FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports10.24.11 Are YOU Prepared For Winter?

10.24.11 Are YOU Prepared For Winter?

All this week, our local National Weather Service, local emergency management, *and* (of course) local media are trying to get YOU prepared for the upcoming cold and harsh weather that winter brings. Winter Weather Awareness week is Oct 23-29, and each day features a new topic to get you thinking about (and ready for) winter weather.

Today's topic (Monday): Are you prepared?

Sounds simple right? Well, ask yourself...are you? Are you all ready to go about your daily routine if we got  15" of snow today? (don't worry, we aren't...just hypothetically).

Personally, I'm not ready.

 Here are some things you and I can do, to get *winter ready*.

For your home, one of the most important things to do is to get your primary (and backup) heating system checked.  Check your fuel supply and see that you have enough incase of a winter storm. If you use a wood stove, have plenty of wood available, and have your chimney swept and cleared of soot. If you use a generator,  be sure to provide adequate ventilation to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Finally, no matter what type of heating system you use, make sure your fire alarm and carbon monoxide detector are working, and you have extra batteries for it.

Have you dug out the winter coat yet? It's probably time to do that.

You should always have an emergency kit ready to go, BOTH at home AND in your car.

First the home kit:

-Have a stock of non-perishable food and plenty of water (recommended: enough for 3 days)

-Batteries, flash light, first aid kit

-Plenty of blankets and warm clothes in case you lose power

-A battery powered NOAA weather radio provides great weather information during and before winter storms.

-If you have a smart phone, charge it before a winter storm, and only use it when necessary. This will keep you accessible to outside sources if you become stranded at home for a long period of time.

Finally, make sure you can get around in the storm by having your car weatherized. This means having proper winter tires (‘snow tires' are better for traction than ‘all season').  Make sure you battery is full charged, and your lights and breaks are working properly.  Check windshield wipers and be sure you have plenty of wiper fluid and antifreeze.  During the winter, try to keep a nearly full gas tank...this will help prevent the fuel line from freezing.  In your car, always keep an emergency supply kit with non-perishable food, water, plenty of blankets and warm clothes (gloves, hat, scarf, etc...), a shovel, a bag of sand or kitty litter (for traction aid), flashlight, window scraper and booster cables. The warm clothing is critical for any instance where you may slide off the road and be waiting for help in the harsh cold, snow, and wind.

Better to be prepared now than scramble together at the last minute. With snow in the forecast this week, even down to the valley floors, its never too early to be ready. Get the forecast here.

Tomorrow's topic will cover what you should do if you become stranded on the road during a winter storm and you'll find it right here in our              

Sky Tracker weather blogs.