Snow Season- 4 Essentials to be Ready at your Home or Cabin

Every year during the late summer and early fall we prepare for the snow season ahead. After years of practice there are a few essentials we find ourselves returning to that are easy and practical. With a little bit of easy preparation and forward thinking we are always grateful to have these chores completed before the first snow of the season flies.

Snow Season Needs Plenty of Firewood

A few years ago our area of Colorado experienced a serious snowstorm. We had neighbors up the road from us without heat and electricity for a couple days. Our cabin was lucky and was only without power for several hours. So, as a result, of that experience we always keep dry firewood inside our cabin. It’s our goal to have a day’s worth of wood that could keep a small warming fire lit constantly. We also have a stash of firewood right outside our basement door for easy access if needed.

If we know we’ll have a large snowstorm that could affect our power, we’ll cover this reserve firewood with a tarp.

Prepare for Snow Removal

In late September my husband conducts maintenance on the snowblower. He makes sure it is functioning well, the augers are turning, changes the oil if necessary, and that it’s gased-up and ready. We’ve had plowable snow as early as mid October before so it’s important to be ready when it arrives.

We’ll also check our snow shovels, sleds (for the kids), and our snow gear. We make sure everything is in working order and that the snow gear still fits the kids. In our neck of the woods you gotta shop early for snow supplies.

Snow Shovel Placement

One of the best ways to be ready for the season is to place a few snow shovels inside. We place child sized snow shovels on the inside of every door for quick easy snow clearing access. The child sized shovels don’t take up much space (they can hide under and behind things easily) but come in so handy when shoveling out of our cabin and we use them all season long.

Stock the pantry

The final step, and likely the most obvious, is to stock the pantry with up to three days of food. I also like to make sure my baking supplies are stocked all winter too. I typically have enough items to make various soups, biscuits, cookies, pancakes, and a ground beef meal or two.

These essentials make a huge difference for our peace of mind, and ensure we’re ready for whatever our 7 month, November through May, snow season may hold. They are small, simple, free, and affordable steps but make such a difference! So when the snow does start to fall you are ready to snuggle up, make something yummy and enjoy the view!