How To Gear Up For Meteorological Winter

When I was leaving my house this morning in New Jersey it was 40 degrees and rainy.  While that’s not much to envy, I know that this type of weather will not last much longer; the rain will become snow and the mercury will drop to the teens and single digits. Today, December 1st, is actually the beginning of meteorological winter. Typically, we think of December 22nd as the official day of winter, and it is if you go by the astronomical fixed points (which are determined by the position of the Earth and its orbit around the sun), but meteorological winter is the method that is used by climatologists based on sensible weather patterns for record keeping purposes. Winter is often defined to be the three calendar months with the lowest average temperatures: December, January and February – for us living in the Northern Hemisphere. Whichever timeline you want to use, we all know that winter is approaching and bringing rain, sleet, ice and snow with it. Because winter weather can make ordinary activities treacherous, here are a few safety tips to prepare you for winter roads, driveways and walkways.

Don’t Overestimate All-Wheel Drive

Unfortunately, AWD isn’t short for “All-Weather Drive,” and having a vehicle with all-wheel drive does not guarantee better traction in the snow. The primary role of AWD is to provide forward traction. Sometimes, this functionality gives drivers a false sense of security, causing them to enter turns too quickly, not realizing that AWD only helps acceleration, not give more grip in corners or aid in stopping. If you find yourself stuck in a wintry mess, unable to move and your tires just keep spinning, reach for Snow Joe’s track assist system, which provides the traction your car needs in the snow to plow out of icy and slippery conditions. Simply place the durable thermoplastic tread as close to your tire as possible. The bright colors ensure you’ll be able to see the direction you want to steer towards. Then pull forward to get back on the road!

Beware of Black Ice

This thin transparent or invisible coating of ice may look similar to the color of the material below it, but will cause you to lose your footing and slip on pathways and driveways, and your vehicle to slide. black-ice Take back control with the Snow Joe Edge 2-in-1 snow shovel and ice chopper to eliminate dangerous and frightening hazards. No more spending time lugging out a heavy shovel and ice chopper. This ultimate winter tool does both jobs! It’s easy to go from shovel to ice chopper by simply sliding out the ice chopper head from the shovel base, no tools required at all. Use in conjunction with Snow Joe’s variety of pet safe, kid safe and eco-friendly ice melts for maximum effectiveness and safe passage. 19_ice-melts-category-banner-upd

Winter Weather Requires Winter Gear

If you live in snowy climates, you need snow-easing tech remedies that only Snow Joe can deliver. Their electric, cordless and hybrid snow throwers offer many excellent advantages over gas powered rivals. Two of the best reasons to switch from a gas to an electric unit are noise level and carbon emissions. Electric snow blowers run virtually silent, compared to gas powered snow blowers which are incredible noisy. 323e_lifestyle-1 According to the Environmental Protection Agency, gas powered snow blowers produce around 1 pound of carbon emissions for each hour of use. Switching to power equipment that runs off electricity or lithium ion batteries can make a large impact on reducing your household’s carbon footprint. 51hfxb5tlll Now lets debunk the myth that gas powered snow blowers produce more power and performance than electric and battery powered blowers. All Snow Joe throwers have motors that are 13 amps or higher, and support augers that can clear widths of up to 24 inches and cut depths up to 13 inches. These dimensions allow all units to quickly and efficiently clear average suburban driveways and walkways without any hesitation. To learn more about the difference between single-stage and two-stage snow blowers, click here. To access our buying guide to snow blowers and snow shovels, click here.
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