How to Prepare for a Spring Blizzard

Colorado is all kinds of fun, with no exception being spontaneous Spring Blizzards. IF you have not been through one and this is your first time… here are a few tips to prepare yourself ((and your home)) for the upcoming adventure.

1. Stock up on food: attempt to have as much non-perishable food on hand. You will be essentially creating a long term food pantry to remove the need to leave the house and drive on dangerous roads to the store. This also assures you have food you like that you have chosen rather than the last scraps left on empty store shelves. Make sure you have items such as Rice, dried beans, trail mix or granola bars, canned vegetables/soups/fruit, peanut butter & Jelly, dried pasta, applesauce, beef jerky, instant oatmeal, crackers, vegetable or chicken broth, mac n cheese, canned meats AND last but not least any food for Pets you may have. Heck you really want to be prepared you could embrace MREs as well… I’m not entirely convinced they are necessary here but a good idea if you really want to prepare for Snowmageddon.
2. Stock up on water: drinking water, flushing water, shower water, dishes water…. although we will have piles and piles of “frozen water” all around us… it will be helpful to already have it stocked up.
3. Consider all options for if the Power goes out: can you still cook? Can you still keep your house warm? Will you have a generator? Consider alternative options like cooking in your fireplace or have a small camp stove ready. Also make sure you have alternative battery sources for your phone and any important devices.
4. Make a list of needed supplies- toilet paper, feminine care, paper towels, paper plates, disposable silverware (makes not being able to do dishes easier), candles, extra batteries, snow shovel if you don’t already have one, first aid kit and maybe some alcohol.. 🙂
5. Make sure your Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Smoke Detectors are plugged in and working correctly. And on that matter also, if you have time, make sure your chimney is clean and ready. Also have a fire emergency plan.
6. Take time to winterize your home: wrap any exposed pipes with insulation, check your windows and door seals to keep out the cold, check for any overhanging tree branches that could break a window or fall on your car. Also put any hoses away.
7. Salt & Shoveling! Prepare yourself to do lots of shoveling and spreading of salt to stay on top of the snow pileup.
8. KNOW WHERE TO GO – if your home becomes too cold or damaged by this storm you need to be prepared to find a local shelter. FEMA has set up a designated text line that allows you to text ” SHELTER ” and your zip code.

Are you Ready?