Preparation for Fall: How to Stay Safe and Make Your Home More Comfortable
It’s officially October and here in Erie, PA we all know what to expect from the fall season. The transition from hot to cold can come in an instant and because of this, it is extremely important to be prepared. Preparing for the Fall in Erie, inherently means also getting ready for the rough winter season that can occur at any time. Remember, just four to five years ago when we received a snow storm on Halloween? No one was expecting that at all. Granted, ever since then, the snow will usually hit us around November/December. But, there is no such thing is preparing too early because you never know when it is going to hit. So what exactly needs to be done in terms of getting ready for the fall and the winter? Well there are many different aspects of your home life that need the proper preparation—from your home, to your car, and maybe even your wardrobe. Here are a few tips to get you started with your fall to winter preparation.
Getting Your Home Ready
Preparing your home for the fall and winter season is extremely important. Most of this preparation must be done before November hits because the weather in Erie can be extremely unpredictable.
First, make sure you clean out your gutters from falling leaves to ensure that nothing gets clogged up. If the leaves are never removed, the gutters cannot do its job by catching water and then properly draining it off the roof. And speaking of your roof, make sure to get your roof inspected. With the amount of snow that we receive in Erie, it is important that your roof is strong enough to withstand all of that extra weight without collapsing. Also, the inspection will bring up if there are any major leaks. Having your roof collapse during the winter is the last thing you would want to happen, especially during a snowstorm. Also, if you live near a lot of trees, bring someone out to your home to canvas the trees—by doing this they can determine which ones are a threat to possibly falling over and hitting your home. Trees fall for many reasons, for example, the rotting on the inside, weak branches, etc. The weight of the snow can easily cause a tree to fall. Also, in Erie it can get pretty windy during the winter due to the lake and this could also cause trees to fall.
It is extremely important that your furnace has been serviced and/or inspected before it gets cold outside. Without a working furnace, your home has no way to heat itself. And a nice rule of thumb to follow during the winter is that the heat should not be set lower than 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. But this range depends on how well your home is insulated and how the pipes are laid out in your home. This will stop your pipes from freezing. Also, check your doors, windows and fireplace (if you have one) for a draft. The last thing you want is for all the heat to exit your home instead of heating it. A nice trick to use while checking for drafts is to light a candle and walk past your doors and windows. If the candle flickers, that means cold air is getting into your home. These drafts can be stopped by buying under-the-door and under-the-window weather strip or a seal that will just slide into place and create an airtight seal. These can be purchased anywhere from Amazon to Home Depot or Lowes.
Getting Your Car Ready
The next time you take your car to get serviced, have them check your battery, tires, windshield wipers and brakes to make sure your car is ready for the winter. If you have a weak battery, the colder it gets, the harder it has to work. One day your car could start up completely fine, but then the next it could end up stalling. And as we all know, make sure you keep up with your oil changes at all times during the year, especially during the winter. You want to make sure your car maintenance is as up to date as possible.
With snow being a 100% guarantee in Erie, you need to make sure your tires are in great condition otherwise you can endanger yourself and everyone else on the road. You know that you need new tires by a simple trick. Take a coin, such as a quarter or a nickel and stick it in the grooves of your tire. If the coin falls instantly that new tires are a must. If it is still standing, you should be good to go, but still make sure that they are “All-Season” tires. New windshield wipers are also extremely important because it will allow you better visuals, especially if it is raining or snowing; you want your windshield wipers to be streak free. Also, a great add on to make sure your windshield stays nice and clear, go to your local auto parts store and invest in Rain-X. This will make all of the water that hits your windshield bead up and make it easier to wipe away. Also, to make defrosting your car everyday easier, you can purchase windshield wiper fluid that also doubles as a deicer.
Remember, that it is a law in Pennsylvania law that if it is raining or snowing your headlights must be on, so it is important to make sure you clean the plastic coverings of the headlights and taillights and to make sure your bulbs are not blown out. You need to make sure that other cars can see you and that you can see other cars no matter the type of weather or time of day. Also, never turn on/warm up your car in an enclosed space; this would be harmful due to the fact that either the people in the car could be effected by carbon monoxide, or it could leak into your home, and because the gas is scentless, the only way to know it is present is by having a carbon monoxide detector present. One last very important detail of car maintenance is that you should not allow your car to get below a half of tank of gas. This can also make it more difficult for your car to start the colder it gets outside. **Side Note: in case of emergencies, I always like to keep a first aid kit, a car tool kit, water bottles and a blanket—you never know what could happen**
Making Sure You’re Staying Warm
The weather is going to start dipping and it is expected to be gradual. This means that you can easily transition from wearing sweaters, to light jackets and then bring out the winter coats. When going outside in the cold, your body needs to be covered in order to keep yourself well and healthy. Wool socks, thick gloves and some sort of winter hat are all great ways to keep your body warm. And in order to keep the rest of your body warm, wearing layers is always a good idea. Having too many layers is always better than not having enough because elf you get too hot, all you have to do is remove a layer. If you are a coffee and/or tea drinker, think of investing in a double-walled cup that will keep your beverage warm for hours and hours throughout the day.
Weather Predictions
Below, you can kind of get a feel of what the weather will be like for the next couple of months. It is great to see what our winter might look like, which could make preparation easier. But of course, all recorded temperatures after October 8th are just predictions.
As you can see, October will see nothing really much lower than 40 degrees. Which is why it serves as the perfect time to get ready for the cold Erie winters. There are certain things you would want to get done now, versus November when the damage may have already been done. For example, if you are in desperate need of new tires before the snow hits, then definitely take care of that in October, or November at the latest. But as you can see from the graphs, this is just an easy way to see what type of winter we will be having. Of course, these are just predictions and that can change at any moment, but it is good to at least see a rough estimate.