Tips to be prepared for cold weather

The Sanders County Health Department offers the following advice to prepare for cold weather. The way to avoid frostbite and hypothermia is to plan for extreme cold before it arrives. Don’t get caught unprepared.

Check the forecast at weather.gov or your favorite weather app, station, etc. Make checking the forecast part of your regular routine so you’ll know when to expect cold weather.

Adjust Your Schedule. If possible, adjust your schedule to avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day. Try to find a warm spot for your children while waiting for the school bus outside.

Protect Your Pets, Livestock and other Property. Make sure they have plenty of food and water, and are not overly exposed to extreme cold. Know the temperature thresholds of your plants and crops.

Fill up the tank. Make sure your car or vehicle has at least a half a tank of gas during extreme cold situations so that you can stay warm if you become stranded.

Dress for the outdoors even if you don’t think you’ll be out much.

Update Your Winter Car Survival Kit. Make sure your car survival kit has jumper cables, flashlights, a first aid kit, baby or special needs gear, non-perishable food, water (at least one gallon of water per person a day for at least three days, a basic toolkit with pliers, wrench and a screwdriver, pet supplies, a radio, cat litter or sand for better tire traction and a shovel to dig out of snow. Sanders County Health also recommends having an ice scraper, clothes for warm weather, hand or foot warmers, blankets or sleeping bags and a charged cellphone. Keep a spare charger in your car as well.

For questions or additional tips, contact Sanders County Health at 827-6969.