We’re lucky that we have weather forecasts that can let us know when a giant snowstorm might be heading our way. Use that knowledge to get your home and family ready so you can keep your family safe during a snowstorm. Here are a few things we do to prepare for snow.
Prepare for the Snowstorm
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already prepared and looking for ways to make the inevitable less painful. Kudos to you. If you could do me a favor and tell your friends and neighbors to think about preparing themselves so they won’t be trapped in their houses, I’ll owe you one.
Walk the Property
If this is Year 1 with a snow thrower or you’re taking care of other properties, walk them before they’re covered with snow. Snow throwers (and my tractor bucket) hate sidewalks that have settled or lifted. It’s not the end of the world, but knowing where those blockages are can help make it easier when the wind is blowing and the snow is making it tough to see.
Place Your Car
To prepare for snow, place your vehicles so you or a snow removal team can get machines past them. With more and more young adults living with their parents as adults–and garages that are The Great American Junk Yard–driveways are crowded. I like cars “stacked” trunk-to-hood. That way I don’t need to manage going between them, I just clear along them.
Deck & Patio
Most people abandon the backyard in big snows and deep freezes like we just got. I get it. At the same time, life still happens.
I was with a client today whose stove died during all this and the only way in or out of that kitchen (old house; old house quirks) was via the deck, which now has an old stove on it “stuck like a shipwreck out here in the dust.”
Check the HVAC
Modern thermostats are finicky and often battery-operated. HVAC systems are like us: They need to breathe. As cold weather stresses everything, solve for the little stuff first.
If you don’t know the last time you changed your thermostat batteries, change them before a big storm. You’ll be thankful that it’s running and happy that you put in the effort to prepare for snow.
Same with the HVAC filter. The furnace may become maxed. Change the filter. And while you’re buying the new one, buy the next one or next four and change them quarterly, especially if you have pets or are working on your home.
Work the Snowstorm
If you can and if it’s safe, work the storm. Commercially, we plow as it snows. It’s a must for places like grocery stores and hospitals.
The same applies for managing your home when big weather comes. If you can safely get out there and do what I call “scrape,” do it.
While the snow thrower I have is great, with 12 inches of snow, it’s maxing out. And it is worthless at the plow truck snow bank. If you can take a few passes, you’re way ahead of the game when the sun eventually does come out and things can start melting.
Prep the Generator
If you have a generator, make sure it’s working before the next snowstorm hits. If you don’t already have a generator, here’s a video that explains what to look for when shopping for one.
