I’ve been there and so have a lot of people. Getting caught off guard when the outdoor temps suddenly change to cold or freezing. Then you remember; crapola, I forgot to cover the A/C condenser outside! Even getting items that are sensitive to getting wet pulled under a cover of some sort. Or, as silly as it seems, draining your sprinkler system and opening valves so they don’t freeze and break or burst. Winter preparation as an individual or for the family could be the difference between comfort and discomfort or, worst case, life and death.
If you are prepared for the hazards and harshness of winter you are more likely to stay safe, comfy and healthy when temps start to fall.
Winter preparation thoughtfulness
Every year, preparation for winter time is a necessity in at least 50 percent of the U.S. With snow and freezing temperatures covering the northern half of the country, often times, extreme Winter preparation is needed to protect livestock, agriculture, plumbing, homes, roads and infrastructure as well as our elderly and children.
It is because of necessity that we think of these things. Those of us who live in these cold climates are accustomed to thinking in this way but not all consider every angle nor everything.
Being mindful by planning ahead and watching weather reports during winter will increase productivity, safety and preparedness.
Winter preparation at home
Where to start? Good question. Every climate will have different necessities of course. I would make a checklist of the things you can think of that are most important first. A list you can fall back on every fall to prepare your household for winter. Things that need to be done outdoors because that’s where the temperature will change of course. Things like sprinkler systems or making sure the wood pile is protected from precipitation. Then secondary items like the home inspection type etc..
Stock up on food supplies like canned and dry goods if you don’t already have a food storage and always have a spare/extra bag of pet food for your furry family members.
Give a double check on your home, insulation, furnace, windows, openings, plumbing etc… Make sure your windows and doors have no drafts, this could lead to unnecessary power consumption or loss of heat in your home. Get any outdoor exposed plumbing insulated and covered. The water freezing could cause the pipes to burst. You don’t want to replace piping in the winter time. Trust me.
Tie up any loose ends around the house like putting the leaves from the front lawn in the composter or rolling up and storing all your garden hoses if needed.
Another idea I feel is fairly important personally is to spray the outside and openings of your home twice with an insect blocker to keep spiders and other intruders out. They will most certainly want to move in before the weather turns cold so get to this in the late summer and maybe mid fall.
Give everything a once over. The little things can become a time consuming nuisance if not thought of.
Ranchers and farmers have quite the task before them when it comes to prepping for the winter months. Mending fences and fixing feeders or water troughs are things to be done so that they are not needing fixing in the middle of the cold months.
Power outage mindfulness
Outages can come both during a storm and when there is no weather occurring. The weight of snow can fall power lines and poles and while on the flip side too much power consumption in any given area during a severe freeze can over load the grid causing a blackout. Following a Winter storm prep checklist is going to help you make it through am extended severe storm emergency.
In these cases, make it a point to have a backup power source like a battery storage or even a generator. The food in your fridge will want to go bad. The cold will creep into your home. If you run it for even a few hours you could warm a room in your home, wash laundry, charge phones or laptops and keep food cold in your freezer or fridge. Solar power would be good backup but even more so if you have a battery storage system.
Every prepared family in colder climates have extra blankets and batteries at the very least.
Concern for Elderly, Children and even yourself
Looking out for each other during harsh times and checking up on our elderly family, neighbors and friends is one of the most charitable things we as humans, could do. Being thoughtful could just save someone’s life or help them to be a little more comfortable. One never knows what someone else’s plight might be unless we make the effort to help.
Be educated and know what to do in emergencies. Have a knowledge of some first aid procedures and how to treat frostbite as well as hypothermia. Read up on what other people do in these situations as well as what they might do to be prepared, so that you and your family also, can be prepared.
I hope this has been helpful and informational. If you have any comments, questions or input please do so in the box below.
Thx
