10 Things Minnesotans Have to Deal With Every Winter

January in Minnesota. We are right in the heart of winter. It's a month associated with snow, cold, and there is usually a Polar Vortex that rips through at some point. Here are 10 things that Minnesotans have to deal with yearly during winter.

1. Salt rings on your favorite shoes.

You can try to wash them out, but at some point you just need to accept that this is your fate as a Minnesotan. Winter is for practical shoes.

2. Losing a mitten at some point and having to wear a mismatched pair until you find the lost one.

I usually find my lost mittens during the spring cleaning of my car. Just in time to store them in a location  that I "definitely won't forget".

3. Trying to detach a snow booger that turned into a booger glacier.

You forget to kick off a snow booger, it freezes, and now it is part of your vehicle. It's going to take a deep pot hole to knock that monster off.

4. Someone asking, "is it cold enough for ya?"

Yes. It is. We passed that point when the high temp for the day was below 0. Thanks for asking.

5. Running out of ice melt towards the end of winter but you still have to go buy more because you know there is at least one more big snow storm coming before it is truly over.

At least you will have some ready to go for the first big storm of next winter.

6. Driving on roads that were driven on before the plows could get to it and now they are all weird and bumpy and won't be OK again until Spring arrives.

The ruts are deeper than Mariana Trench.

7. Getting stuck behind a plow on a road you can't pass on.

I still see those blinking lights in my nightmares...

8. Missing an appointment/party/life event because the roads were too bad and it would be too risky to drive.

Last year I had to miss my niece's baptism, and more recently my fiance and I missed a family Christmas. Thanks Mother Nature.

9. That weird smell that a coat gets when you haven't washed it in a couple months.

You know the one I'm talking about. Wet dog has nothing on that smell.

10. The fear that your car won't start if it gets too far below zero.

And then trying to go through your list of friends that are in close proximity that can come get you if you need a ride.

What is something that you deal with every single winter? Share it with us on the 98.1 mobile app.

Abbey is on 98.1 Minnesota's New Country weekdays from 2-7 PM.