Preparing Your Home for a Blizzard

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

NORTHEAST Ohio can get snow – and a lot of it. So what should you do to prepare your home for a blizzard?

Six simple tips can make handling the sudden deep snow that much easier for everyone – preparation is well worth the time investment.

Start by making sure you have a good stock of salt and sand to grit your driveway and sidewalk. Do not wait for the snow to fall – it is almost too late to be useful then. Road crews start shortly before the snow is expected, so the salt is in place and doing its job from the first flakes and is melting snow on impact. Coarse sand is useful for laying down on patches after the snowing stops but keep it inside as it can freeze solid.

Check your snow blower – make sure it starts and works before you need it, especially if it has been in the garage for a year. Put it in position for where you want to start clearing your pathway and cover with a tarp. Make sure you have some spare supplies and plenty of fuel.

Your gutters are going to be working overtime when the blizzard is over and the snow starts to melt so make sure they are clear of leaves and debris, and check downspouts are also clear to prevent an ice dam from building up.

Prepare for the melting – is your sump pump working and switched on? It does not hurt to check it out with a bucket of water to see if it kicks on. 

Cold weather causes ice – and this can happen in pipes too, especially if your heat goes out, so keep stored water on hand in case you find your taps stop running.

And finally grease your snow shovel. Really. Use some non-stick cooking spray on the shovel’s blade – and the snow will slide off the shovel that much more easily than if you do not.