Tips on preparing for winter weather and its aftermath

JACKSON, Tenn. — With winter weather on the forecast this week, here are a few items and tips you may need to prepare for the event.

For those who need to drive in icy conditions, items like windshield de-icer, ice scrapers, as well as an ice melter and shovel for your driveway could help you navigate through the slippery conditions.

If you plan on staying home, there’s always the chance of your power going out.

To prepare, make sure you have flashlights, batteries, a portable heater, portable chargers and a generator if possible.

Remember your four Ps as well: pets, plants, people and pipes.

“The main thing is dripping that water because I think a lot of people had frozen pipes during our last one, and they didn’t seem to think about doing that,” said Cricket Wallsmith, the owner of Ace Hardware.

Other essentials include wood, shovels, jumper cables and cat litter.

The Jackson Fire Department also shared what to do in the event of downed power lines and power outages.

They say avoid the power lines, as they may still be active. And if you lose power in your home, check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for batteries, do not use stove or oven to heat for heat, among a few other tips.

You can read the full lists of recommendations from the Jackson Fire Department here.

Find live radar, hour-by-hour forecasts and more in the WBBJ Weather app.