Keep Cold-Weather Gear Ready in Home and Car
You know it’s coming, don’t you? Even though most of us here in the US have been visited by an exceptionally mild season thus far, it’s inevitable that winter – real, bone-chilling, snow-blowing, rattle-your-bones winter – will eventually stop in for at least a month or two.
We could pretend it’s not going to happen and assume we’ll be lucky enough to experience the mildest winter of all time (and maybe we will). But just in case there’s some more typical weather on the way, now would be a good time to prepare our homes and vehicles for the real winter. After all, it might be just around the bend.
Plan Ahead
There are steps you can take to provide greater wintertime safety in your home and in car. Emergency supplies are much easier to gather in advance than they are if you’re under several feet of snow. Keeping the following items available can prevent problems in case winter decides to sneak up on us after all.
Emergency supplies:
- alternate heating materials for your home in case of a power failure (dry firewood for a fireplace or wood stove, or kerosene for a kerosene heater)
- furnace fuel (coal, propane or oil)
- electric space heater
- blankets
- matches
- multipurpose, dry-chemical fire extinguisher
- first aid kit and instruction manual
- flashlight or battery-powered lantern
- battery-powered radio
- battery-powered clock or watch
- extra batteries
- non-electric can opener
- snow shovel
- rock salt
- special needs items (diapers, hearing aid batteries, etc.)
Prepare Your Home
Although periods of extreme cold can’t always be predicted far in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes provide you with several days' notice. Listen to your area forecasts regularly, and check on your emergency supplies whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted.
If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected at least every year. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector or find one in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under "chimney cleaning."
Also, if you'll be using a fireplace, wood stove, or kerosene heater, install an extra smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly, and replace batteries twice yearly.
Your ability to feel a change in temperature decreases with age, and older people are more susceptible to health problems caused by cold. If you are more than 65 years old, place an easy-to-read thermometer in an indoor location where you’ll see it frequently, and check the temperature of your home often during the winter months.
Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls so your water supply will be less likely to freeze. To the extent possible, weatherproof your home by adding weather-stripping, insulation, insulated doors and storm windows, or thermal-pane windows.
Keep several days' supply of these items on hand:
- Food that needs no cooking or refrigeration, such as bread, crackers, cereal, canned foods and dried fruits. Remember baby food and formula if you have young children.
- Water stored in clean containers or bottled water: Have 5 gallons per person available in case water pipes freeze and rupture.
- Medicines that any family member might need.
If your area is prone to long periods of cold temperatures, or if your home is isolated, stock additional amounts of food, water and medicine.
Prepare Your Car
You can avoid many dangerous winter travel problems by planning ahead. Have maintenance service on your vehicle as often as the manufacturer recommends. In addition, every fall:
- Have the radiator system serviced, or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester. Add antifreeze, as needed.
- Replace windshield-wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture.
- Replace any worn tires, and check the air pressure in the tires.
Once winter weather arrives, keep the gas tank near full to help avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
Equip your car with these items:
- blankets
- first aid kit
- a can and waterproof matches (to melt snow for water)
- windshield scraper
- booster cables
- road maps
- compass
- tool kit
- paper towels
- bag of sand or cat litter (not scoopable litter, which turns to gel when wet) to pour on ice or snow for added traction
- tire chains (in areas with heavy snow)
- collapsible shovel
- high-calorie canned or dried foods and a can opener
- flashlight and extra batteries
- canned compressed air with sealant (for emergency tire repair)
- brightly colored cloth
Taking preventive action is your best defense against having to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions. By preparing your home and car in advance for winter emergencies and by observing safety precautions during times of extremely cold weather, you can reduce the risk of weather-related health problems.
This article includes information from:
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Article Created: 2001-12-27
Article Updated: 2001-12-27
Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.
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