The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a "Normal" winter for the SE USA, but a Catastrophic Winter for the Northern USA and all of Canada.

I am expecting thicker ice to contend with as I work the Illinois River. I am taking my winter and Arctic gear to the boat when I return to it. I already have a BoB that stays on the boat along with my basic CBR gear.

I know what OBG's solution is: Go south to Arizona for the winter and that's a truly great plan. Not all of us have that option though.

I would like to know what Our Northern ETS'ers think about that prediction and what preparations they are making for such a harsh winter.

Last spring I looked as a book at a checkout in a store, they were predicting a wet summer, it’s been very dry here, all the grass is brown and ¾ dead. I don’t put much in what they say.

"...Go south to Arizona for the winter...Not all of us have that option..."

I'm sorry. That is one of the greatest things about retiredment...

I live in Florida, so I guess it will be a "frigid" 70° to 80° for us, with about 12-14 days of arctic 30s to 50s.....
Ironically the misses who hates Florida, not that I'm a big fan either, want to move someplace else.... like Alaska. She wants a complete 180° turnaround from the weather we have here. Personally I'm suggesting Maine or Vermont to keep the cost of living down. Now to save up or win the lottery *rolls eyes*

-Bill Liptak

Checking my 2 furnaces (professionally), storing more firewood, making sure my propane tanks are full - emergency heat sources, buying 1.5 times my normal rock salt, winterizing my Yukon and making sure my tires and battery are good, checking the snow shovels and ice spuds to see they are in good repair, making sure my winter clothes and boots are OK, buying clay cat liter for the Yukon - traction compound, will change to "winter" wiper fluid, will make sure shovel, tow straps, tire chains, snow brush/ice scrapers, extra winter clothes and boots are in the Yukon, add dry gas to my Yukon spare fluids. Change the batteries in all my flashlights to lithium. Add 2 sleeping bags, and candle lanterns/extra candles to the Yukon.

Heard on the local news last night that there is a shortage of road salt and what is available is 2-3 times the price it was last year!

Better stock up now!

Living in an area that sees -30 with wind chill for days at a time I tend to always be prepared. That said, the truck got a new secondary gas tank last week making for 60 gallons of on board capacity and it gets new tires next week. I'll be cutting and splitting extra firewood this week while I'm on vacation. I'm too lazy and summer too short to rotate what I carry in the 4X4. My full compliment of tire chains, anchors for the winch, cold weather gear etc stays in there year round. (probably why it weighs almost 7000 lbs) She's old and ugly but solid and tough too.

I bought a wood burner, stacking firewood, servicing the furnace, making sure I have plenty of gas for the generator, and kerosene for the stove's, bought a propane cook stove for the basement, canning this year, haven't put a lot up but working on it. Bought new winter pack boots and long johns. Since I have a cabin in NY now, thats a whole new ball game, is not air tight by any means, so I have a lot to still do up there, but from what they say I might not be getting back in there all that often, unless I find a reasonable priced snow mobile.

Cargil has a number of large SALT mines within a 50 mile radios of here. I'll check areount and see what I can find out.

I normally go through 2 80 pound bags a winter, this winter I plan on getting 5 50 pounders. I'm getting too darn old and broken up to fuss with the 80 pounders.

Lets see here... haven't closed on the new place yet. Above snow line, needs a roof, wood stove only.. no wood.

Yep... we've got a LOT of work to do within a 2 month period or less