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Are you ready for winter?

Tips to stay out of trouble when cold, snow arrive
Durango Herald file photos

The calendar may say winter starts Dec. 21, but people who have had to scrape off their windows in the morning know, when it comes to weather, winter is already here.

Southwest Colorado probably won’t experience anything like the 60-inch snowstorm that hit the Buffalo, New York, area this week, where at least 10 people have died. But whether you’re a newcomer to Durango or a longtime resident, there are steps you can take to make this a safe and healthy winter season.

On the road

Snow and ice on the roads make driving a whole new ball game.

Capt. Adrian Driscoll of the Colorado State Patrol offered several tips.

Make sure your car is ready for icy roads by putting on adequate snow tires and use chains when conditions are severe. Windshield wipers in good condition also are a must.

“Just slow down,” Driscoll said. “Build in extra time to get where you need to go. A lot of people we see in accidents were hurrying to get somewhere.”

Don’t think four-wheel drive makes you invulnerable on the roads.

“It helps you start on ice, but it sure doesn’t help you stop,” Driscoll said.

Drive more defensively than you do on dry pavement. Stopping distances are longer, and another car hitting an icy patch can put you in harm’s way if you don’t have space to react.

Be prepared in case you are stranded somewhere. The American Red Cross and AAA both have checklists for items you should have in your car, including warm clothes, a sleeping bag and provisions.

The Red Cross also recommends that drivers keep gas tanks as full as possible to keep fuel lines from freezing.

Cody Lujan, a service consultant at Durango Motor Co., said there are two things to check in your engine: Your antifreeze should be tested to make sure it’s good to minus 34 degrees, and make sure the window-washer fluid is the winter weight and not the summer.

“We’ve seen the summer weight, which is often watered down, freeze and break tanks and lines,” he said.

Bob Thom, general manager at Kroegers Ace Hardware, had two more suggestions.

Have an ice scraper in your vehicle.

“Unless you drive a big truck, you don’t need one of those mongo scrapers,” Thom said. “Actually, the smaller ones may work better, and they’re all you need for a small car.”

If you drive a pickup or rear-wheel-drive vehicle, put tube sandbags in your trunk or truck bed to increase traction on icy roads.

Creature comforts

Animals require extra care when temperatures plummet, said La Plata County Humane Society Executive Director Chris Nelson.

“Bring them inside,” he said. “Unless you have a malamute, who would rather be outside than in your 75-degree house with a roaring fire, household pets belong inside as soon as it starts getting cold.”

Animals need access to just as much fresh water in the winter as they do in the summer, he said.

“If they have to be outside some, buy a heated bowl,” he said.

Provide shelter, with at least three walls, if they have to be outside.

“Straw is cheap, and it’s great insulation,” Nelson said. “You can build a winter doghouse out of straw bales.”

Shorthaired dogs need a coat when going outside in the cold, and booties are a good idea, too.

“It makes me furious in the summer when it’s 98 degrees, and people are taking their dogs for walks on the pavement, because it’s hot and hurts their paws,” he said. “Same thing applies in the winter. You should keep a path clear of ice and snow for them to go out and/or put on booties to protect their paws.”

Horses and cattle need extra feed in the winter, because grazing is not available.

“In a perfect world, there would be a stall or barn for livestock when it gets bitterly cold,” Nelson said. “But people should at least make sure there’s a way for them to get out of the wind and have water that is not frozen to drink.”

Home, sweet home

Homeowners have winter-oriented tasks both inside and outside the home.

Troy Oliger, vice president and co-owner of Garrhs Inc., has tips for heating-system maintenance:

The first thing to do is replace the furnace filter.

A carbon monoxide sensor is important in the bedrooms, when windows are closed all the time.

Most of the newer high-efficiency systems have condensate drains. Either the homeowner or a professional should check them to make sure they are clear and the pump is working.

Many newer homes have built-in humidifiers, which also require maintenance.

“They can be a real source of trouble,” Oliger said. “They can freeze, overflow, get plugged up.”

Freezing pipes is one of the most common problems in homes in the winter. The Red Cross has several recommendations, including:

Consider installing pipe sleeves, heat tape or similar materials on exposed pipes to provide insulation.

During cold weather, open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warm air to circulate.

During extreme cold periods, let the cold water trickle from the faucets, which can keep them from freezing.

Fires caused by heating equipment, fireplaces and stoves are frequent occurrences during the winter, said Durango Fire Protection District Deputy Chief of Operations Hal Doughty.

There are basic precautions people can take to make sure their homes aren’t one of them:

Hire a professional chimney sweep to clean your chimney or stovepipe before every winter and make sure your wood stove is in good operating order.

“Fires start in chimneys and stovepipes all the time, and then they spread to the attic. Those are particularly hard fires to fight,” Doughty said.

Dispose of fireplace or stove ashes in a metal bucket and don’t put the bucket on a combustible surface like a deck.

“It’s amazing how many people think a fire or accident won’t happen to them, but we see five or six fires every winter that happen because people didn’t dispose of ashes properly,” he said.

In addition to the carbon monoxide sensor, which he also considers critical, Doughty said homeowners should have their heating fuel provider or plumber make sure the home’s venting is working properly.

And then there’s the driveway, sidewalks and steps.

“What you need depends on where you live, how much snow there is and how wet it is,” said Bob Thom, general manager of Kroegers Ace Hardware. “But at a minimum, most people should have a snow shovel and a snow scoop.

Don’t wait to buy your snow-removal equipment until the first big storm.

“It’s amazing how many people don’t think about it until it snows,” Thom said. “I’ve lived here 20 years, and I already have my shovels out. When we get a big storm, we will not have shovels in stock the next day.”

Consider Ice Melt Salt or similar products for areas that are frequently icy.

And doctors in the Buffalo area advise people who have heart conditions or high blood pressure, even if it’s controlled through medication, to avoid shoveling or excessive snowblowing. At least half the deaths in that storm were caused by cardiac incidents.

abutler@durangoherald.com

On the net

www.colorado.aaa.com, click the “auto” heading for seasonal driving tips.

www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm, for information about being prepared for a winter storm.



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