Your Guide to Staying Ahead of Winter Storms + Checklist

11/15/21 - Zoro Staff

When the weather turns cold, the potential for nasty winter weather kicks in. Snowstorms, blizzards, and ice can make roads and sidewalks slippery and cause unexpected power outages. With the right supplies and equipment, you can keep your office, facilities, and home safer and more bearable. Be ready for any winter storm with this handy checklist.

 

Prepare Your People

Keeping yourself warm, dry, and healthy in winter is your top priority, whether you’re working around the house or on a jobsite. When you get cold, your body draws heat away from your hands and feet to keep your core warm. To prevent this, wear multiple layers.

1. Start with a moisture-wicking layer close to your skin, add insulating layers, and keep the chill out with a warm, windproof, waterproof layer on the outside. Be sure to wear warm, waterproof gloves, footwear, and headwear to protect your extremities from windburn and frostbite.
2. Weather can change very quickly, so keep some hand and foot warmers in your coat pockets and a pair of strap-on cleats handy for slippery terrain.
3. If you find yourself indoors in close quarters with others, hand sanitizer and masks can help keep you from picking up many airborne illnesses.
4. It’s always a good idea to keep a first aid kit nearby for basic medical emergencies, whether you’re at home, work, or in the car. An emergency blanket, an essential part of any safety kit, can help keep someone warm until help arrives or treat someone who is in shock.
5. The days are shortest during the winter months. Having good lighting can make the difference in an emergency situation, so always have a flashlight and spare batteries handy if the power goes out or you’re somewhere with little or no lighting, indoors or out.

  

 

Weatherproof Your Infrastructure

Surprisingly, buildings can suffer from winter woes as well. Frozen pipes, ice dams, heavy snow building up on roofs, and ice-coated power lines snapping are just a few issues.

 

1.  Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors: One of the simplest safety upgrades you can make is having working devices. Some alarms and detectors are wired together, but others work independently and use batteries. Change batteries every six months and test your alarms and detectors to make sure they’re ready to work in a real emergency.
2. Ice-Melting Products: These products can help keep walks free of slippery spots. Just make sure you’re using temperature-appropriate ice melters, as different chemicals work in different temperature ranges. Salt, for example, works well around the freezing point. As the temperature drops, salt becomes less effective.
3. Snow Blower: Depending on the amount of snowfall, you may need tools to clear your sidewalk and driveway. Shovels work on smaller quantities of snow, but when the skies really open up, you may find a snow blower or snow thrower more helpful. They require less physical exertion than traditional shovels and can clear an area much faster than by hand.
4. Portable Generator and Heater: Ice and heavy, wet snow can build up on power lines. Too much snow and ice may cause lines to break, leaving you with no heat or power for an afternoon or several days. If your area is prone to outages like these, a portable generator can power a home, business, or the tools needed by storm cleanup crews. To ward off the chill, a portable heater can be a source of warmth if nothing else is available.

 

Maintain Your Building, Equipment, and Appliances

The best way to ward off a winter catastrophe is by performing preventive maintenance on the equipment and appliances within your infrastructure. This can also save money by avoiding costly emergency repairs.

1. Furnace Filters: Changing the filters every three months so air flows cleanly and efficiently. Have an energy inspection done to find sources of heat leaks, then fill these cold areas with proper insulation.
2. Weather stripping: Seal drafty windows and doors.
3. Caulk: Cracks in foundations, stucco, sidewalks, or any other place water may seep in, freeze, and split things apart.
4. Pipes: Keep pipes warm to prevent them from freezing or bursting, and if you’re going to be gone for a while, leave a faucet open slightly. Even a tiny drip can keep water moving and reduce the risk of freezing.
5. Roof Rakes and De-icing Cables: Removing heavy snow with these products can prevent damaging ice dams, and making sure pipes are kept warm can prevent them from freezing and possibly bursting.

 

Prepare Your Fleet of Vehicles

Make sure all drivers in your fleet are equipped to weather the storm.

1. Antifreeze:  Keep an extra jug of antifreeze, which lowers the freezing point of auto fluids to keep your car motoring along.
2. First Aid Kit: A first aid kit should be part of any vehicle’s winter kit.
3. Cell Phone Charger: A cell phone can be very handy, but only if you have a portable charger to keep it powered up.
4. Flashlights and Batteries:  If your car breaks down, a flashlight and extra batteries can act as a signal for people looking for you.

         5. Warm Apparel: Extra clothing items such as blankets, hats, and gloves can keep you warm until help arrives, and water and snacks like raisins and nuts will help you stay hydrated and give you energy.

        6. Windshield Scraper: Always carry a windshield scraper to clear ice and snow away so you can clearly see the road ahead.

        7. Brush: A brush can clear snow while a sharp blade is good for getting under caked-on ice.

        8. Shovel: A small shovel is essential for clearing deep snow off and around your vehicle, and some are designed to collapse to better fit inside vehicle.

        9. Tow Chains: Use tow chains or rope to pull you or someone else out of the ditch, and give tires a little extra grip with cat litter, sand, or other granular traction products.

      10. Tire Chains: Sometimes snowy, icy terrain calls for tire chains; check to make sure they’re allowed on roads in your area.

      11. Roadside Emergency Equipment: If you find yourself stuck somewhere and just can’t get out, reflective roadside hazard triangles, brightly-colored emergency flags, or flares can help other drivers steer clear.

 

Know Your Winter Weather Alerts

When checking the weather report, there are three types of winter alerts to watch for:

1. Winter weather advisory: Expect winter weather conditions, some of which may be hazardous
2. Winter storm watch: Winter storm conditions may occur during the next 36 to 48 hours, so review winter storm plans and stay tuned to updated weather reports
3. Winter storm warning: Severe, potentially life-threatening conditions are beginning or will start within 24 hours, so you should take immediate precautions

 

With thoughtful planning and the right clothing and equipment, you’ll know how to prepare for winter weather and stay warm and safe.

 

Download this checklist and get started.

 

Sources: CDC | American Red Cross

 

Product Compliance and Suitability

The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.