COLD WEATHER ADVICE, FROM A MONTANA YOTE TO ALL MY TEXAS FRIENDS STRUGGLING RN!

1) Cotten Kills. Cotten fabrics absorb water and stay wet. Wet will make you cold. Stay as dry as possible and if any under where or socks become wet change into dry ones right away.

2) layers. Wear as many layers that is comfortable. It is much easier to stay warm than it is to warm back up.

3) close all the doors in the house and isolate to one room. Your body produces heat! Use it!

4) gas is cheeper than electricity. If the power is off-

But the gas’s is still on isolate to the kitchen, and turn on the oven! Many gas stoves can be turned on with a hand lighter. Take caution as you don’t want to cause a gas fire.

5) buddy up! Yes even the dog. Mammals make body heat so get all the pills and blankets and sleep-

Together. It’s -12 and no heat can be very serious. If someone dose go out make sure they remove any and all cloths with snow on them before returning to the warm blanket. NO MOISTURE!

6) tent time! Have a tent? Set it up in the living room as your new hot space with body heat

7) help yourself neighbor. These are very serious times. Covid is still ongoing so take precautions but if you know anyone who is currently living alone and low risk without power could be life threatening. Mask up and invite them in to add to your body heat It could save someone

Montana is no stranger to cold weather. We have systems in place to help eachother when the weather gets brutal. Here the pipes are frozen rn and it’s not uncommon to ask your neighbors for a shower and a few matches. Helping eachother is our greatest tool in times of adversity

8)if you get stuck somewhere in your car do not leave it running! This will kill the battery and waste gas. Turn on the car for ten minutes on and ten minuets off. This will keep you warm enough until help can arrive. If it was an accident invite the other party into your car

9) don’t let your food spoil in the fridge! If the power goes out move freezer food outside and fridge food in the garage to keep it cold!

10) store out of heaters?? Head to your local agriculture supply store! Coop heaters and barn heaters are cheap alternatives! Heat light bulbs are cheap! Please keep in mind though there is a real fire hazard with these do not use unsupervised! Do /not/ leave on unsupervised!!!

11) seems obvious but it’s easy to forget that snow melts! When returning from outside remove all clothes with any snow in them. Leave them at the front door do not track snow in the house you can step on later. Wear under armor to wick sweat and water away from your body

12) OPEN THE CABINETS! Your pipes are getting cold. Open the cabinets to the main part of the house to help keep them warm and from bursting

13) if you can help it don't let your gas tank go below half way empty. Gas dosen't freeze like water and if much easier go keep the car running on a full tank of gass than a half tank or quarter tank where the moisture can freeze the pipes

14) Car stuck in the snow? Pile up DIRT, potting soil, salt etc behind fhs wheels of the car. This will help you get traction if the ice and snow is to slippery. Drive 10 miles under the speed limit in conditions like this without snow tires. Better late than stuck.

15) dog driving you mad because you can't exercise him? Give him food and brain eriching games to simulate his mind. This will keep him calm even though he's confused his routine is changed. A water bottle with wholes cut in it makes for a fun cheep food game

16) use the snow as water! Pile snow in the bathtub. Disinfect by boiling it or using a brita filter if you have one.
Don't use the tub if your pipes are freezing use a separate bucket instead. Use your best judgement for your house!

Q) what if my gloves are wet but my hands are cold?

A) ditch them! If you have a choice between damp clothes and no clothes put on your birthday suit and get under a warm dry blanket!

17) if you suspect Hypothermia in someone here are some first steps
-remove all there clothes, chances are some are wet. including socks and underwear.
-slow heat. Wrap them in layers of blankets and let them warm up
-do NOT use hot water to warm them up
-do NOT let them sleep

18) DO NOT use boiling water to melt stuff!! This is a classic mistake used to unfreeze people’s tires. But this will only make the freezing worse! Zamboni's use boiling water to add a smooth layer of ice to a skate rink. And thats just what you'll do trying to melt the driveway

19) keep jumper cables in the car at all times! Cars don't like to start cold and if the car won't turn over it a jump from a warm car can do the trick. Here is standard to always have cables and always pull over if you see a car the side of the road! Don't get caught in he cold

20) if the sun is shining time to shovel! The sun can make a 20 degree difference in heat on surfaces. Now is your chance to remove a layer of snow on your car or dive way. It's much easier to heat a car without a layer of snow on top. Get the car running while the sun is shining

21) Things to keep in your car: kitty litter or a bag of soil. Jumper cables. Lots and lots of spare blankets and towels. A flashlight. Phone charger
Pull over if you see a car on the side of he road. Don't turn your off until you know they need assistance. Help each other out

22) don't go out alone. Here people sometimes go on walks to the grocery store and never come back. Seasonal depression, snow blindness, and weather exsaustion are very real and can come on suddenly especially for people not used to it. Go in pairs! Stay positive!

23)knock knock!! Wild animals and lost pets are just as cold as us! And will seak out warm places. A car engine still cooling down seems like a great spot for a rest.... Until a car is suddenly turned on. Give your hood a few good knocks to let the locals know it's time to boot!

Here are some tips from others as well! Teamwork makes the dream work!