So alot of us are about to get slammed with snow

[Jamielane]

What do you do to prepare for it? Hopefully the power will stay on since the heat and stove is Electric but if it doesn't do you all have any suggestions for us? The only thing I know to do is pile on the blankets and huddle. It's cold so we can put the refrigerator food outside and it will stay plenty cold enough. I am hoping the stuff in the freezer will be ok if we don't open it . I made sure there was salt for the outside and dh will make sure there is plenty of gas and oil for the snowblower tonight. I got extra pet food and litter today . It was on my list for the end of the week but I dont want to have to worry about it. I have plenty of candles and matches and lighters. Batteries are abundant and I will have dh round up all flashlights. I am also charging everything that we charge like Cellphones, The kids Ds's ,Ipods, my Kindle and the laptops (they won't be able to get online but they could watch movies). There are plenty of games , books, and puzzles. I have the laundry hamper empty and will do up another load first thing tomorrow. The water is not effected by a power outage here but I have plenty stored up. I made sure I have dd's heart pill prescriptions full and other dd's has a fresh in the box inhaler if she should need it. So what am I forgetting? There must be something , I just don't know what it is. Of course of I did, it wouldn't be forgotten . LOL.

[imagine]

sounds to me like you are prepared.

Thanks for mentioning charging things up like phone, ipod, DS. I would have forgotten about those.

I would think the freezer would be okay if you didn't open it. My father always taught me to top of the freezer with milk jugs of water the frozen water helps keep the freezer cold in a power outage. You also have a nice supply of clean water if you needed it.

[sunshine]

We've already got significant icing - and looking for blizzard conditions later tonight/tomorrow.

We have a kerosene heater, and small generator (will be able to run sump pumps, etc. ) and plenty of fuel for each (enough for about 2 weeks each). My kitchen range is propane, but the oven won't work without electricity. We'll be able to cook on the burners though, and I can hook the microwave to the generator for a short time if needed.

We have lots of blankets, etc.

We've piled the livestock with straw for warmth, and loaded the feed bins.

We've got the oil lamps cleaned, I've printed off some crochet/knit patterns (instead of just reading them from the computer screen as I generally do). . . games, books, etc.

Temps here are predicted to be subzero - so I"m not worrying about my freezer in the summer kitchen.

[HappyMama]

Sounds like you are prepared Kim. I am in a snow area, but use to be in a bad snow belt years ago. We are getting it bad here !

Here are some tips:

Refill prescriptions.
Get your prescriptions and pharmacy supplies before the snow falls. A snowstorm can keep you inside for several days. If you are on regular medications it's important to be sure that you have enough on hand. Diabetics should take inventory of any supplies that may be needed.


Be sure your flashlight is in working order. If not, get a new one and buy extra batteries. The same goes for a radio or battery operated television. Flashlights can be very helpful with small kids they are less afraid if you lose power and you don't have to worry about fire hazards. You will also need a non-electric can opener.
We keep candles, and oil lamps at the ready.

Campstoves and heaters.
Inspect the condition before the snowstorm. Be sure that your equipment is in good shape. Check your fuel supplies. Search the internet or call the manufacture for advice on any needed precautions.


Keep food stocked up, things to make quick without heat. Snacks etc. If you see a storm coming bake and cook before hand in case you run out of power. Keep things like water, dried milk, trail mix, dried fruit and nuts stocked up.


Oil or gas.
Check your supplies. Arrange for a fill up as far in advance as possible. Be sure that tires are at the right pressure.


Blankets and sleeping bags.
Make sure that you have extras for every person.

Clothes
Don't put off doing the laundry. You may need the extra clothes. Do this in advance of the winter weather if at all possible.

Stock up on water, and fill the sink and tubs if need be before a storm.

If you have a wood stove or fireplace, make sure you have wood stocked up and already seasoned.

Keep warm everyone.

[Ramona]

Can you put coffee, soup, etc in thermos containers? I heat up the thermos with hot water and it seems to keep the contents hotter longer.

We once lost power for 2 1/2 days and the inside temp went to 55 degrees. I let the cold water taps trickle hoping to avoid frozen pipes. It worked.

[cab54]

Believe it or not---me and DH drove NORTH last night. To our cabin. It's not supposed to snow here, but at home (Ohio) we are getting a foot!! (they said anyway.....)

By the time we go back in about a week, they'll have cleared the streets and everything.

Y'all take care with this snow coming!

[Telephus44]

I second the candle/oil lamp suggestion.

I would also suggest if you don't have a generator, know someone that does. We lost power for 6 days in the big ice storm of 2008, and we had DS stay at his grandparents, since we didn't want him to be freezing cold (house got to 50).

Generator is still on the list of things for us to buy - figures last month we got a snow blower. We have 2 feet on the ground here, they are predicting another 16-24" with a possible 1/4" of ice in the next 2 days.

[sunshine]

We were fortunate and purchased a small generator at the Black Friday sales this year. . . it's tiny, but enough to keep us alive with a space heater, and/or keep our sump pumps running to prevent ruining our furnace in the basement.

[lovestoread]

We are right in the area for at least an inch of ice and snow, several inches...of course, the generator isn't working...hubby is working on it now.

Something I do, when we had an ice storm several years ago, was I pulled my gas grill up to the back door on the deck and heated or cooked things on it...worked great...

Today, I did tons of laundry, cooked several things ahead that can be reheated....got the oil lamps ready to go, games, books and movies, just in case we don't lose power...good luck to you all...

[2ndGenGranola]

Ours shouldn't be that bad. I did send hubby to the store for requested drinks and snackies for sick kids. Everything else should be in the stash.

[krbshappy71]

I have a question, please: I have a chest deep freezer with not much in it right now. If I lose power should I quick move Fridge and fridge's freezer stuff to the deep freeze or leave everything alone and keep all the doors shut on them? Thanks in advance.

[ladytoysdream]

I have a question, please: I have a chest deep freezer with not much in it right now. If I lose power should I quick move Fridge and fridge's freezer stuff to the deep freeze or leave everything alone and keep all the doors shut on them? Thanks in advance.

Do you have some containers you could put water in, and make some giant ice cubes now. How about some plastic gallon milk jugs ? If you lose power, move the stuff to one unit with your giant ice cubes. I think your chest unit would stay colder longer than a upright. And then after you move things, try not to open any more than necessary.

[joyofsix]

It's snowing right now and supposed to be worse tomorrow so though I have lots of stuff in the house
I baked 2 batches of cookies
2 kinds of muffins
4 loaves of bread
I've got a roast and a chicken crockpotting. If power goes out those are good as cold sandwiches. Tomorrow I'll make extra coffee and put in the thermos.
I've got some jugs of drinking water so if we have to drain the pipes we've got some to drink.
We've got gas for the generator.
The lanterns are ready and flashlights have new batteries.
I charged up the portable dvd player, the kindle and the kids' portable game things.
We've all got warm sleeping bags and there's wood for the fireplace.
The worst thing is cooking on a grate in the fireplace but it can be done 'cause we've done it.
Oh, and I got out the Euchre deck.

[monkeywrangler71]

Even the time we had over a metre of snow, we were still able to get out in two days. So I really only worry about getting through 2-3 days on our own in any emergency.

I don't have a huge stockpile, but we won't starve. The cold room is as cold as the fridge, the outside is as cold as the freezer, so the food won't spoil. The wood stove heats the house, the cooktop is propane, so we can still stay warm and cook food.

We have no water in a power outage, so I need to draw off water before the storm if I think the power is going out. I really should start saving something to store water in. Would milk jugs work, or would they always smell like sour milk? My parents are 5 minutes away and their water is not effected by the power, which is only useful if I am not trapped in my house behind a wall of snow or ice.

I don't have lanterns or candles, and wouldn't want any open flames in the house anyway. We have a couple wind up flashlights, but would pretty much just have to go to bed early.

The house is wired for a generator, but we don't have one. I won't get one unless we find the power goes out frequently; so far we haven't had an outage since we moved in.

[Contrary Housewife]

We are due for 10-12" here, which is an enormous amount, our snowfalls are typically 1-2" with 6" being a big storm. If it's just snow I think we'll be ok, but if we get ice the power will eventually fail. Our lines are underground, but not the ones that feed into this neighborhood, and in the big ice storm of 2002 (we had 3" of ice) transformers all over the city blew out.

I went over the supplies this morning. We have candles, oil lamps and flashlights to spare. I have a working radio with a working battery in it. Folding stove and plenty of sterno and liquid fuel for it. Enough food for us and the kitties for a week.

Everything here is electric except the water heater, so while we won't have heat we will have hot water for showers.

In the 2002 ice storm we made it 4 days before the house got so cold I couldn't stand it. The storm this time around is supposed to start Tues morning and go all day into Thurs. I am going to do like a friend suggested and keep the heat high tomorrow so it will be plenty warm in here if/when we do loose power. I don't usually leave the heat on overnight but tomorrow I will as that is when we are most likely to go dark, after the snow has gotten too heavy on the trees.

I have two new books to read and so does DH. What I remember from the ice storm was just being cold and bored and making a lot of tea and cocoa on the camp stove.