By Judy Dutton
Winter’s first monster snowstorm is nearly upon us, and it’s so big they gave it a (rather unlikely) name: Jonas. As of Thursday morning, roughly 73 million—or one in four—Americans, from Nebraska to the Carolinas to New York, were warned to brace themselves for a not-so-cozy blanket of snow.
For most of us, it’ll be our first real test this winter of how well we’ve prepped our precious homes to protect them from this onslaught of elements. Don’t panic! You’ll survive Jonas just fine. Look no further than this quick winter-proofing checklist.
Turn off outside faucets
According to The Washington Post, pipes leading to outdoor faucets and hoses are particularly vulnerable to damage when the temperature plummets. So be sure to shut off the inside valves leading out to them, unhook hoses, and run your outdoor faucets to drain any water that might be hiding within.
For added measure, “cover your spigot and pipes with a towel; this will help insulate them,” says Adam Webster, CEO of Rocky Mountain Restoration, which repairs storm damage to homes in the Phoenix, AZ, area.
Warm up your indoor pipes, too
To prevent burst pipes indoors, keep cabinet doors under sinks open so warm air in your home can reach them more easily. You can also insulate them with heat tape, according to J.B. Sassano, president of Mr. Handyman.
Clear your gutters
“Make sure your rain gutters are clear of leaves,” says Sassano. “Ice dams can form during winter storms, and if the gutters aren’t clean, they can flood the home at the worst time.”
Keep vents clear of snow
Indoor heating systems can shut down when the outside vents get blocked with snow. In fact, homeowner Todd Van Hoosear recalls, “We avoided a very close call when our gas furnace vent got blocked because of a neighbor’s snowblower. Thankfully we had a newer furnace, which detected the gas backup and shut the flame off. We only noticed it because the blower was still working, but we were getting cold air. We could have died! Keeping those vents cleared is critical.”
Stock up on salt or sand
“Put down salt and/or sand on outside walkways a couple hours before the expected snowstorm,” says Webster. Make sure to buy a coarse sand; play sand won’t get the job done. This will help cut down on your shoveling so all you have to really do is kick back with your hot cocoa (oh yeah, don’t forget to stock up on that, too).