How to Prepare for the Snow - And Things to do Even After the Snow Falls

🥶 Heating 

• Service Your Heating System: Schedule a professional inspection and tune-up for your furnace, boiler, or wood stove. Change furnace filters. A breakdown in sub-zero temperatures is an emergency you want to avoid.
  
• Check Fireplaces/Chimneys: Have your chimney professionally inspected and cleaned to remove creosote buildup, which is a fire hazard. Stock up on dry firewood if applicable.
  
  
• Seal Drafts: Inspect and seal any gaps or cracks around windows and doors with weatherstripping or caulk to prevent heat loss.
  
  
• Insulation Check: Ensure you have adequate insulation in your attic, walls, and crawl spaces. Proper insulation prevents heat escape and can help mitigate the risk of ice dams on your roof. 
  
  
• Quick Fixes: Apply temporary window shrink film kits to drafty windows. Use draft stoppers (rolled towels or commercial products) at the bottom of exterior doors.
  
  

💧 Plumbing & Water Protection

• Insulate Pipes: Protect exposed pipes in unheated areas (like basements, crawl spaces, or garages) with foam pipe insulation sleeves or UL-listed heat tape (or heat cable).
  
  
• Outdoor Faucets: Disconnect and drain all outdoor hoses and store them indoors. Shut off the water supply to all exterior hose bibs/faucets and drain the line by opening the faucet. Use an insulated faucet cover for extra protection.
  
  
• Interior Pipes on Exterior Walls: During extreme cold, consider leaving cabinet doors open under sinks on exterior walls to allow warm room air to circulate around the pipes.
  
  
• Maintain Heat: Never set your thermostat lower than 55°F (13°C), even if you are away, to prevent pipes inside the walls from freezing. In extreme cold, let a faucet drip very slowly to keep water moving and relieve pressure.
  
  

🏠 Exterior & Snow Management

• Roof and Gutters: Clean all leaves and debris out of your gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters prevent melting snow from draining, leading to potential ice dams that can damage your roof.
  
  
• Inspect Roof: From the ground, visually inspect your roof for any damaged or missing shingles and arrange for repairs before the snow hits.
  
  
• Trim Trees: Remove dead or overhanging tree limbs that could break under the weight of heavy snow or ice and damage your home.
  
  
• Clear Drainage: Ensure all drainage, including downspout extensions, directs water away from your home's foundation.
  
  
• Snow Removal Equipment: Get your snow blower serviced or inspect your snow shovels and ice melt (sand, salt, etc.) and make sure they are easily accessible and in good working order.
  
  
• Mark Driveway: Install driveway markers or stakes to help guide snow plow operators and prevent damage to your lawn or property features.
  

🚨 Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• Alternative Heat/Power: Have an extra source of heat (like a wood stove) or consider a portable generator for essential circuits, ensuring it is operated outdoors and away from windows to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Emergency Kit: Assemble or update a home emergency kit with non-perishable food, water, flashlights, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, and blankets to last at least a few days in case of a power outage.

❄️Exterior & Roof Focus (The Ice Dam Battle)
The biggest threat after the first snowfall is the formation of ice dams, which can lead to leaks inside your home.

• Rake the Roof Edges: The most critical action! Use a long-handled roof rake to gently pull snow off the first 3 to 4 feet of your roof, starting from the eave (edge).
  

• Why: Snow in the middle of the roof may be melted by heat escaping from your attic, but it re-freezes when it hits the cold eave, forming a dam. Removing the snow at the edge eliminates the source of the re-freezing water.
  

Safety Note: Do not climb onto the roof yourself. Always work from the ground.