How to prepare emotionally for this crazy blizzard
Shout out to all my friends in the Northeast who are currently stocking up on ice melt, thick socks and preparing for what meteorologists are calling “the storm of the century.” Super reassuring. And no shout out to my friends on the West Coast who are probably sitting poolside with a book, an iced coffee, and staring into a beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight.
I’m one of those lucky few who finds themselves in the dark colors of the weather graft, and my area is expected to get upwards of 3+ feet of snow. Not exactly the most fun I’ve ever had. However, this isn’t the first blizzard I’ve ever been through, and it probably won’t be the last.
If you are like me, you’re already finding yourself going a little bit stir crazy over the impending pile of snow you’ll have to shovel in a few days. You might also be stocking up on some serious supplies in case of power outages. (For some real winter storm precautions and prep work, check out the Red Cross website.) So you’ve got your flashlight, your snow-melting salt, your candles, your bottled water, your cans of tuna. Now it’s time to prepare your mind—and your entertainment devices—for some serious hunkering down. Here’s what to do:
Make sure all your devices are charged
Our friends on the Northeast coast, so think like Massachusetts coast all the way up to Maine, might be dealing with hurricane-like winds of upwards of 75 miles. Probably, some power lines are going to fall over which might leave you stranded without any electricity. Your laptop, iPad and phone might have battery power now, but come tomorrow afternoon you will have drained all the juice. Don’t leave that up to chance, and start charging everything right now so you’re prepared should you have to rough it like olden times.
Make sure your Netflix queue is stocked and organized
Nothing drains battery power faster than an endless search through Netflix for just the right movie. Start doing that now, so you’re ready to go for tomorrow as soon as school/work has been canceled. Here’s a list of the latest movies available for streaming.
Order food ahead of time
State of emergencies have already been called in a few areas, which means that you need to be off the road. So if you can’t be on the road, certainly a pizza delivery can’t be on the road, either. While it might not be snowing too hard now, and you might not be ready for pizza right now, go ahead and order it now. The best thing about pizza is that it doesn’t spoil immediately — so yeah, go ahead and put it in the fridge. (If power goes out, you’ll still have a few hours to eat that pie before it goes bad.) Ain’t nothing like cold pizza on a blizzard-y night.
Invite friends over
Going through a blizzard all alone isn’t that much fun. If you’re stranded, that means everyone else is stranded at home, too. So why not be stranded together? Break out the air mattresses and everyone gather together at the same place. No one said a blizzard can’t be a fun social gathering (and besides, you just ordered all that pizza!).
Break out the games
This is the time to play CRANIUM, people! Also, Taboo and Balderdash. If nothing else, grab some pieces of scrap paper and prepare for an epic game of Celebrity. If you’re alone, don’t forget to load your phone up on gaming apps. They will keep you sane. And if the power goes out, there’s always a deck of cards and a little ol’ game called Solitaire. It holds up. Trust me.
BAKE ALL DAY
Remember when we were all youngins and a snowday was the best day in the entire world? What did you do when you were little and suddenly found yourself not having to sit through geometry and chemistry back to back? Take your adult snow day to return to those childhood roots, and break out the Kitchen Aid mixer and spend the whole day baking your favorite brownies.
Double check that your car has gas!!
For real, you guys. Check to make sure that your car has gas RIGHT NOW. You do not want to be stranded in a snowbank in two days time. Also, because of car science (which honestly I know nothing about, so this is all coming from my dad who does know car science) it’s easier to drive in the snow with a full tank. This is a practical suggestion, but at the end of the day (or the storm) you’ll feel emotionally better knowing you’re fully loaded.
Find your snowpants
This is the first really big storm of the season. You might not have even found your snowboots yet. Take a moment right now to locate all of your cold weather gear, from those boots, to coats, to gloves, mittens, hats, snowpants, everything. Set them out so you know exactly where they are when it comes time to shovel.
Have a plan for when the snow stops
The snow will stop eventually, I promise. But the first thing to do is NOT try to go anywhere in it. Give the plows time to work their magic and clear the roadways, and maybe the first stop after the snow has ceased is not like, Panera. There are going to be lots of other people out on the roads, who might need to get off to their hospital jobs, or government jobs, or back to school, so let them have the roads for a while. If you don’t need to go anywhere right away, don’t go anywhere right away. Just because the roads have been plowed doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect time to go for a joyride.
Stay. Calm.
This is honestly no need to panic and freak out. This is not the first time we have all seen snow (unless, of course you are new to the Northeast, and then I am so so sorry). While the winds might be bad, and the snow might be heavy, we’ll all manage to get through this together. The last thing anyone should ever do in a situation like this is completely go nuts. I’ve heard that snow melts faster if you stay calm (not true, but I’m going to believe it).
Have fun!
Sledding. Snow ball fight. Snow angles. Snow tunnels. Snow cones. Everything snow related. It might be a pain while it’s actually snowing outside, but after it stops, it can be a magical winter wonderland.
Stay safe, stay warm, and if anyone needs any more moral support, I can give it to you from my igloo in Boston.
Image via here.
