Becoming Winter-Ready

It's not too late

So, more snow on the way today as winter sends an early warning of what’s in store. A few centimetres are likely in the Barrie-area today, another 5-10 centimetres tonight and perhaps 10-15 more tomorrow in flurries and squalls.

With that expected snow, and what the Collingwood-area experienced last week, we wanted to make sure you’re ready for winter travel.

Colleen Simpson, Simcoe County’s Manager of 911 and Emergency Planning, urges everyone to have an emergency kit in their car. A shovel, snowbrush and ice scraper, for sure. But she says you’ll also want a blanket, flashlight, hats, mitts, scarves and a wind-up radio, in case you want to turn off your car but still listen for updates and alerts.

Bottles of water and snacks will help see you through an extended delay.

Simpson also recommends you always have at least half a tank of gas in your vehicle, “If you’re stuck or stranded somewhere, or if the power goes out gas stations are not always able to pump gas unless they have a generator.” Some cash might come in handy, too, since bank machines may not work in a power outage.

If you wind up stranded in your car, you may need to run the engine to keep warm, but not for long periods, says Simpson, “We recommend about 10 minutes every hour, just to keep warm, but then shut it down and wait.”

A fully charged cellphone is also recommended, as well as a portable charger for your phone.

Candles can be handy as a warming device, but they’re also a fire hazard, and they consume oxygen, hence the earlier recommendation of a blanket.

Click here for more winter emergency preparedness advice.

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