Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
There is a simultaneous blessing and curse that comes with living in Florida. It is one of the states with the most drastic weather changes. Florida has risks of tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding and heat. However, one thing that many don't expect, especially while living in Florida, is the cold. The average opinion of Florida is that it is a tropical paradise; however, as any Floridian knows, the state is incredibly diverse in its environment. There are forests, swamps, beaches and even tropical islands like the Florida Keys. This means many people are unprepared for the cold temperatures. But as Florida enters winter, and temperatures reach as low as the 30s or 20s, many people find themselves panicking to battle the cold. However, there are plenty of ways to deal with the cold weather. One of the first problems that those unprepared will find is when they walk out to their car in the morning. The doors are hard to open, and the windows and windshield are completely frosted over. It takes a significant amount of time for a car to warm up and for the defroster to do its thing. The good news is there are simple solutions to this problem to get you on the road. First, start your car, turn up the heat and turn on the defroster. It may take a while to get going, but the growing warmth will help you out. The second strategy is to use an ice scraper, which is an incredibly cheap item available for purchase anywhere car items are sold. If one of those items is not available, a credit card-type item will do the job as well. Gently scrape the frost off your windshield so that there are no scratches left behind. There are a few other options, too. Some stores offer a windshield de-icer spray to help prevent and remove frost. Alternatively, one can create their own de-icer by mixing two parts 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, one part water, and some dishwashing soap. The most significant warning, though, is not to use hot or warm water. It is a tremendous shock for the windshield to go from so cold to so hot, and can end up cracking and destroying the windshield. Of course, the cold doesn't just cause problems for vehicles. Living in Florida means many are unprepared in their houses for the cold. There are a few different strategies to keep one's house warm, especially for those without central heating. First, turn all fans from summer settings to winter settings so that they are dispersing hot air instead of cold air. A second obvious solution is to bundle up. Put on more than one layer of clothes to help trap your body heat. Another practical thing to do is to trap air in your house. Are there any particular spots that are drafty in your home? Do you have doors or windows that have little gaps letting air in? Find some towels, blankets or other pieces of cloth and block up those spots so no cold air is sneaking into the house. If you have heating, whether that be central heating or space heaters, try to keep it in one particular area. Find a room that holds heat well and spend most of your time there. Another helpful tip is to avoid eating cold or room-temperature foods. Instead, eat hot or warm food, such as soup or drink something like coffee or hot chocolate. Finally, stay on the move as much as possible. Moving helps keep your blood flowing and keeps you warm. This is why sports games aren't usually canceled due to the cold; athletes remain warm throughout the game despite their lack of warm clothes due to their constant movement. At the end of the day, when you are getting ready for bed, there are a few more things to do. One idea is to throw your pajamas in the dryer before bed so they are nice and warm when you change them before bed. On top of that, find some more blankets to layer up at night. Electric blankets and hot water bottles are also very effective at keeping you warm. Wearing socks and hats is super effective as well, as most of the heat escapes from your body at these extremities. One final warning: while the cold is difficult to deal with, don't overheat yourself in an attempt to combat it.