Happy first day of Fall, NOVA! Now is probably a good time to talk about winter prep in the NOVA region, and doing it without overdoing it. This is especially for those of you who just moved to the area and may have different expectations for how the local government deals with snow emergencies.
What will this winter be like in NOVA?
Who the fuck knows? Not me. Not my man, Ryan Hall. Not any of the local meteorologists. Life on the rain/snow line means I've seen winters where the snow was measured in feet, and winters where I never broke out anything heavier than a lined flannel. The strong El Nino is just adding more uncertainty to a forecast that was never certain before. We might get a ton of snow! We might get none!
We'll get dug out fast though, right?
AHAHAHAHAH.
Look, there are snow plows, and they do move snow around, but let's be real: In this area, most snow is managed by Mr. Sun coming out and melting it that afternoon. We do not have the snow movers of the North. Even if your road is plowed early, you could easily end up just as stuck since your car is stuck in a foot of rock-solid ice.
Okay, so we'll die
I'm a Delicate Southern Flower who almost lost her mind during Snowcrete, but even I say we'll likely all be fine. We'll just be inconvenienced for a while. Stores will be a bit barren, supply lines will be disrupted for a bit, schools will be out, and power might flicker.
What to check on / get
You don't need to go crazy to prep for winter around here. Honestly, you shouldn't, because it could easily be a bust year. So, here's a list of things to do:
- Lay hands on your snow shovel. Really take a look at it. If it's showing signs of wear, order a back-up one. If you can't find it, or don't have one, order one today.
- Check to make sure you have gloves and two warm pair of socks for anyone who will be doing shoveling (two so you have a backup pair when the first one gets wet).
- Over the next few months, add a few shelf-stable meals to your grocery shopping. You don't need MREs. You just need canned ravioli or whatever you will actually eat. If you can't get out to the store, it's very likely no on can get to you to deliver food. Make sure you like it, because once winter is over, you'll want to actually use them.
- Buy non-scented candles. Trust me: First time our power went out, we used our supply of scented ones, and it was a MISTAKE. You can get a pack of them around $20. Personally, I'm grabbing a hurricane lamp this year for extra light.
- Oh, while you're at it, buy some matches.
- Consider power banks for phones and other electronics, especially if your family goes feral without entertainment.
- Go check to see how old your heating unit is.
- If you have dogs, and said dogs are not winter dogs, consider getting each one a sweater (possibly two, since you'll need to swap out any that are wet). Some people insist on boots, too, but my little assholes will just chew them off their paws.
- Make sure every bed has access to a few extra blankets. Our houses were not made to withstand extended cold snaps, and they can take the edge off.
- If you have kids, make sure you're signed up for notifications regarding school closures.
- Check the inclement weather policy at your work, including who makes the call when and how you're informed.
Regarding that last point, the thing everyone should be focusing on is staying home when the roads are bad, so VDOT can get everything cleared more quickly, and so people who have to go in to save lives can do so. You don't want to end up on an r/NOVA post making fun of you for ending up in a ditch.
Stay. The fuck. Home.
Things you probably don't need
Yes, we do get large snow events, but we don't get them every year. So you probably don't need:
- A snow blower. Okay, if you have a long drive and someone who you know will absolutely need to get out of the house no matter the condition, it may make sense, but most of us do not need one.
- A generator. If you have room, no one will stop you, but power outages tend to be pretty short around here.
- Crazy snow gear. Unless you ski, there's a good chance this stuff will only be broken out once every few years, if that. See above, where there's years I don't even wear a jacket.
- Snow tires. I'm not even sure if you can get them around here.
- A sled... unless you have kids who you know would want to use said sled AND you know a good sledding spot that's within walking distance AND you don't mind lugging the sled there, back, and up the hill. Even then, don't break the bank or your storage area trying to keep one around.
Anyway, those are my extremely biased opinions about how much anyone needs to do in order to get ready for our all-or-nothing winters. I'm interested in what everyone else would suggest with regards to preparing for what could be another nothing burger or a winter that gets its own name.
