Tips for Safely Finishing the Winter Season

Although spring is around the corner, winter weather can surprise anyone at any time.

Last February, for example, Oklahomans experienced extremely cold temperatures, as well as ice and snow.

Here are a few helpful tips on how to stay prepared to handle inclement weather as we wrap up the winter season:

Winterize Your Home.

If you haven’t already, it’s always a good idea to make sure your house has proper insulation, good windows, and weather stripping around doors and windows to keep cold air out and the warm air inside (and vice versa in the summer). Make sure to insulate your water lines in the event of a hard freeze.

Check Your Safety Systems.

Make sure you have working smoke detectors in your house. It’s important to also install a carbon monoxide monitor that can alert you if it detects the odorless, colorless gas that may be deadly. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause dizziness, headache, confusion, vomiting/upset stomach, chest pains, and/or weakness.

Ensure Your Vehicle Is Ready to Handle the Cold Temperatures.

Keep current on your vehicle’s service appointments; check the tread on your tires and your car’s fluid levels, including antifreeze; and ensure your gas tank is full.

Keep an Emergency Kit in Your Car.

• This kit could include:
  • Extra water and snacks
  • Warm items like blankets, sleeping bags, hats, gloves or coats
  • A portable charger for your cell phone
  • First-aid kit
  • Flashlights and extra batteries
  • Jumper cables
  • Tire pump and extra tire
  • Flares
  • Ice scraper
  • Sand or cat litter to help with traction if you get stuck

Create an Emergency Kit at Home.

• This kit is helpful year-round and can include:
  • Water
  • Non-perishable food
  • A portable charger for your cell phone
  • Flashlights
  • Battery-operated weather radio
  • Batteries
  • Baby items
  • Pet supplies, including food for your pets
  • Medicine
  • First-aid kit
  • Extra clothes and warm blankets

If you lose power, make sure to keep generators outside and more than 20 feet away from your house to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Leave your house immediately if your carbon monoxide detector goes off and call 911.

Need more winter weather tips? Review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Winter Weather information.

In addition to these safety tips, we’d also like you and your loved ones to stay healthy. If you need medical advice, log on to Norman Regional Virtual Care and visit with a provider today from the comfort of your home or office. It’s quick, convenient, and only costs $64 for each visit. Learn more about Norman Regional’s other telemedicine offerings.

Just like we aren’t out of the woods in terms of winter weather, we are not out of the woods with COVID-19. If you haven’t already, get your COVID-19 and flu vaccines (and don’t forget the COVID-19 booster dose). Also, continue to practice good hand hygiene by washing or sanitizing your hands often; wear a mask (especially if you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine); practice physical distancing; avoid large groups; and cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then clean your hands.