Don't worry about the cold, just ease into it and don't do anything stupid. If you're in a large city (you mentioned the Twin Cities) the biggest problem you're likely to face is going to be the rapid changes going from the cold outdoors to a heated shopping mall and back again; if you're dressed for the mall, you won't be dressed warmly enough for the outdoors, and if you're dressed for the outdoors you'll be sweating up a storm in the mall.

Dress in layers; tearaway pants and a couple of sweaters can be removed in public without getting anyone too excited.

Biggest mistakes people make in winter is underdressing because (a) they're in the car, or (b) it's only a short walk.

Always make sure you have warm clothing in the car in winter. Doesn't have to be new or fashionable; in fact it's probably better if it isn't as otherwise you might be tempted to wear it. Stains are okay but it shouldn't be soiled. (My brother was the town doctor in Inuvik for a few years; he always carried a $500 down sleeping bag in the trunk of his car just in case he broke down. Only had to use it once, driving back from Aklavik, when both front tires on his car shattered from the extreme cold. But you won't encounter temperatures like that anywhere in the US except for Alaska.)

Don't underestimate the cold. Cold does kill people every year - a co-worker of mine lost his teenage son last year when the boy decided to walk home from a friend's house wearing a Jean jacket, blue jeans, and running shoes in temperatures of -30. After all, it was only a 10-minute walk.... (His body was found the next day, only 100 yards from a row of houses.) But it's almost always because they take it for granted; after all, it's never killed them before <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Otoh, if you know how to dress properly and take care of yourself, camping in the winter can be quite fun. Millions of people live through the winter every year and we don't live in dread of the first snowfall, or find it a Herculean effort to survive until spring.

Speaking of snow, the other big mistake that gets people killed is driving the same speed after (or during) a fresh snowfall as you do in the height of summer. Slow down and let the other drivers weave in and out of traffic, trying to make up for lost time.

Don't try to keep your feet warm by wearing extra socks and then cramming your feet into the same size shoes as you wear in summer; you'll just squeeze all the insulation out of the socks and also cut off the circulation in your feet. If you're going to be outdoors for any extended period, it's best to get a good pair of boots that are maybe a half-size larger than your normal shoe size and wear extra socks inside. (Mors Kochanski, author of "Northern Bushcraft" or just "Bushcraft" depending on which edition you buy, recommends wearing three pairs of wool socks and then buying boots that fit comfortably over them.)

Marriage Advice: Get a quality 2-person sleeping bag and put it in your car. Wait for the temperature to hit -30. Make sure your husband's in the car with you. Stage a breakdown. Wait to be rescued. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

How to fend off a raging caribou: Run into the house. Wait for the caribou to follow you. Run out the back door, slamming and locking it behind you. Yell through the window to your husband "You skin that one, honey, I'll go get us another." <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />