The National Weather Service is predicting cold temperatures in the single digits for Akron overnight on Thursday, as well as brief bursts of heavy snow during the day.

Here are some tips and suggestions to help you prepare for and get through the rest of the winter.

Make sure your house is ready

Cold snaps can bring extra risks and dangers for homeowners and folks in your neighborhood. Be sure to check in on elderly relatives and neighbors and bring pets indoors when the thermostat takes a dive. 

Inside, the American Society of Homeowners offers these tips to make sure your home is ready for the next cold spell.

Make sure your home is insulated

Drafts coming from your windows and doors let in cold air and make your furnace work harder to keep your house warm.

If you notice strong drafts coming in, try weather-stripping your windows and doors or applying caulk to plug the drafts. You can also install window insulation film or use sheet kits to help contain drafty windows for a quick short-term fix. Window replacement may also be an option, but it’s expensive and takes more time to complete.

Signal background

Prep your furnace

It’s a good idea to schedule a routine check-up every winter with a local HVAC professional to inspect your furnace or HVAC. Be sure to keep your vents clean and replace air filters, when needed.

Getting your furnace in good working order will prevent surprises and help you stay ahead of any issues.

Inspect your fireplace and chimney

Before you light that first log, be sure to have your fireplace and chimney inspected by a professional chimney sweep to make sure it’s safe. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) is a good start to find a reputable, licensed chimney specialist in your area. Once you’re given the green light, remember to keep the flue closed when your fireplace is not in use, so you don’t lose any warmth.

The National Weather Service is predicting cold temperatures in the single digits for overnight on Thursday, as well as brief bursts of heavy snow during the day.

Clean out your gutters

Clean gutters are crucial to transporting water away from your home year-round — it’s especially important in the winter. When snow and ice melts from your roof, you want to ensure it can easily flow down and out through your gutter system.

Ice dams can form when meltwater collects in the gutters and freezes inside them, sometimes causing water to seep inside your home. Be sure to check your gutters and clean them out if you find any debris. Ensuring your attic has proper ventilation can also naturally help your home prevent ice dams.

Set your thermostat

To avoid overworking your furnace during stretches of below-freezing temperatures, you may want to gradually lower your thermostat by a degree or two and acclimate yourself to cooler temperatures in your home.

Be sure to not go below 65 degrees so that your pipes do not freeze and potentially burst. If you have overhead fans in your home, set them to rotate clockwise so the warm air will be pushed down from the ceiling and make your home feel warmer.

Prevent your pipes from freezing

There’s always a chance during severely cold weather that your pipes could freeze and potentially burst.

Pipes located in attics, basements, exterior walls or any other area that gets especially cold are most susceptible to freezing. To prevent it, you can take steps such as insulating them, letting water drip from the connected faucets, turning up your thermostat and opening cabinet doors to let warm air in around them.

If a pipe does burst, immediately shut off your home’s water connection — to do that, you’ll need to know the location of your homes’ main water shut-off and how to turn it off.

Stock up on supplies

Keep a stock of non-perishable food and water on hand. Run essential errands, such as refilling prescriptions, before the storm hits.

What to wear outdoors

  • Dress in layers of loose-fitting, lightweight and warm clothing. Be sure to wear a hat.
  • Mittens that fit snugly at the wrist are better than gloves.
  • Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extremely cold air.
  • Try to stay dry and out of the wind.

Winter car and driving safety 

First, minimize travel and stay indoors, whenever possible, during the worst part of the extreme cold. Getting stuck when it’s dangerously cold outside can be life threatening, so stay home if you can.

Bitterly cold weather is also much harder on your vehicle, so before you go, be sure to:

  • Check tire pressure, antifreeze levels, heater/defroster, etc.
  • Check that your tires are properly inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications and have plenty of tread.
  • Keep at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle at all times. (If you get stuck, you’ll want to be able to occasionally start the car to warm up.)
  • Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area such as a garage.
  • Don’t use cruise control when you’re driving on slippery surfaces such as ice and snow.
  • Make sure your windshield and rear window defrosters are in proper working condition.
  • Keep plenty of windshield washer fluid in your reservoir and don’t dilute the solution with water.

Keep an emergency kit in your car that includes (good for non-winter situations, as well): 

  • A car charger(s) for your cell phone.
  • A flashlight with extra batteries.
  • Reflective or warning triangles to put outside your vehicle in case of a breakdown.
  • A first-aid kit.
  • Drinking water and non-perishable food (don’t forget your pets).
  • Traction aids such as sand, salt, non-clumping cat litter or traction mats.
  • An ice scraper or snow brush and shovel.
  • Gloves, extra coats or sweatshirts, hats and blankets.

AAA also has winter driving tips for snow and cold weather conditions here.

Sources: National Weather Service, AAA

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.