If you are a newcomer to Maine, that flurry/drizzle the other day was your notice that winter is about here. Here are some tips for coping:

Sacrifice style for warmth when it comes to clothes. A good lumberjack or padded coat is essential, with sweaters for additional comfort when the mercury hangs below zero and wind chill makes it seem colder. The puffy polyester coats, jackets, socks etc. so popular in the last few years also work great. Instead of those flimsy baseball caps, get a wool hat or, for the brave, a cap with flaps to pull down over your ears. Winter boots won’t earn you a picture in The New York Times Style Section, but they’re a lot more practical than men’s oxfords or women’s pumps. And, if your work place lets you get away with it, turtlenecks beat shirts and ties for men or fancy blouses for women.

It starts to get dark by 3 p.m., and the sun sets as early as 3:45. That’s because not only is Maine north, its eastern half sticks out into the Atlantic and really should be in a different time zone from the rest of the East Coast. And if nightfall comes early, so do restaurant closings. Better get there early. By 8 or 8:30 p.m. they may be stacking the chairs on the tables and sweeping up for the night.

Snowfall can vary from three or four feet to zilch. Be prepared, with a good shovel and some extra food in case of a shut-in for a few days. Snow shoveling is not necessarily a do-it-yourself proposition. People around here often have a standing arrangement with a plow operator. An alternate source of heat, such as a wood stove or fireplace, helps in case of a power outage.

Listen to the radio for a list of school closings and cancellation and postponement of all sorts of gatherings.

Driving requires special care. Take it easy on curves and leave plenty of room ahead so you can ease to a stop instead of jamming on the brakes. And beware of black ice, where ice or snow have melted and refrozen. Snow tires and four-wheel drive are of limited help there.

If this all sounds grim, remember that Maine winters also offer skiing, sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling and ice fishing – but remember that jigging the line up and down through the ice is illegal.

Finally, don’t forget to take off the boots in the mud room. Mustn’t track up the house.