Winter Safety Tips: Prepare for Winter Weather with These Steps

By lisa boyce | December 8, 2020

Falling snow can be a beautiful sight during winter, but it can also mean a lot of danger to you and your family. Winter safety concerns are mostly caused by snow, ice, and other conditions that arise from your home’s interior and exterior. Increased moisture during winter can lead to the buildup of ice around your home, ice dams on your roof, or, to some extent, basement flooding. This requires a lot of work and effort to ensure you and your family’s safety throughout the winter season.

Ways to Enhance Safety and Prepare for Winter Weather

Winterize your home

The best way to prepare for winter weather is by minimizing heat loss, ensuring you do not spend more than necessary, and keeping warm and safe. All of these kinds of stuff can be summarized as winterizing your home. You have to ensure that all your walls and attic are insulated. Apply caulking and weather stripping around your doors and windows. Also, remember to repair your roof and rain gutters.

In some cases, it can be helpful if you cut off tree branches that are closer to the house to ensure they do not cause damages when there is a storm.

Learn essential first aid tips

Winter storms and bad weather can cause injuries. The weather also brings frigid temperatures and a combination of dangerous elements that put yourself and your family at risk. Make sure you learn basic first aid tips you can apply in case of anything happening. Learn to spot the danger before it happens and provide treatment whenever necessary.

Drive cautiously

When winter storms hit, the best option is staying off the roads until the conditions are back to normal or manageable. However, some cases may force you to drive, for instance, taking someone to a hospital. In this case, practice safe driving. Use snow tires whenever necessary, and avoid speeding. Be cautious, especially when driving up hills and on icy roads.

Prepare for a flood

Snow and ice can be bad for your safety at home. What is even worse is rising temperatures that warm up the snow and ice, causing floods, especially from nearby waterways. You should be prepared for any possibility. If you live in a place prone to flooding, such as low areas, you can move out or stay with a friend or family until it is safe.

Prevent all cold-related illnesses

Lower temperatures during winter come with many risks of cold-related illnesses and injuries. Teach everyone in your homestead to recognize signs and symptoms of such illnesses, including frostbite and hypothermia. You can also practice proactive measures to ensure safety during cold seasons.

First, you need to assess if there is a need for protective gear at home. Also, focus on preventing fatigue, keeping your energy level up, and preventing dehydration by taking in more water and warm fluids.

Stock up well before the storm

• Buy candles and candleholders. This can come in handy if your flashlights run out of batteries and the electricity is off.
• Fill up your shelves with non-perishable food. You never know how long it takes before you can access a food store if bad weather hits. Therefore, normalize stocking up on canned foods and grains that can serve the family well.
• Fill up your containers with water. Winter weather can be so bad that your pipes become frozen, leaving you with the need for water. In this case, the best you can do is to stock up by filling your containers before it is too late. You can buy some gallon jugs and containers if you have none.
• Get more blankets and warm clothing. You may already have blankets and warm clothing, but you should keep in mind that you may need more to keep yourself and your loved ones warm during winter. Consider buying thick woolen socks, mittens, and hoodies. You can get Men’s Moncler and other warm clothing for winter.
• Restock on your prescription drugs. Sometimes you need drugs to keep you or any of your family safe and in sound health. Winter may also come with bad weather that you fail to access primary and essential services. Remember to buy your prescription medications if the chances are that they will run out during the storm.

Outdoor precautions

Various outdoor activities can expose you and your family to safety dangers. However, you can focus on the following steps to prepare for winter:

• Put on appropriate clothing, preferably warm, wind-resistant jackets when going out.
• Learn all safety precautions such as working slowly using protective equipment, carrying a cell phone, and taking an emergency kit with you as you leave the house.
• Sprinkle sand on icy patches.

Common Winter-related Illnesses and How to Deal with Them

Hypothermia

Hypothermia results from staying in the cold for extended periods, causing a drop in your body temperature. Hypothermia is often associated with shivering, loss of muscular control, and confusion. If left unchecked, hypothermia can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest.

What you can do

• Get the sick person to warm areas, preferably indoors
• Remove the wet clothing from the person’s body
• Lay the person down, avoiding rough handling
• Seek immediate medical attention

Frostbite

Frostbite is a more severe condition that causes the skin and underlying tissues to freeze. Frostbite can make the skin appear white and waxy with no sensation or numbness. Frostbite usually affects the fingers, nose, ears, toes, cheeks, and chin. Although frostbite can happen on skin exposed to cold, it can also occur on skin covered by other clothing.

What you can do

• Frostbite can lead to severe cases, such as amputation, meaning you should always hurry to get medical help.
• Avoid rubbing, massaging, or warming the affected part of the body unless you are sure it will stay warm.

The Bottom Line

Although bad winter weather does not come as a surprise, many people fail to prepare for when it arrives. Preparing for winter hazards increases your chances of staying safe and healthy when the temperatures fall. Think about getting your house winterized and get some warm winter boots. .