Snowpocalypse is Just a State of Mind

In the Pacific Northwest home owners are alarmed at 3 inches of snow, while home owners in Alaska don’t get riled up even when snow literally comes into their bedroom and covers them while they sleep.  

Snow, like everything in life, is relative. A snowpocalypse to an Oregonian is just a tease to a Chicagoan. But the tools and techniques to tackle that snowstorm apply across the board.

• Learn if snow removal from your roof is necessary and what to do about it. A pro is best, but snow rakes are a DIY option.

• Sort out your salt options and claims. For instance, the lower the price of the product, the more salt it contains and the more potentially harmful it is to the environment. Sodium chloride may not even work below 15 degrees F.

• There’s a proper way to shovel to save your back and even your life. If snow is a novelty to you, be careful, especially if you’re over 50, overweight, or out of shape. The combination of cold air and the strain of shoveling can literally kill you.

“When the temperature outside drops, our blood vessels narrow to prevent our bodies from losing heat,” says Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “This is a natural response that can also put people with heart conditions and those involved in strenuous exercise at greater risk of having a heart attack.”

Her advice: Stretch first, bundle up, push the shovel, and take frequent breaks.

My advice: Buy your spouse a snow blower so you can enjoy your next snow day off.

How much snow does it take to send your town into a snowpocalypse panic?