How to Prepare for a Snow Emergency

Winter storms in Clearfield County can change travel conditions quickly. Heavy snow, blowing snow, freezing rain, and rapidly falling temperatures may affect roads, power service, sidewalks, and access to homes. A little preparation before the first flakes fall can reduce hazards and make it easier to manage a prolonged period indoors.

Snow readiness is a shared responsibility. Residents should prepare their households and vehicles, while property owners and drivers must take reasonable steps to keep entrances, sidewalks, and travel routes safe. Local government, emergency responders, utility providers, and road crews may need time to reach every location during a severe storm.

The most useful plan is practical: monitor reliable local information, gather supplies, protect vulnerable people, and avoid unnecessary travel. Preparing before conditions deteriorate also helps emergency personnel focus on urgent calls rather than preventable problems.

Monitor the storm and local notices

Begin by checking the forecast regularly when winter weather is expected. Pay attention to the timing of snowfall, projected accumulation, wind speed, ice potential, and the length of the storm. A forecast that calls for several inches of snow may require a different plan from a storm that combines modest snowfall with freezing rain and strong winds.

Residents should use reliable sources for road, weather, and public safety information. The township website is a useful starting point for official municipal information and public contacts. Keep a battery-powered radio available in case internet or cellular service becomes unreliable, and make sure mobile devices are charged before the storm arrives.

Take warnings seriously even when conditions near your home appear manageable. Roads in shaded areas, bridges, hills, and less-traveled streets may become icy before the problem is obvious. If local authorities advise people to stay off the roads, postpone errands and allow snow-removal crews and emergency vehicles to work safely.

Prepare your home before snowfall begins

Inspect heating equipment, chimneys, generators, and carbon monoxide detectors before winter weather creates an urgent need for them. Keep a safe supply of fuel for approved heating appliances, but never use a grill, camp stove, outdoor heater, or generator inside a home, garage, shed, or enclosed porch. These devices can produce deadly carbon monoxide even when doors or windows are open.

Gather several days of essentials, including drinking water, shelf-stable food, prescription medicines, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, warm clothing, blankets, and personal hygiene items. Include supplies for infants, older adults, people with disabilities, and pets. If someone in the household relies on powered medical equipment, contact the provider in advance to discuss backup power and emergency procedures.

Reduce the chance of frozen pipes by insulating exposed plumbing and closing doors to unheated areas. Know where the main water shutoff is located, and keep a wrench nearby if one is needed. During extreme cold, opening cabinet doors below sinks and allowing a small amount of water to flow may help protect vulnerable pipes, but this should not replace proper insulation or repairs.

Before the storm, move vehicles into a garage when possible and bring in outdoor furniture, tools, decorations, and loose containers. Clear leaves and debris from drains and downspouts so melting snow can flow away from the structure. Trim branches that are already weak or close to utility lines, but do not approach a damaged or energized line after the storm.

Make travel and vehicle plans

The safest choice during heavy snowfall is often to remain at home. If travel is essential, fill the fuel tank, check tire pressure and tread, test the battery, and confirm that headlights, brake lights, windshield wipers, and defrosters work properly. Keep an emergency kit in the vehicle with a blanket, warm clothing, water, snacks, a flashlight, a phone charger, a first-aid kit, jumper cables, and a reflective marker.

Clear all windows, mirrors, lights, and the roof of the vehicle before driving. Snow left on a roof can slide forward during braking or blow onto another driver’s windshield. Never leave a vehicle running in a garage or near an open window. If a vehicle becomes stuck, remain with it unless emergency personnel direct you to leave. Turn on the hazard lights, keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and run the engine only briefly for heat with a window slightly open.

Drive slowly and leave additional space between vehicles. Sudden braking, sharp turns, and cruise control can cause a loss of traction on snow or ice. Treat intersections, stop signs, curves, and bridge decks as especially hazardous. A road that appears wet may be covered in transparent ice, particularly after temperatures fall below freezing.

Snowplows need room to operate. Keep a safe distance behind plows, avoid passing them, and remember that the roadway may remain snow-covered after a plow has passed. Do not park where a vehicle could obstruct emergency access or snow removal. If a car must be left along a roadway, follow any applicable parking restrictions and move it as soon as conditions allow.

Clear snow safely around your property

Plan where shoveled or plowed snow will go before the storm starts. Do not push snow into the street, across a sidewalk, around fire hydrants, or against utility equipment. Piles placed near driveways and intersections can reduce visibility and create a hazard when they freeze. Keep pathways to doors, meters, fuel tanks, and emergency access points open.

Use a shovel suited to your strength and physical condition. Lift smaller amounts, push snow when possible, and take frequent breaks. Cold air and strenuous exertion can place significant stress on the heart, especially for people who are not accustomed to heavy physical work. Ask a neighbor, family member, or professional service for help if clearing snow is unsafe.

Apply ice melt or traction material according to its instructions. Some products can damage concrete, plants, pets’ paws, or metal surfaces when overused. Sand or another traction aid may improve footing when temperatures are too low for conventional deicers to work effectively. Keep walkways well lit and use handrails where available.

Roof snow can become dangerous when it accumulates or begins to melt and refreeze. Watch for sagging, unusual creaking, blocked vents, or large ice formations along the roof edge. Avoid standing beneath overhanging snow and ice. If removal is necessary, use a qualified professional rather than climbing onto a slippery roof.

Protect people, pets, and essential services

Make a contact plan for family members, neighbors, and anyone who may need assistance. Older adults, people with limited mobility, residents who live alone, and those who depend on electricity for medical devices may need an earlier check-in. Decide how people will communicate if phone service is limited, and identify a warm location that can be reached safely if the home loses heat.

Pets should remain indoors except for brief, supervised trips. Wipe salt and deicing chemicals from their paws, provide unfrozen water, and keep animals away from antifreeze and other toxic substances. Livestock and outdoor animals need protection from wind, adequate feed, and access to liquid water. Snow can conceal fences, holes, debris, and other hazards.

Snow and ice can interrupt trash collection, deliveries, appointments, and public programs. Avoid placing containers where they interfere with plows or block sidewalks. If a scheduled activity must be canceled or postponed, rely on the responsible organization’s current notice rather than assuming that normal operations will continue.

Winter weather does not eliminate the value of outdoor spaces, but conditions may change their safe use. Township recreation resources and community facilities may have separate operating information, while the parks and recreation advisory board’s role provides context about how local recreation is supported. Check conditions before walking, sledding, or visiting a park, and keep children away from frozen ponds, streams, and snowbanks near roads.

Respond to outages and storm damage

If the power goes out, use flashlights instead of candles whenever possible. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed; food may remain safe for a limited time if the doors stay shut, but discard items that have been held at unsafe temperatures. Never use a gas oven to heat a home, and operate a generator outdoors, well away from doors, windows, and ventilation openings.

Report a power outage or damaged utility equipment to the appropriate provider, and stay at least 35 feet away from downed lines. A line that appears inactive may become energized without warning. Do not touch a person, animal, vehicle, fence, or puddle that may be in contact with a power line. Call 911 for immediate threats such as fire, a medical emergency, a trapped person, or a live wire creating an urgent danger.

After the storm, inspect the home from a safe position. Look for structural damage, water intrusion, fallen branches, blocked vents, and signs of carbon monoxide exposure. If a pipe bursts, shut off the water if it is safe to do so and contact a qualified plumber. Photograph damage for records, but do not enter a compromised building until it has been declared safe.

Emergency responders may face blocked roads and a high volume of calls after a major storm. Keep driveways and house numbers visible, and make sure responders can reach the property. When calling for assistance, provide the exact location, describe the hazard, and explain whether anyone is injured or in immediate danger.

Keep a simple winter readiness routine

Preparation works best when it becomes a routine rather than a single activity before one forecast. At the start of winter, review household supplies, vehicle equipment, heating systems, insurance information, and emergency contacts. Replace expired batteries and medicines, and restock items used during the previous season.

Before each significant storm, charge devices, check on vulnerable neighbors, secure outdoor objects, and move vehicles to suitable locations. Confirm that everyone knows where flashlights, blankets, fire extinguishers, shutoff valves, and first-aid supplies are kept. A written list can be especially helpful when stress, darkness, or a power outage makes it difficult to remember details.

Use the following checklist as a final review:

• Check the latest weather and local public safety notices.
• Keep food, water, medicine, pet supplies, and warm clothing available for several days.
• Prepare vehicles and avoid unnecessary driving during the worst conditions.
• Clear walkways and access points without placing snow in streets or near hydrants.
• Check on people who may need assistance while staying clear of downed lines and unstable structures.

A thoughtful plan protects more than a single household. Safe parking, careful driving, responsible snow placement, and prompt reporting of hazards help road crews, utility workers, police, fire departments, and medical responders do their jobs. They also make it easier for neighbors to move around safely once conditions improve.

Review your household plan before the next winter storm, gather the supplies you are missing, and monitor official local information as weather develops. Taking these steps early can turn a difficult snow event into a manageable interruption and help keep Lawrence Township residents, visitors, and emergency personnel safer.