Tips to Surviving First Wintry Mix of 2017
The first winter weather event is expected to hit the East Coast and South with a wintry mix of snow, ice, and freezing rain. While it may create a picturesque winter scene, when snow and ice coat roads, sidewalks and power lines the scene quickly turns from beautiful to dangerous.
“Ice can be more dangerous than snow because it’s harder to see and definitely more challenging to drive or walk on,” said Martin B. Tirado, CAE, CEO of the Snow & Ice Management Association, the North American trade association representing snow management professionals. “Of the more than 1M injuries in the U.S. caused by falls, the most common type of fall is the slip and fall caused by ice.”
In addition to causing injuries, ice can cause loss of power, road closures, car accidents, fallen trees and impassible sidewalks. Melting and freezing conditions also can create (and recreate) icy conditions days after the initial storm ends.
Here are these tips on surviving an ice storm.
- TIP #1: Wear winter shoes. While fashion is great, on ice be careful about high heels or slick soled slip-ons. The right shoes to navigate ice place the entire foot on the ground, has heavy treads, and a flat bottom with good treads for traction.
- TIP #2: Anticipate the ice. Watch out for black ice–thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement. Black ice is often the result of ice melting and refreezing in thin layers that are tough to see. And the melting and freezing pattern may repeat day after day–ice appears in the morning as you leave for school or work, melts during the day, and it refreeze at dusk. Be particularly careful in shady spots where sunlight may not melt the ice at all.
- TIP #3: Plan ahead. While walking on icy sidewalks or parking lots, walk mindfully. Anticipate where your next step will be. Pay attention when stepping off a curb, using steps, or getting into a car because shifting your weight may make it easier for you to lose your balance resulting in a fall.
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