As we start seeing cooler weather and the publication of early winter forecasts by several weather outlets it’s time to think about winter. These early predictions are calling for a warmer and dryer for most of the Mid-Atlantic area and this is mostly due to a La Nińa climate phenomenon that is predicted to emerge in September – November of this year. However, after checking the Internet for additional 2024-25 winter forecasts on the Internet you can almost find one to fit the weather that you wish for whether you be a snow person or a warm winter person. So what should one do to be prepared? The good thing for us, being near the ocean, is that the winter temperatures aren’t usually too low which allows one to get away with layers of clothing rather than specific cold weather wear. What about snow? During the past several years we have not gotten any significant snow, but many of us remember the times we have had substantial amounts of snow and not that far ago the ice storm in 2010 when electricity was out for many for over a week. How should we prepare? As we have suggested many times look for the common things that you need to prepare for the various weather situations and focus on them first. For example, the waterproof boots you wear when it floods will work with heavy socks in snow, the same goes for using an unlined raincoat over a sweatshirt or jacket when it is snowing. Keep it simple and no worries about clothing matching as there are no fashion rules in surviving outdoors in the winter. If you have supplies for sheltering in place for a few days you should be okay during a heavy snow storm. The major concern is losing electricity. Fortunately, unless we have an ice storm the outages are usually short and isolated in the area. Most solutions to give you a backup to electricity outages usually require a substantial investment. With all the solar on many houses, you would think that would be helpful in a power outage, unfortunately, if there is a power outage most panels are part of a grid-tied system and will automatically shut down for safety reasons when the grid goes down, so you can’t count on that solar. However, if you install separate solar panels that charge batteries and you have an inverter, you will then have limited power to keep the heat running or the refrigerator cold. There are smaller units marketed as “solar generators” which are essentially a solar panel that hooks to a unit that contains batteries and a built-in inverter to convert the solar panel voltage to house voltage. Like a generator, you simply plug your cord into the “solar generator” to get power. These units are good for a limited amount of time and a limited current draw. An intermediate solution is a portable generator that runs on propane or gasoline. Portable generators require routine maintenance and the storage of highly flammable fuel, something not everyone would want to do. Lastly, you have the whole home generator that runs on natural gas or propane. These units supply electricity to your entire house and automatically check readiness by starting up and running for a little while every week. Unfortunately, these require a substantial investment that many cannot afford. Whatever you decide to fill the electric outage gap in your home preparedness plan take time to thoroughly investigate all your options and look for something that is low maintenance, easy to operate, and fits your budget.
