The biggest problem with Maine winters, to me as a lifelong Mainer, are not the cold weather or the storms but the lack of light. The best way to defeat this is to get outside, but if you are not accustomed to the weather, it can be shocking, especially in the coldest parts of winter which we are about to enter.

Your best bet to stay warm is to dress in layers, as many people have mentioned. You want a nice jacket/parka that is well insulated and has an outside layer that is resistant to wind and rain/melting snow. LL Bean, Cabelas, North Face, Columbia are all great options. Visit the LL Bean Factory outlet in Freeport for decent deals on jackets. Another place to check out is Mardens and Renys. They have sales all the time on winter gear.

Boots are another important thing to keep your feet warm. While they may not be the most stylish, Muck and Bog winter boots are far and away the best things to own for cold, snowy winters. LL Bean 'duck boots' suck. They are not warm, even the insulated ones aren't that great. What is nice about Mucks or Bogs are they are completely water resistant and they keep your feet warm, even with a lighter pair of socks. That being said, a nice pair of warm wool socks will keep your feet warm. But, I noticed if I wear them my feet tend to sweat--and sweat is your biggest enemy in the witner. So I prefer wearing a ligher pair of socks and more cold resistant boots.

You also want to get some warm gloves. Everyone is a bit different here, but what I find the most effective is to get a thin pair of cotton liner gloves (they are pretty cheap at Walmart, just look like thin little cloth gloves) and then wear a heavier pair of warmer gloves over them on really cold days.