Winter is no longer coming. Winter is here. And it would help if you were ready for it. Utah winters guarantee that we will experience several severe winter storms, and you should prepare for them. Here are a few ways to make sure that you are ready for what winter storms will throw at you.

1 – Prepare Your Home or Business During Milder Weather

If you didn’t get the chance to prepare your home or business earlier in the year, do it when you have the next good weather stretch. This preparation may involve a final clean out of your gutters, caulking and insulating gaps that cause drafts, or having the proper snow removal supplies on hand such as salt or ice melt, snow shovels, or snow blowers available and ready to go.

2 – Assemble Vehicle Emergency Kits

All residents of Utah should have an emergency kit available for every vehicle they own. These kits should include (at a minimum):

• Jumper cables
• Small shovel
• Road flares or reflectors
• Extra blankets and winter clothing (especially hats, gloves, and scarves)
• Water and non-perishable food (trail mix, nuts, and protein bars are good choices)
• Tire chains and a tow rope
• Flashlight (with extra batteries)

3 – Assemble Emergency Kits for Homes and Businesses

Every home should have a severe winter weather emergency kit available with the following items:

• Extra food and water (focus on non-perishable items in case the power goes out)
• Extra medication (in case you get stuck and cannot pick up any refills for a while)
• Diapers, formula, and other baby items (if you have an infant)
• First-aid kit
• Battery-powered weather radio
• Fully charged (or solar-powered) power banks for cell phones
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Fire extinguisher

4 – Plan for Power Outages

Heavy snow and ice will knock down trees and take down power lines. So it would be best if you had a plan in place for when this happens. This plan may involve having a generator on-hand to maintain power to critical systems such as refrigerators, wells, and heat sources. You may also want to invest in an alternative heat source that doesn’t involve electricity, such as a wood-burning stove, kerosene heater, or propane heater.

It is also a good idea to have some water stored if you have a well that uses an electrical pump: non-perishable foods, or even a camping stove for cooking.

5 – Have a Snow Removal Plan in Place

Once the storm is over, how are you going to handle the snow removal? Shovel your way out? Using a snowblower to clear the area? Hiring some neighborhood kids to shovel the driveway and sidewalks for you? Or having a professional snow and ice management company take care of your property for you? It is best to have these plans in place before a storm arrives. You also need to ensure that you have adequate snow removal supplies, a tuned up and fueled snowblower or other snow removal equipment, and a location where you will move the excess snow.

Don’t Worry About Snow Removal. Hire Aeroscape to Take Care of It for You.

The best way to manage the snow and ice from a winter storm is to hire experts to handle it for you. At Aeroscape, we have snow and ice management specialists who are ready to serve you when that big storm hits. For more information, give us a call at 801.569.2383 or fill out a simple online form at the bottom of our snow and ice removal services page, and an Aeroscape account manager will get in touch with you.