This snow? This cold? This early? Before Thanksgiving? This isn’t the first time. In fact, that adorable Thanksgiving song, “Over the River and Through the Wood,” (yes, it’s wood and not woods), which was written in 1844, also refers to snow at Thanksgiving.
…the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.
What you may not realize, is that at the time the poem was written, parts of the world were undergoing The Little Ice Age, a colder era with earlier winters. This is what it was like:
- In the winter of 1780, New York Harbor froze, allowing people to walk from Manhattan to Staten Island.
- “Snowfall was much heavier than recorded before or since, and the snow lay on the ground for many months longer than it does today, “Hubert Lamb.
- Many springs and summers were cold and wet, but with great variability between years and groups of years. Crop practices throughout Europe had to be altered to adapt to the shortened, less reliable growing season.
Sound familiar?
The colder temperatures and the addition of snow will throw in some extra challenges to your thanksgiving travel plans. The cold air makes everything change in your car:
- Air pressure in your tires drop by one PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Hoses can become brittle and crack.
- That reserve bottle of windshield wiper fluid becomes more of a treasure than a luxury.
- Do you have an emergency road kit? Including, among other things, an extra set of gloves, blankets and a bag of sand?
This year, you can also expect more cars to be on the road. AAA predicts an increase of 4.2 percent increase in travel. The forecast tells us that 46.3 million Americans, including 1.89 million Ohioans, will hit the roads to travel more than 50 miles to visit family, eat at restaurants and shop over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. You can thank lower gas prices, and better economic outlook.
The colder temperatures, the addition of snow, and the increase in travelers will throw in some extra challenges to your thanksgiving travel plans. The cold air makes everything change in your car:
So, other than making sure your AAA membership is current, for road-side assistance, AAA has prepared this printable Winter Car Checklist to help get you ready for holiday travel.
More importantly, find a trusted repairman to ensure your car is ready for winter. The AAA repair facilities undergo a comprehensive investigation to ensure they meet stringent AAA standards, and offer free maintenance inspection with any paid service, (AAA members only). Here’s a link to the AAA Approved Auto Repair shops.
As you go over the river and through the woods, this holiday season, may your travels be safe.
This is a sponsored post by AAA.