Differences In Winter Between Germany And Washington, DC

Life just comes to a complete halt as soon as it snows in Washington. Germans can only look on with wide eyes at how different everything is from home. I vented my frustrations on this topic a long time ago. Has anything changed since?

Well, yes. Even if I’m always frustrated when it snows in DC, I’ve identified a couple of differences I didn’t consider or underestimated in ”20 differences between winter in Germany and the US”. Specifically, let’s talk about tires, manual stick shift, and drivers in DC.

What’s so different about winter in Germany vs in Washington, DC?

Since 2010, it’s mandatory in Germany to drive with appropriate tires during the winter. Between November and Easter, drivers caught without winter tires can be fined. If an accident happens, insurance companies can even deny coverage. Germans being German, an immense majority comply with the law and switch tires before November 1st and keep them on their cars up to mid-April.

Besides different tires, think about this. People who call Washington home come from everywhere, as the city hosts embassies from many nations. Germans and Canadians may be used to driving in winter conditions, but not people coming from warmer countries who may have never seen snow before!

Cultural differences between winter in Germany and Washington, DC

I learned first to drive in wintery conditions after I moved to Germany. If I had moved as a young adult to Washington, I wouldn’t know how to drive safely on snow or icy roads. Main roads may be cleared fast, but not the side streets where people live.

Cars with automatic shift are another reason explaining the snowpocalypse that happens every time it snows in DC. In Germany, I would start in second gear, getting my tires to turn slower and keeping a better grip on the snow. Using the gears to slow down instead of using the brake helped me also to better control my car. I still haven’t found out how to do something similar in my automatic car in the US.

Still annoyed by winter in Washington

Am I still bothered by the consequences of bad weather in DC? Yes, I am. Regular readers will remember my ranting when schools are closed. Again.

However, I really love my life here. A lot. Yes, sometimes I share blunt thoughts about poor American hairdressers or junk food. But, with all that said, I stand my ground when it comes to my criticism of driving in Washington DC. (You can read more here.)

There is barely snow outside as I write this post, but it’s so cold that I’ve chosen to keep us inside for the day. Truly, my wandering at midnight to watch the blood moon wasn’t a good idea. Afterward, I couldn’t fall asleep before 5 AM, and I still feel pressure on my chest, even hours later and in the warmth of our house.

Maybe because my house was built in 1898, the draft in my bedroom is so bad that I thought last night that the windows were open. Of course, they weren’t. I like to sleep cool but not in negative temperatures!

Is that why schools are overheated? School buses pick up children almost directly in front of their house and drop them off at school. If I need to drive my children to school, I can see the school patrols standing at the intersections without a hat, scarf, and mittens. Some even in shorts with temperatures in the low 30s!

When my children went to their daycare, I had a couple of arguments with the teachers and school director about the temperature settings. How comes it’s much warmer in the classroom in the winter than in the summer? The thermostat is set at 78°F during the winter but only 70°C during the summer.

I can’t—and I will probably never—get used to it. Ever.

Photo credit: Flickr by DaPluget