Blizzard Day Plans

If you live in the the Northeast as I do, blizzard snow days are inescapable. My family has on old joke that is that at the first snow emergency prediction Cathy is off to the store to stock up on bread and milk. It doesn't matter very much that I don't eat bread or drink milk. I just like being prepared.

Here are a few ways you can turn a blizzard from obstacle into an opportunity for comfort and even respite.

If you start planning and acting now you can turn any snow day into a comforting experience without angst. You can prepare yourself so well that you might actually start looking forward to inclement weather.

If you live in an area where blizzard events are common you already know the basics. Make sure you have a five to ten day store of any important medicines you need and always have about 10 gallons of bottled water in your pantry or on the porch. This is the very least you need to survive a snow disaster and while it is highly unlikely you will be snowed in for a week or more, the biggest fear and potential catastrophe is being home, snowed in and not having life saving medicine.

Shovels alone are not enough. Here in the Northeast, you need something called an ice pick. It looks like a hoe and it is used to crack ice that lives beneath the snow. Snow is easy, ice is not. Have at least two shovels as you will need one for your front porch and another for the trunk of your car. Keep an extra pair of heavy duty gloves in your trunk along with your shovel because your hands are going to get wet and you will give up snow removal and ice cracking when your hands are numb from the ice and cold.

Sand, sand everywhere. Yes, you should have a few bags of sand on your front porch and at least one bag in the trunk of your car. The trunk sand will allow you traction if you get stuck, but even if you dont need it to get out of a "stuck", the weight of the sand will give the back end of your car more stability and help you avoid fishtailing while driving in a storm. There are some great salt concoctions that really do work in melting ice and snow. These concoctions are not wise if you have pets whose sensitive paws should not be chemically injured, but also they ruin your concrete or asphalt drives and side walks. I don't want to think about what they do to the planet. Yikes!

Batteries, candles and flashlights Oh My! The mantra of every New Englander should be obvious but often is not. I have not seen a matchbook in over five years, but I know they still make those great wooden kitchen and grill matches. If you stock up on those matches now you will thank yourself later. If your flashlight is in good condition and the batteries are fine, go out and buy more. In a snow emergency you might need to use that flashlight for hours at a time, so you need backup batteries. I keep a flashlight in the car and two or three in the house. Okay, I live in a big house, but still, kids need flashlights to make bathroom visits and husbands need the heavy duty flashlights to smack the furnace while muttering. You will be thankful if you remember to stock up on those huge D batteries for the boom box that very well might become your only reliable news and weather resource if the power goes down. Savvy New Englanders to the hardware store and buy those crank up televisions that allow you to see the news and weather. It is a great idea to invest in one of those battery chargers for your cell phone as well. I have been known to sit in my car with cell plugged into cigarette lighter during bad storms. Not only is this not a pretty sight, its also wasteful and can become very very cold. Im not big on candles that have been known to burn down houses, but I would be remiss not to mention them. If you live with responsible and agile people who are not known to trip over their own feet and place candles in dangerous places, do have some on hand. If you are like me and live with people who cant handle a candle to save themselves, forego this suggestion.

Sleeping bags, blankets and comforters. I know we all pack up the sleeping bags at the end of the summer season and store them away in the attic. It is a better idea to store sleeping bags under kids beds because if you are in a snow emergency you may very well need a sleeping bag or two. I also hold onto old worn out comforters and blankets and I keep them washed and ready for work in a basket in my linen closet. I do this because I live in New England and I know they will come in handy if the power goes down and shivering humans will appreciate warmth no matter how frayed the bed linens. After you have dressed your protesting children in long underwear and five layers of clothes, cover them with a sleeping bag or two, an old comforter and they will not complain when placed in front of the wood stove or fireplace.. Keep a comforter in trunk of your car as well. If you have ever been stuck in a snowstorm and your car heater wont work, you will need this item. The tow company that rescues you will not care that the comforter is 10 years old. You will thank yourself for this blizzard preparation nugget.

Pets. Okay nothing is worse than running out of pet food or supplies during an emergency storm. To prevent this headache I stock up on food, medicine and of course anything else my dog might need long before a storm warning. I keep an up to date baggie of dry dog food in my trunk as well. I dont want to go into details here but I have actually been stuck, overnight, in a car, during a snow emergency with two dogs and I learned that a little kibble goes a long way. Not to worry if your neighbors see your baggie in your trunk and whisper that you have an obsessive compulsive disorder. If you have ever spent the night in a snow drift by the side of a country road you will know this measure is not to be missed.

Wash your dishes, gas up the car, and empty your garbage. At the first alert of an impending storm the most important things you can do are to get rid of as much clutter as you can. If your power goes down you will be doing some navigating in the dark. If your water heater goes out, you will begin to shudder when you pass the sink full of dirty dishes every time you pass. While most people speed to the market, I scrub the kitchen. The last thing I want to contend with are a few days of dirty dishes and garbage bags. If I am going to be snowed in for a few days I want a clean sanctuary for the duration. Nothing is worse than four days worth of garbage in the pantry and no where for it to go. Get rid of all the garbage at the first storm warning and empty all the waste baskets in the house, but especially the bathroom. Trust me on this one. You need to gas up the car in case the temperature drops and your car wont start due to a frozen gas tank. Of course the other practical reason for gassing up is that after a few days of snowed in cabin fever, you might just want to get out of town and check into a nice hotel some where with running water of the hot variety.
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Wash a load of whites. Yes, as soon as those meteorologists start predicting, throw a load of whites into the washer and the dryer before your power goes. You want clean undies and towels and if possible bed linens. There is nothing worse than running out of clean underwear during a snow emergency. Forget the outer wear and colors. You are not going to need them as you are not going to change your outer wear for a few days if the power goes down. You are surely going to want to change your undies.

Playing cards and board games. If you are snowed in for a few days you are going to consider these tools the savior of your sanity. X box and WI do not work if the power is down and your normally well adjusted children, when bored, will become serious threats to your mental health. There is nothing worse than searching for the monopoly game in your attic with a flashligth in the freezing cold during a snow emergency. At the first alert, drag out the playing cards and board games and put them in the family room or living room. You will need something to occupy minds and this step is critical in surviving a winter storm.

If you do some of these things far in advance and a few of these things at the first alert, you are going to be comfy and happier than had you not.

Coming next: Foods for blizzards whether you have power or not.