According to the current weather forecast, a cold front is coming to the Portland area. It’s going to be below freezing and there might even be snow. The big question is, are you ready for winter?
To help you get ready, we put together a winter kit checklist:
- Snow shovel
- Thermal gloves
- Flashlights and batteries
- Battery powered radio
- Candles and matches, and other non-electric light source
- Non-electric heater
- Non-electric stove (use portable propane or gas stove outdoors)
- Wood pellets
- Snow and ice melt
- Bags of sand, cat litter or rock salt for sidewalk and driveway
- Insulation for sealing windows, vents, and doors (quick and dirty method: duct tape and rolls of heavy gauge trash bags for sealing windows, vents, and doors)
- Outdoor faucet insulation (don’t forget to disconnect the garden hose)
- Storm windows and insulation for walls and attics
- Trimmer for trimming tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm
- Pipe insulation
- Cell phone
- Extra blankets
- Bottled water
- Non-electric can opener and canned goods
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguishers – house fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions
