Here in the central plains a winter storm can mean “batten down the hatches, we’re in for it” or “nah, never mind…lots of wind, but no accumulation”. Often the weather forecast can’t even tell which it will be until the winter storm makes itself clear. Polar freeze? Or just a little blowy snow?

This is a great time to take stock of what to do when you’re waiting for potentially nasty winter weather. In this age of digital weather apps we have heavy duty forewarning. A blessing compared to the days when folks had to gather weather data based on observation and maybe a thermometer or, if lucky, a barometer. Those predictions were sometimes surprisingly accurate, but radar makes it much easier for us. Sometimes too easy.

With an accurate weather forecast we can justify waiting till the last minute to stock up and prepare as compared to our ancestors who had to prepare all summer for the winter, no matter what the weather was going to be. This is a blessing and a curse. Do we procrastinate and become naïve about how well technology will function in extreme weather? Forewarned is forearmed, but we still have to do our part or forewarning just becomes foreboding.

Now to practical matters. What to do if a winter storm is bearing down on you?

1. Take stock. What’s in your fridge? In your freezer? Pantry? Do you have enough basics and a baseline supply of fresh foods to get you through a few days if the roads are impassable or, worst case, if the electricity goes out and you can’t cook in the way you normally do? Do you have adequate sources of protein and carbohydrates? These are the building blocks of heat in the body? Do you have a good supply of drinking water, if the pipes freeze?
2. Check your heat and light sources. Do you have back-up? Either a generator, or kerosene oil heater, wood stove or other heating device? If so, do you have enough fuel, wood, oil, gas, propane or otherwise? A fuel-less heater isn’t much use. Also important, where will you heat food if the electricity goes out? A propane camp stove outside will do in a pinch, or even a gas barbecue, although you need to bundle up! (Don’t try to use either of these cookers in a house or under a roof!!) Do you have oil lamps, lanterns or LED light sources with adequate batteries or fuel to keep them lit? Also, check your stock of warm clothes and blankets. If you are without heat for a little while, bundle up to preserve warmth!
3. Do you have a reasonable supply of essential nutritional supplements or medications? This is often an afterthought, so keep a running stock in the cupboard! We’re natural health types, so having the proper nutritional supplements, at least a month’s worth, is essential for some of our health needs. We order in advance because in our part of the central plains you can’t just pop into the local health food store (there isn’t one).
4. Build a menu, add some fun and seize the adventure! When checking your supplies, take time to jot down a good pre-planned menu for emergencies and then be sure to have the components on hand. This takes the stress off, but it can also make lemonade out of lemons. Aside from simple dishes and maybe some soup mix, be sure to include hot cocoa and marshmallows. Or, if baking is your thing, have the proper supplies for a yummy gingerbread or cinnamon rolls. Then check your board games and other fun items. A movie night is great, but if the power is sketchy, board games or cards by candlelight can be an out-of-the-ordinary diversion. Maybe spend some time imagining what it was like for your forebearers who didn’t have electricity until the last century (that’s everyone). Life was very different, and required a lot of planning ahead. Family stories about the challenges and adventures of that time are a good thing to store up for events like these, just ask grand or great-grand parents! Shared trials can be, ironically, a good way to connect with family and others!
5. Finally, schedule a trial run, check supplies and restock often! If you have heaters, lights, generators, and other devices that you have never used, take time (not during a storm) to test them, and learn how to use them safely and with ease! Below zero temperatures are not the time to be fiddling with a generator outside!

There are many other considerations when preparing for an approaching storm, and the list above is only a starting point. Here is a resource from the CDC that offers a winter storm preparation list for home and vehicle: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/beforestorm/preparehome.html

This resource from the American Red Cross has handy printouts to keep on file: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm.html

Preparing ahead of time for challenges and difficulties is an essential quality of a prudent consumer. A day’s worth of preparation is a penny (or a life) saved in the long-run!

Keep a shiny penny and a positive thought!