What are your preparations for the Winter Season? (tornadoes, snow, warm)

[aiangel_writer]

People along the coastal areas prepare for hurricane season, we who live in tornado alley and dixie alley prepare for tornadoes.

So, do people in the North prepare for winter? If you do, what/how do you prepare.

I'm sure it is more than going to the nearest Home Depot and buying a snow shovel, LOL.

[ColdCanadian]

-Drain outdoor plumbing
-Clean eaves troughs
-Perhaps purchase rock-salt or other ice-melter
-Try out the snowblower, add oil, check plugs, etc.
-Some people get their cars "rust-checked"
(gooey spray for under the car through some of the panels)

That's about it. We need winter clothes, but we already own enough. I suppose sometimes we go winter clothes shopping.

** Oh, and many start making reservations for a trip to Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean or Florida.

[Jammie]

YES~plan a tropical vacation. That should be number ONE on the list.

CC pretty much covered everything. Most of us have built in heaters in our cars so we can plug them in and of course, we go to a different weight of oil, get new spark plugs, make sure we have a good battery (I just bought one), etc. We put the broom away and put the snowshovel on the deck. We haven't done that yet, but in another month, it'll be there.
We also have to be sure we have good tires on our vehicles.

I switch my clothes in the closet, but it's ok cause it gives me a chance to keep them cleaned up. I will soon have to box up my shorts and bathing suit.

We've been putting out extra corn and food so the squirrels get a chance to get things stockpiled. DH even built a little house and put it in the tree for our "pet" squirrel who lives outside our door.

I actually live in tornado alley, too so we do need to prepare for that, too. SIGH~guess I just have the best of all worlds. Tornadoes, temp fluctuations with extreme highs and extreme lows, ice storms, snowstorms, horrific cold, etc.

[CBB]

We drain outdoor plumbing, stop the pond pumps, change to winter wheels and fly to Florida mid of December (for 3+ weeks). When we are lucky - it happened several times - winter has occured when we were gone.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by Jammie

YES~plan a tropical vacation. That should be number ONE on the list.

We also have to be sure we have good tires on our vehicles.

I also forgot about tires. Balding tires are suicide in the winter so people running the same tires all year usually inspect tread depth. We (at our house) have snow tires for our cars recently. It's AMAZING how much difference there is. Most days with 1-4" of snow on the road our car handles it like the road is just rain-slicked.

Example: Some days are so slick that people driving regular tires need to take 10 seconds to accelerate to 10-15 mph, but with my snow tires on "all four corners" I can accelerate to 15 mph in 4-5 seconds.

Braking and cornering are also almost as easy driving on rain-slicked roads in the worst wintery weather with good snow tires.

[astrogal]

All the above and storm windows!!! I also used to burn wood so would get that ordered so I could get it stacked. I also did any Christmas lights that would be a pain to do when it is cold....yes....SOMEONE had to admit to it!

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by astrogal

I also did any Christmas lights that would be a pain to do when it is cold....yes....SOMEONE had to admit to it!

How could I forget?

Christmas lights are usually put up sometime in November.
A few people put them up late; the first week of December, if it's still barely mild enough
OR they brave the chill and do it anyways.

Christmas lights while turned off within a few days of New Years, yet EVERYONE'S outdoor lights remain up until at least March.
In nasty years, perhaps April.

[astrogal]

I liked to get the roof strung up while it is still somewhat warm...like right about now....and then worry about the rest later. One year we had snow until May (PA)...I left them all year. When I lived in Punxy,PA we were supposed to turn them on for Ground Hog Day to make it more festive.

Of course now I guess I will be looking for a palm tree to decorate :-(

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

How could I forget?

Christmas lights are usually put up sometime in November.
A few people put them up late; the first week of December, if it's still barely mild enough
OR they brave the chill and do it anyways.

Christmas lights while turned off within a few days of New Years, yet EVERYONE'S outdoor lights remain up until at least March.
In nasty years, perhaps April.

The worst thing is when you replace a bulb outside and you lose it in the snow! The white ones are the worst.

[brokencrayola]

Get snow tires on vehicles
Get heat lamp on over dog pen area in garage
Get hoses, sprayers and sprinklers put away
Rake fallen leaves
Empty backyard pond
Cover outdoor patio furniture
Get out winter clothes and boots