Coping with cold weather

By Staff
Suzanne Langcuster
Columnist
When winter weather temps drop below normal, staying warm and safe become a challenge.
Take preventive action. Serious problems can result from prolonged exposure to the cold, such as hypothermia and frostbite. My mother always said,"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
When you go out, wrap up. In sub freezing weather frostbite can occur quickly. Also be sure you have on shoes that do not slide in the snow and ice.
Our generation is very fortunate to have weather forecasters to rely on now. They can forecast the weather for days ahead and give us time to prepare.
Always have your car or cars filled with gas in case of an emergency. Things happen sometimes when the weather takes a drastic change.
Someone may fall on ice, you may have a ill person in your household and need to get them to the hospital, and other emergencies.
Stocking up with groceries is another way you can prepare for the woes of very cold weather or snow.
Try to purchase things that are not perishable. If some are perishable plan to freeze them to prevent spoilage, however if the power goes out you may want to stick to nonperishable food items.
Below is a list you might want to consider:
I'm sure you have other suggestions of foods you enjoy.
Also, don't forget your lanterns or batteries. Pull out your old box of candles that you can have right away if your lights go out. Fill several jugs of water. You may need them for several things. Make sure your house is weather secure and you have quilts and blankets available. Families who are forced to be at home together while the weather "Outside is frightful"may get reacquainted with each other. This could be a good thing with a gift of happy memories.