As the summer fades into fall, and the leaves change into their finest colors, a person can still protect the environment. The weather will be rapidly changing. Remember that now is the time to prepare for winter.

Indoor Tips

Outdoor Tips

Vacation Tips

Indoor Tips

Alcohol WILL NOT keep your warm – Alcohol gives a false sense of warmth and will make you drowsy. This can be very dangerous as falling asleep in a cold area can cause frostbite, hypothermia, and freezing to death.

Check your doors for drafts – A drafty door can not only waste heat and money, it can make you feel uncomfortable. Install a draft guard and check any caulking for cracks.

Check filters and all the vents to make sure their clean – Replace filters that are dirty.

Check your levels of insulation – A home with insufficient insulation can waste a lot of heat which means wasted electricity. Some insulation you can install yourself such as rolled out insulation, while others like the blown insulation for walls require a professional’s work. Check with your local hardware store for areas such as around duct work in your attic that may need addition insulation. Remember to wear long sleeved shirts, pants, gloves, socks, shoes, hat, face mask, and goggles when working with insulation. Dust and wash everything you’ve worn afterwards.

Check your closets – Donate all unwanted winter clothing to local shelters.

Check your heater - Have it serviced. Now is the time when heating repair people are not swamped with work. An improperly functioning heater can waste electricity and your money, not to mention potentially cause fumes to back up into your home.

Check on the elderly and small children – These people sometimes do not recognize when they are cold and will not take proper measures.

Check on pets – BRING YOUR PET INDOORS! If the animal must be left outside, build a proper shelter and have bedding in it. Check with the ASPCA for the proper building of a shelter for your pet. All pets no matter how thick the fur will feel the cold and can be killed by it. Even in your home, have proper bedding for your pet.

Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detectors – Replace the batteries as needed. Make sure your smoke detector can detect both smoky and flaming fires. You CAN have a smokeless fire!

Check your windows for drafts – Heat loss through your windows can waste heat and money, so be sure to check for cracks in the caulking, etc. You can get tips from your local hardware store. Lower the storm window.

Clean your fireplace – Have a professional clean out your fireplace. A stuffed fireplace can cause a build up of carbon monoxide in your home. A dirty fireplace can cause flare-ups and lead to fires breaking out in your home.

Close your storm windows – Storm windows will help keep in warm air.

Conserve electricity wherever you can – With more people staying home there is a greater demand for electricity which may cause blackouts. Follow the normal electricity conservation rules such as turning off lights in an empty room, turning off the TV when you leave the room, etc.

Cover your windows – Try using plastic film or something else to keep out the draft if you have drafty windows.

Get a flu shot – This will help reduce the severity of the flu, help you avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor or hospital in bad weather, and conserve resources.

If you use candles, WATCH THE FLAME at ALL TIMES – An unattended candle can easily be knocked over and start a fire, or it may flare up and ignite a nearby combustible material. It’s best to use a device like a tap-light instead.

If you lose one or more of your utilities, DO NOT CALL emergency services to ask when they will be turned back on. Keep watching your local news station or listening to the radio to know when they will be restored. The emergency service workers cannot tell you when your utilities will be restored so it’s best to not overload the system.

If you are cleaning out closets, garages, etc, donate your old stuff to charities, recycle them etc.: Many things such as computers, glasses, sunglasses, shoes, belts, books, toys, coats, bikes, etc. all have charities that can take them and make the best use from them.

Keep warm in your home by wearing layers and drinking hot things such as soup, chocolate, broth, tea, coffee, or cider.

Make sure to have at least two extra blankets per person, one thicker than the other. These are for days when it’s too cold to sleep without a blanket and very cold nights when you need the heater.

Pack a winter disaster kit. Remember a winter storm such as a blizzard or ice storm may leave you stuck at home for days.

Put an all-purpose fire extinguisher in the garage, kitchen, and basement – Read and memorize the instructions. The fire fighters at your local firehouse will be happy to explain the instructions to you and even demonstrate how to use one. DO NOT TEST your extinguisher as this will decrease the pressure.

Outdoors

Any storm can bring down tree limbs on power lines, ice can form and pull them down, etc – During any storm, report downed lines but DO NOT go near them. In case of floods do not cross over any flooded roadways as the water is deeper and faster than you think. There is also the possibility that wires that have brought down are still live and will carry a current through the wet surfaces.

Black ice is extremely hazardous – Be very careful when you drive in winter conditions as black ice can form anywhere and can be very hard to spot.

Blizzards, icestorms, and snowstorms can come from nowhere even in the fall – Even though the forecast may call for sunny weather, these types of storms can start up very rapidly and suddenly strand you in your car or where you are currently at. Watch the weather at all times. Keep a working cell-phone with you. (Remember to donate your old cell-phones to charity.)

Clean out your gutters – This can cause backups which can damage your roof and create a fire hazard. These can clog sewers and make a mess on the street. Dispose of leaves in a compost pile or out on the curb for your local pickup. Check on the proper days so your leaves won’t sit out on the curb for too long.

Clean your lawn of leaves and yard debris – Put these in a compost pile or out on the curb for your local pickup. Check on the proper days so your leaves won’t sit out on the curb for too long.

Clean the near-by sewer entrances of leaves – This will help to prevent flooding and help to keep water moving to prevent icing. Put the leaves in collection piles or in compost heaps.

Distracted drivers are as dangerous as a sleepy or drunk driver – If you see it start to get icy, turn around and go back home. If you must be out on the road, drive at a slow pace over icy roads and learn how to deal with skids.

If you get stuck in your car DO NOT sit in your car with the engine running – This can not only waste gas but WILL create a carbon monoxide build up that will kill you. If you must turn on the heater, only do it if you have manually cranked windows or can lower the windows a small portion. This will vent the car of dangerous fumes. Also keep in mind that truck stops are normally open for longer periods of time and sometimes twenty-four hours a day.

Keep the following in your trunk in case of emergencies: a sack of kitty litter for needed traction, blanket / sleeping bag, candle in a tin can, matches in a water proof container, deicer, first-aid kit, hunger-satisfying food such as protein bars, snow chains, and a few bottles of water. The added weight will help give you traction. Keep a centerpunch in your glove compartment as well as a topography map to help you navigate if you must go off-road.

Learn the warning signs of hypothermia, frost bite, etc. – Now is the time to learn what to look for, how to treat it, and what to do to prevent it. The Red Cross is an excellent organization to learn to go to learn first-aid for these and other situations.

Make sure to keep a good shovel on hand – This is the second of the two things all hardware stores will run out of during the first storm.

Make sure to keep several bags of deicer – This is the first thing that hardware stores run out of during the first storm. There are several brands made that are harmless to the environment. If need to you can use kitty litter for traction.

Now is the time to get your car ready – Check the tires, fluids, brakes, and other items so your car will perform properly. A properly performing car will boost its fuel efficiency.

Remember that people like police officers, firefighters, paramedics, gas/electricity workers, delivery people, postal workers, tow-truck drivers, etc. all work out in the cold. So if they are late, are grumpy, or can’t show up for a time period, please do not take it out on them. Instead be patient as they are working as fast as they can in the cold conditions. Keeping the mind at ease helps to keep your body free of stress.

Try and find a non-toxic version of antifreeze – This is a very toxic substance that can kill or severely sicken children and pets. If you must use the toxic version, buy the version that has the additive that makes it taste bad. Pressure manufacturers to make non-toxic versions that taste bad.

Wear layers. - The layers help trap heat and keep it close to your body. Keep a hat on to keep your head from losing heat. Try to avoid the downfilled items.

On Vacation

Exercise the same outdoor tips with any car.

Help conserve electricity wherever you can.

If you go to a cold place remember to keep warm – Use a thick hat, mittens, scarf, etc. Wear layers.

Keep a survival kit on you – This kit should include: supply of food, water, matches in waterproof container, compass, first-aid kid, a swiss-army knife, trashbag, aluminum foil, solar survival blanket, flashlight, plastic whistle, signal mirror, vitamins, glucose candy, bandana, wire saw, strong but thin rope, etc.

Learn how to spot weather trouble – Learn the warning signs for avalanche, blizzards, ice storms, etc. so you can take proper precautions. Even then winter storms and avalanches can come up very suddenly so it’s best to be prepared at all times.

Obey all rules that are in place – Often these rules apply to trails that you can take, avalanche probability, windchills, etc.

Remember you can still reduce, reuse, and recycle.