7+ Ways To Survive Winter Storms
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Here’s How To Stay Warm
1. Install weatherstripping
Seal a drafty door by installing foam or felt weatherstripping inside the door frame. Ask your hardware store for the correct products and installation instructions.
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2. Install a door sweep/draft stopper
This is another easy way to keep those pesky winter drafts getting into your home. Use a door sweep to stop drafts from entering your home under an exterior door.
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3. Don’t Forget To Put Together a Car Kit
According to Old Farmer’s Almanac, here is what to put in your kit:
In an emergency, in addition to a full tank of gas and fresh antifreeze, the National Safety Council recommends having these with you at all times:
Blankets, mittens, socks, and hats
Ice scraper and snow brush
Flashlight, plus extra batteries (or a hand-crank flashlight)
Jumper cables
First-aid kit (band-aids, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, antiseptic cream, medical wrap). See a first-aid kit checklist.
Bottled water
Multi-tool (such as a Leatherman multi-tool or a Swiss Army knife)
Road flares or reflective warning triangles
Windshield cleaner
Extra Supplies for Frigid Weather
Add the items below to your emergency kit for those in wintry, snowy areas. (If it’s balmy all winter where you live, be thankful that you don’t need all of this stuff!)
A bag of sand to help with traction (or a bag of non-clumping cat litter)
Collapsible or folding snow shovel
Blanket
Tire chains and tow strap
Hand warmers
Winter boots for longer trips
Sleeping bag for longer trips
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4. Insulated window coverings
My grandmother always recommended heavy curtains during the winter. She lived in the country, prone to bad weather in upstate NY. I remember her switching out her curtains to the heavy-backed ones right before the holidays.
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5. Add attic insulation
Insulation keeps warm air inside in the winter and expensively cooled air inside in the summer.
Insulating really should be left to the professionals.
See Energy.gov’s guide to sources and to a calculator to estimate the return on an insulation investment such as rebates.
6. Programmable thermostat
Save up to $180 a year on fuel costs with a programmable thermostat. The thermostat can save fuel by automatically lowering (or raising) your home’s temperature while you’re away. It also keeps temperatures consistent, saving fuel.
You might also be able to get one free!
7. Consider Getting One of These Fireplaces
My mother-in-law has one and while it’s not a super great source of heat, its better than nothing!
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Many people make sure to have a fireplace in whatever home they buy or rent. Fireplaces are a nice backup to power outages but they have their issues. They need to be maintained, lest you have a fire.
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My grandparents had an old-school wood-burning stove that they used all winter. It was cheaper than running their electric heat!
8. Replace furnace filters monthly
Before the snow and cold hit, check and replace the furnace filter monthly in winter or every three months while the system is in operation. Your owner’s manual will tell you where it’s located. Hold the filter up to the light: If you can’t see light through it, you need a new one.
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9. Heat Gone Out? Pitch a Tent to Conserve Heat
This is one of the more unusual tips but pitching a tent with some blankets can help you stay warm if your heater goes out.
10. Keep your furnace running smoothly
Servicing your furnace regularly helps you catch problems before expensive breakdowns, prolong the furnace’s life, and keep it running more efficiently.
Newer furnaces need professional servicing every two years. Older units require annual servicing.
Check your furnace’s manual to see which specific steps are recommended. Ask friends and colleagues for names of good technicians. Find one or two you trust and stick with them.
11. Insulate the water heater
Save on fuel by wrapping older water heaters in a blanket of insulation, an easy DIY project that even a beginner can do. Your utility company has instructions.
12. Plug household leaks
Besides making sure pests don’t get in your home, take a tour and find and fill cracks and gaps in siding, windows and foundation.
Speaking of pests, I recommend setting out Tom Cat products before the snow. Pests like mice will tend to move into homes during the fall if precautions aren’t taken.
Place these, especially in garages, basements, and attics. They are pet-safe too.
As for filling in cracks, use caulk for small cracks and foam sealer for bigger gaps. An easy trick to find drafts is to light a candle to find where cold air is entering.
Check door frames, windows, skylights, chimneys and vents. Also check openings around appliance vents, electrical and plumbing fixtures and furnace ducts and check the top of basement walls where the foundation meets wood.
13. Stock Up on Hot Drinks, Soups, Etc
Eating hot foods like soup and pasta is a better idea to stay warm from the inside out. I have a pantry full of pasta and hot cocoa K-cups. Or if baking is your thing, bake up some quick bread or cookies to add more heat to your home.
14. Avoid Frozen Pipes
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15. And Don’t Forget Pets!
Cold weather safety for pets depends on many factors. According to Fox8:
The answer depends on multiple factors, including your dog’s needs, age, health, and breed.
Smaller dogs are more susceptible to hypothermia and frostbite in cold weather, according to Marshfield Animal Hospital. They lose body heat faster than larger dogs.
Healthy arctic breeds and other medium-to-large dogs can often withstand harsher temperatures, thanks in part to their double coats, the American Kennel Club explains. These breeds, like huskies or Bernese mountain dogs, can stay outdoors longer in temperatures below 32°F, usually for 30 minutes to an hour.
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Here are the signs to look out for if your pet is too cold:
Hastings Veterinary Clinic says there are a number of signs to watch for to know when your dog is getting too cold. That includes their limbs becoming very cold, breathing becoming rapid, increased urination, fur standing on end, shivering, disorientation, pale gums, and lethargy.
The clinic recommends taking your dog to a veterinarian or animal hospital if they stop shivering but are still very cold; they are lethargic and disoriented; their rapid breathing slows and becomes shallow; their ears, nose, paws and tail appear pale; and if their internal body temperature drops below 98˚F.
And Here’s What Not to Do
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Don’t leave your garage door open
I don’t know what it is about my neighborhood, but when they are home they love to leave their garage doors back.
But during cold weather like this, it is important to keep it closed so your house will be able to keep warm more efficiently. This will help protect your interior pipes as well.
Don’t bring your grills or generators into your home
Many years ago, we lost heat at our home in upstate NY. My mom, not knowing better brought in a gas heater generator. At the time, she did not know it was dangerous. We could have had a tragedy from carbon dioxide.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death and is produced from the fumes from outdoor accessories such as grills and generators.
Common CO symptoms to look out for are: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Make sure to change or check the batteries in your CO detector at least every six months.
Don’t turn on your sprinklers
Temperatures are forecasted to stay well below freezing all this week. Water coming out of your sprinklers will immediately freeze. In fact, if you leave your irrigation system running, there is a high likelihood it will get damaged. It is best to drain the pipes if possible.
Don’t keep your water shut-off valve inaccessible
It’s important to learn where this valve is located and make sure it is accessible and no junk or clutter is blocking it. Practice turning it off and on (Make sure it is not rusted). This valve is very important in case a water line freezes over and causes a pipe to burst — it would allow you to shut off the water for the entire house.
