Winter Weather Awareness

Tips for Staying Warm
Exposure to cold can cause life-threatening health conditions. Avoid serious conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia, by keeping warm.

• Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head.
• Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
• Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
• Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.

Snow Removal Safety Tips

• Stretch before you go out. If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body. This may prevent injury.
• Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth when outdoors.
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. Unfamiliar exercise, such as shoveling snow or pushing a car, can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Take frequent rest breaks, and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
• Keep dry. Change wet clothes frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
• Stay safe. Walk carefully on snowy or icy sidewalks. If using a snow blower, never use your hands to unclog the machine.
• Maintain an awareness of utilities when shoveling snow. Do not cover fire hydrants with snow when clearing sidewalks and driveways. Do not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins.
• Offer to help individuals who require special assistance, including seniors and people with disabilities.

Clearing Snow & Dangling Ice from Roofs

• Snow and rain that collects on roofs becomes heavy and may damage buildings.
• Remove leaves and debris from roof drains to prevent water from collecting.
• In addition to cleaning out gutters, clear snow from roofs and drains.
• Flat roofs require special attention. Snow and water should be removed with drainage systems or manually.

OEM and the Department of Buildings urge building owners and managers to remove ice from their buildings, where possible. If ice removal is not possible, building owners and managers should rope off the unsafe area.

Residents should take care to avoid areas roped off due to hazardous ice conditions, and be cautious of dangerous, hanging ice.