15 Winter Weather Life Hacks To Make The Cold Season More Manageable

Paradise Lost? Bali Beach Elevator Sparks Outrage

Winter is an extremely trying time for most of us. Those months of frigid temps feel never-ending. But a few clever tricks can make the cold way more bearable.

With chilly days just around the corner, here are 15 life hacks to keep in your back pocket.

Tips To Fight The Cold

1. Spray nonstick cooking spray on your shovel and the snow will come right off every time.

2. To get more grip on slick surfaces, place a few zip ties on your bike tires for better traction.

3. Tired of always having wet socks? Slip a sandwich bag over each sock before putting your shoes on.

4. To avoid getting dry skin, take shorter, lukewarm showers.

5. Put a hot water bottle or two in your bed just before you climb in, and you won't be getting in a cold bed anymore.

Tips To Keep Your House Warm

6. Put a piece of tin foil behind your radiator or space heater. It will reflect heat back into the house instead of losing it forever.

7. When you're done cooking a meal in the oven, leave the door open. The heat will fill the house instead of being wasted.

9. Leave your window shades and blinds open in the daytime to let the sun naturally heat the house.

10. Tired of your floor getting wet when the kids come in from the snow? Put pebbles in a tray, and those shoes will drain through the rocks.

Tips For Your Car

11. Park your car with the windshield facing east so the sun can melt snow on the windshield in the morning. It will also help warm the car so you won't have to blast the heater when you climb in.

12. If snow piles up on your car, make sure to brush it off before driving away, otherwise the snow could fly off and break another car’s windshield!

13. If your car gets stuck in snow, kitty litter or car mats can help get you out of a slick spot.

14. Ice on frozen door handles can be melted off with hand sanitizer.

15. Likewise, a spray of WD-40 can keep a keyhole from getting frozen.

Miriam Guthrie graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and is now a meteorology intern with weather.com while working toward her master’s.