~ from Hennepin County news
Are you prepared to stay safe this winter? Minnesota's winters can be a great time to get out and explore.
But winter also presents many hazards that we need to prepare for – including extreme cold, snow, and ice – and our changing climate means an increased frequency of freeze/thaw cycles, ice storms, rain on snow events, and heavy snowstorms.
Heavy snow or ice storms can make it hard to get out to get what you need. So, it’s a good idea to be prepared to hunker down for a few days and to stay safe when traveling on our roads. See ready.gov's list of what to include in an emergency kit at home and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s list of what to include in a winter driving survival kit.
As long as you’re prepared, Minnesota winters are a great time to get out and explore! Remind yourself how to dress for chilly, cold, and extremely cold weather with this helpful graphic from weather.gov (PDF).
Using salt on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and roads can help improve safety, but too much salt pollutes our water and can harm pets and wildlife. Melting snow and ice carries salt into our lakes, rivers and streams, permanently polluting our water. And with more freeze/thaw cycles and ice storms, salt pollution is a concern throughout the winter.
Do your part to minimize your impact this winter by following Clean Water Minnesota’s 4 steps to using sidewalk salt responsibly: