Things to Consider when Living in the Mountains in the WINTER, like Snow!

27 Jan, 2021

Things to Consider when Living in the Mountains in the WINTER, like Snow!

Living in the mountains is good clean living. We live in the foothills of Yosemite National Park and it is beautiful year round. It is slightly cooler than the city, has more rainfall, and snow. There are things to consider when living here such as less retail stores, but all the necessities are available (at a slighter higher cost). Nature surrounds us and we have to live accordingly. Winter is the season where weather can affect life and travel. Here are some ideas to consider when living in the mountains in the winter...

Some of these things are common sense and good ideas for preparedness regardless of snow, but when a storm is coming it is much more important.

In California, our power gets shut off for strong winds and fires. Power may be off for a week and sometimes there is little to no warning. Trees fall down on houses and on power lines. Keep trees and vegetation away from your house. Even things that you may think are not run are electricity, use it to start. Propane stove may needs to be lit with a lighter.   

Know where your emergency stock is. If you have made this mistake, you will be more prepared next time. Nothing like trying to find things in the dark when you don’t even remember where you put it. Preparedness in the mountains is a way of life. Firewood can not be split and used right away. It has to dry, which takes months. One way I check it is to put it on my face and if it feels cold, it is probably still wet. Keep it covered once it is split and stacked so it doesn’t get wet when it rains and don’t stack it near your house (fire hazard)!

Things to have in your home and readily usable:

• Flashlight with matching batteries and candles and lighter/matches

• Bottled water

• Groceries, Ready to eat food (i.e. granola bars, beef jerky, bagged snacks), non-perishable food

• Pet food

• Firewood, if you have a wood stove or fireplace

• Cold weather gear: boots, thick jackets (Did you know that real wool will keep you warm even when wet? Wool is warmer than cotton.)

• First aid supplies

• charged battery packs to charge cell phones

Actions to prepare:

• Fill tub up with water if you have a well because a well needs power to pump water to your house. The water can be used to flush toilets or wash up.

• (Our house is on a hill and there is a 2500 gallon water storage tank on top of it. Our well is rigged to pump up to the storage tank and then feeds the house by gravity. We have water even with no power for 1-2 weeks. Really nice feature if you can engineer that into your property.)  

• Keep clean frozen 2 liter bottles/milk jugs with water in your freezer – they will help keep your food frozen/cold and you can use the water if it melts.

• Have extra gas, fill up your car’s gas tank. Many gas stations need power to operate

• Fill your propane tank in the summer when propane is cheaper per gallon

• Photos/videos of your house in case you need to file insurance for damage   

• Keep your prescriptions filled

Don’t travel unless you have to in a storm. But IF YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL, things to keep in your car:

• Bottled water

• Ready to eat food/non-perishables

• Flashlight and batteries

• Blanket, extra clothes, gloves, shoes, hat

• Tire chains or cables. I prefer chains. Know how to put them on BEFORE you need them. Don’t be the guy on the side of the road reading instructions. Tire chains are tire specific, not one size fits all. And on a side note, when it starts snowing, a lot of stores will be sold out of chains because there are a lot of people who wait until the last minute or decide they want to visit the snow because it’s not common in their area.

• Yoga mat or empty pet food bag – I use it to sit on when I have to put chains on so I don’t get dirty/wet

• Small shovel

LEARN TO DRIVE in the snow and cold.

• Drive slower, drive smooth – no sudden movements

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly

• Allow extra time and distance to slow down

• BLACK ICE is very slippery and you may not see it on the road. It is when water freezes on the road. It will take longer to stop so look farther ahead and keep more distance from cars ahead of you

• Get winter tires

• If your car starts to skid, look where you want to go and not where you are going.

Things great to have:

• If your house stove is not gas, a propane grill to cook/heat foods

• Telephone that operates without electricity

• Generator

• Chainsaw

This may not be an all-inclusive list, but should give you a head start to live smarter in the winter in the mountains.

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