What Are Your Annual Winter Preparations in Your Area?

Not sure if this fits in this thread,,,,,but my building is laying new blacktop on the parking lot. We all have to park in the streets around the building, or in a public parking lot down the street. Because our cars have a small window sticker that identifies us as living here, the police will not be ticketing us. We can move the cars back Sunday, I think
 

Put on winter tires for our vehicles
Put gardening tools away
Put hoses away
Clean out gutters
Blow excess leaves into the forest
Clean windows
Power wash deck and veranda
Put summer clothes away
Being out winter boots and clothes
Find cleats for icy weather
Get remaining vegetables from garden
Purchase bagged salt
Put shovelling blade on ATV
Get dog coats and sweaters out
Top up generator with fuel and run it for 15 minutes or so.
Store at least 4 cords of firewood in woodshed
 
Marie5656 said:
Not sure if this fits in this thread,,,,,but my building is laying new blacktop on the parking lot. We all have to park in the streets around the building, or in a public parking lot down the street. Because our cars have a small window sticker that identifies us as living here, the police will not be ticketing us. We can move the cars back Sunday, I think
Click to expand...
Be extra careful when cold weather sets in, that fresh smooth asphalt will be treacherous with a coating of black ice.
 
First, put away warm weather clothes and pull out the winter clothes. It is fun to have a change in wardrobes. Next, put the warm sheets on the bed and electric blanket, store the hot weather sheets. Pull out all the heating pads I use to warm myself and the space heater that looks like a fire.

Diet change, now instead of salads I want soups.

I love the seasonal changes. šŸ˜
 
KSav said:
People take a lot of preparatory measures here because the winters are so brutal. The only thing I can remember from back when I was in a house was that we had to make sure the snow blower was prepped and ready to go and that we had the lawn sprinklers blown out before the first freeze.

Now that I'm in an apartment, most of my prep involves the car, such as ensuring the battery is new enough to survive the extremely low temperatures. And I make sure my car has supplies for travel, which means a complete car kit that includes jumper cables, flares, reflective triangles, etc. I also have a collabsible shovel, road salt, and blankets. Winters are not something to mess with up here; a breakdown on the highway could be fatal. The highways are desolateā€”it's not like in more urban areas, where there is an exit every mile or so. Most of the interstate exits here say "No Services."

When my kids got their cars I made sure they have all of the necessary winter items as well.
Click to expand...
That sounds awful! I have become concerned about driving even under the best of conditions. You have made me feel silly but I am sure glad I am not driving where you live. šŸ˜±
 
Vida May said:
That sounds awful! I have become concerned about driving even under the best of conditions. You have made me feel silly but I am sure glad I am not driving where you live. šŸ˜±
Click to expand...
Driving is a skill that some people never get good at. A lack of confidence in their own abilities, plus in some cases, never having been properly trained as a new driver. I bet that just about everyone on this forum spent hundreds of hours riding in a vehicle, as a child, with mum or dad driving it. You would think that all of that time of being an observer would translate into the teen ager becoming a good driver, but some seniors were never good drivers, even as young adults.

A second point. Here is Ontario, the use of metal studded tires is allowed on cars and trucks and vans, if you live north of the French River. South of that point, studded tires are not approved. Your home postal code is the deciding factor re studded tires. Commercial tractor trailers who run the Trans Canada highway through northern Ontario frequently have to stop and "chain up their drive tires " when the road is icy on top of snow covering. An experienced truck driver can apply a set of chains on the rear drive tires of their tractor in about 30 minutes. Chains provide bite and traction, and so do studded tires on all 4 wheels. JIM.
 
Last edited:
Vida May said:
That sounds awful! I have become concerned about driving even under the best of conditions. You have made me feel silly but I am sure glad I am not driving where you live. šŸ˜±
Click to expand...
Don't feel silly! :) Highway driving can be quite scary here, so I try to avoid traveling any sort of long distance in the winter. The weather service also recommends that if you must leave your vehicle for any reason to tie yourself to it with a rope because the visibility can get so bad. The snow here is very light, but when the winds are strong enoughā€”and they usually areā€”visibility can get to near-zero very quickly.
 
Good reminders here! Prepping the car is a good one. Because we have mostly mild weather an ice storm can cripple traffic and even be deadly.
I have a small snow shovel in my car, an extra water resistant jacket, and extra shoes in my car.
 
The body, used to summer temps in the upper 80ā€™s, must be acclimated to colder weather. I first dig out long pants, then start wearing undershirts, then dig out long-sleeved shirts. Outerwear progresses from sweatshirts to mid-weight coats, then finally winter woolies.

Outside I will rip out tomato plants and frost-killed vegetation, cover my exterior AC unit, and become increasingly concerned for the well-being of an outdoor feral cat, who could have a warm home with me if only heā€™d let me make a housecat out of him!

 
Winters approach means putting the outdoor furniture, and summer sporting goods in storage along w the truck camper and camping gear. Returning from storage will be the snow blower.

We had a dusting of snow on the peaks 2 nights ago.

Edit to add - removing the sump pump from our mini-water feature.
 
Last edited:
Storing patio cushions in plastic in garage
Putting insulation protection on outside water faucets
Covering large patio plants against the house with a heat lamp
Bringing smaller plants inside
 
I'm washing all my long sleeved sweat shirts that I wear around the house. Just bought a new heated mattress pad from Costco. Added some blankets to my bed. And, started wearing my flannel pj's to bed. I'm ready.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top