Snowy Streets, Frozen Pipes and Crackling Fireplaces: Tips for Staying Safe This Winter

The weather’s supposed to stay unseasonably warm on Wednesday, but that’s all expected to change by Thursday.

The National Weather Service is predicting a switch from rain showers to snow starting Thursday afternoon—and those temperatures are expected to drop later this week.

If winter decides to stick around this time, you’ll want to be prepared. Here are a few tips for keeping your home safe from Lt. Patrick Coleman:

• Always keep your driveway and walkway clear. If there is an emergency, you don’t want anything keeping the fire department or the EMS out, Coleman said.
• On that same note, make sure your address is visible and any nearby fire hydrants are cleared off.
• If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector, get one. Coleman prefers the kind that plug into a wall with a battery backup. And if you have an attached garage, move your car before starting it. He said the majority of the department’s carbon monoxide calls come in the winter months.
• Trying to keep warm with a space heater? Make sure it will turn off automatically if it tips over and keep it at least three feet away from anything flammable.
• If you’re warming up by a fireplace, only burn clean, dry, seasoned wood—no trash and no pine, Coleman said. He recommends getting chimneys swept regularly to keep them clean. And take ashes outside—never push hot ashes into the back of a fireplace.
• Planning to flee the cold weather for a while? Consider turning off your water and draining the pipes so they don’t freeze. If you’ll just be gone for a little bit, try opening your cabinet doors so the heat can reach the pipes faster, Coleman suggested.

The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness has some good tips on its website for getting your family ready for winter storms, including suggested supplies for a disaster kit. And if you want a refresher for driving in the snow, .

What tips would you add? Tell us in the comments!