TWF 363: Another Big Winter Storm Incoming Sunday, February 22nd!

 Hello, friends,

I'm going to keep this quick because you've presumably already heard already, but over the course of the past day or two the outlook for this weekend's snow storm went from, "Eh, some snow, but not bad" to "Oh crap there's a lot, huh?"

For those curious about the details, check out Ryan Hall's video about it here.

Otherwise, the quick and clean is that the usual rules apply:  Prepare as soon as plausible if you still have preparations to do.  Get cars off the road overnight.  Be aware of possible flooding with this one since water tables are already pretty high, especially after yesterday's rain.

To be honest, the worst-case numbers are a bit scary, I know; but I'm hopeful and not expecting too much more than a foot and a half.  Nothing Freeport hasn't dealt with before.

I'm honestly more concerned about the possibility of power outages caused by the combination of wet, heavy snow and high winds.

All the usual advice is below:

 - Keep a cell phone handy; a battery-powered radio is a good idea, too.  If you need to report a non-life-threatening emergency, call the Nassau County line at 1-888-684-4274.  For medical emergencies ONLY, use 911.  Charge it up as much as you can as early as you can.  FWIW I recently picked up a few battery banks and a small solar panel to charge them just in case.

- Try to stock up on anything you need before the snow gets heavy.  It goes without saying that if you can't drive safely, if you can't move well, then you are at risk of getting injured while walking around, or crashing your car if you risk driving.  I know it's kind of an old motif, but get your "bread and milk" now.

 - Keep your pets and beloved animals inside!!!  They won't be able to move through a foot and a half of snow any better than you will, and if the temperature is cold out, they can get sick or even freeze to death.  Have some compassion.  "Winter dogs" are the exception; your husky will probably enjoy the storm more than you do.  If you can, put out a large styrofoam box/cooler/something, stuffed with straw (NOT blankets; straw reflects heat), for local stray cats/animals to take shelter in; in these days, compassion is a must.  If you've got some spare pet food, put that out - staying warm burns calories.

 - Help your neighbors clear the snow from their sidewalks if you can.  If possible - and I mean unless you absolutely cannot - clear out a 3-feet circle around your nearby fire hydrants.  (via TJ Johnson.)  Make sure to dress warmly, wear sturdy and stable boots, and take your time shoveling!  If a storm is a big storm, don't be afraid to do it in multiple smaller batches (like 3-4 shovels) versus one big all-at-once.

 - If the power goes out, be careful with candles! Nobody needs a fire!

 - Don't plug space heaters into power strips!  Those things aren't designed to work for space heaters.

 - Get your car off the road!  Park your cars in your driveway, if you can. (Via FFD member Robert Volpe).  Village lots are typically available for public parking if you can't part in your own spots.

 - Try to have cash available!  In the event that there is no electricity to run credit cards or operate ATMs, you'll want to have money around if you need to pay for anything.

 - Once the storm is over, call your friends and family and see if they're alright!