Our winter weather survival guide

Winter might cause one to envision pictures of snowmen, thick fur boots and icy roads. The season technically began on Dec. 21, but this time, it seemed to be a bit delayed here in Pittsburgh. After nothing but rain and gray skies for quite a few months, it seems as though winter has finally surged into Western Pennsylvania. With below-freezing temperatures, snow on the ground and a whole lot more snow predicted to fall this weekend, now is the time to plan for ways to stay warm and cozy throughout the winter.

Bake some sweet treats

As college students, most of us probably don’t have a nice fireplace to curl up next to. Let’s face it, laying down next to an old radiator in a dorm room or a space heater in a South Oakland apartment is not nearly as romantic relaxing next to a crackling, glowing fire. To supply the same comforting warmth to your personal space, fire up the oven and get the baking essentials ready.

From cinnamon rolls to chocolate chip cookies to croissants, there is a world of delectable treats to experiment with baking. For those of us who might not be culinarily gifted and can barely crack an egg without getting shells everywhere, Pillsbury, Nestle Toll House and other similar brands offer the perfect solution: pre-made cookie dough. All you have to do is take the circular pieces of dough out of the package, place them on a baking sheet, pop them in the preheated oven and take them out on time. Your kitchen will smell delicious and feel delightfully toasty — and you don’t even have to make a mess.

Take a hot bath

Never underestimate the power of a steaming hot bath. Baths give you the opportunity to get warm, clean and have some alone time to clear your head. With the proper accessories, a bath can become your own personal miniature hot-tub-spa hybrid. There is a reason why Lush and Bath & Body Works are popular stores in every shopping mall you come by. We, as Americans, really love luxurious baths.

Bath bombs? Oh yes, let’s have a sparkly blue bath that smells like sea breeze and blueberries. Body scrubs? Time for some hard-core exfoliation. A classic bubble bath? No better way to truly relax. Just regular soap? Still better than being outside in the 20-degree cold.

For the dorm-dwellers who live the unfortunate communal-shower life or the apartment-renters with standing-only showers, buying a kiddie pool and filling it with hot water could create a simple solution.

Bury yourself in blankets

For many young kids, the best way to spend a bad-weather day is to build a fort out of pillows and blankets. When heavy snow hits this weekend and you can’t even bring yourself to get out of bed, just don’t. Get all of the blankets you have, and maybe some towels, and just cover yourself in them. Become the blanket fort.

Curl up next to your old radiator or space heater

Yes, we have established that this is not quite as romantic as an actual fireplace, but sometimes it’s necessary. You can’t roast marshmallows or hot dogs, but you can read a book and think about why you didn’t choose to go to college in Florida. Don’t get too blue over the white weather. If Pittsburgh is true to itself, it will probably be 60 degrees and sunny this time next week.