Around the House: Stay Warm When the Snow Starts to Fall

By Yehudit Garmaise

A little preparation today can help New Yorkers stay warm without creating excessive heating bills when five to eight inches of snow are expected to fall tomorrow.

 1.      Look around your house and consider where cold air might enter. Even the smallest draft can cause temperatures inside to plummet drastically when the weather is cold.

 2.      Lay a blanket, a towel, or a door draft stopper at the foot of doors that might allow in cold air. Similarly, apply winter tape or sealing caulk along the edges of window panes to prevent cold drafts from leaking around the glass.

 3.      Make sure to lay a rug down on wood and tile floors to warm the floor for anyone who walks on it. Rugs act as “heat traps” that create a warm look and feel.

 4.      Move furniture away from heat ducts and radiators so the heat is not obstructed and the warmth can easily travel throughout the house. Similarly, ensure all heating vents are open and not blocked by anything.

 5.      Close curtains to retain heat inside the house.

 6.      Set the ceiling fan clockwise to circulate the air and push warm air to where room occupants can feel it.

 7.      Keep the doors to the rooms in use open while closing the doors to any rooms not being used to shrink the area of heated space.

 8.      If one room in the house tends to be colder than others, have children host each other for slumber parties in the warmer rooms.

 9.      Electric blankets can be useful in getting to sleep when the house won’t warm up.

 10.  Warm comfort foods, like soup, chili, and hot cocoa, can be prepared to warm everyone coming in from the cold.