampa weather is sun tanning weather in SLC. >>



LOL! Yeah, when I lived in Minneapolis I had a friend who, when winter ended and it got to around 70, would claim, "It's getting warm, time to move north."

 

[Tonec]

I moved from Los Angeles to SLC,Utah then back to LA so I have a pretty good idea of what you'll experience.

1. The cold really isn't as bad as most people say. My everyday attire consisted of normal blue jeans, boots(high ankle, good tread, waterproof-use aftermarket product even if the boots say they are waterproof), long sleeve shirt, and a northface winter jacket. You'll be indoors most of the time and dressing in layers is not necessary. Buy at least two pairs of warm gloves. Some cheap isotoners worked fine for me.

2. Car Care- All you need for city driving is a set of decent snow tires(normal tires with a more aggressive tread), metal studded snow tires are overkill, chains are only necessary if you are going up Big/Little Cotton Canyon? - the mountain routes leading to the ski resorts and thats only during heavy snowfall.
-The bottom of your truck will need to be sprayed with an anti-road salt layer and you have to hose the underside down every couple weeks at one of the coin operated self car wash places.
-Rainx - buy a large bottle and use it on your windshields often, it prevents the ice from sticking to the glass.
-The city does a pretty good job of plowing the main streets but the residential areas usually aren't plowed in time for the morning commute. Just drive slowly and maintain more distance and you'll be fine.

5. I didn't find public trans. to be at all adequate. Mucheasier to drive and parking is plentiful compared to most cities. Downtown SLC roads are neatly organized into squares so you shouldn't have any trouble navigating.

6. To be honest, I found SLC to be an extremely boring place to live.
-If you like to ski, there are some great deals on lift tickets and the no frills resorts are only 20min away.
-Salt Lake is nice to visit once, one side of the lake does stink a little bit but there's a place where u can buy buffalo burgers .
-Lake George in southern utah is interesting but nothing special compared to tampa. Still worth a weekend visit.
-There is a mid sized mall downtown, missing a few chains but decent overall.
-If you like to hunt, deer/elk are open in the mountains. Groups of female deer and babies will often jump over your fence and sleep in your backyard during winter. Pretty neat stuff.
-One great thing about utah is its very liberal gun laws. If this is your thing, its a chance to legally purchase certain guns/hi-capacity magazines that are banned in other states.
-If you live there long enough, you will start picking up a slight utah accent, namely the utah "e"
-Oh yeah, eats lots of jello if you want to fit in.