Three Tips to Get Your Home Ready Before You Leave Town in Winter

As folks are getting ready to travel for the holidays, the National Weather Service is warning of a winter storm moving into the area in the days before Christmas. Before leaving town, there’s a few simple steps you can take to prepare you home.

Move your car off the street

When our crews head out to clear snow from streets, they can do their job quickly and more effectively when they’re not maneuvering around parked cars. It also prevents you coming back home to a car encased in a bank of frozen snow. North Liberty prohibits on-street parking anytime a snow emergency is declared (or automatically when we get two-inches of snow or more), and can ticket and tow cars that remain on public streets.

Arrange for sidewalk clearing

To make sure our sidewalks are passable and safe, North Liberty requires that sidewalks be cleared within 48-hour of a snowfall. If you won’t be around to clear you sidewalk of snow and ice, ask a neighbor or hire a service to make sure people have a safe surface to use.

Prevent frozen water pipes

Frozen pipes can lead to broken pipes and water damage. Protect yours by keeping your home heated to 55 degrees when you’re away and opening cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the pipes. If you have pipes that are exposed to below freezing temperatures, letting them drip slowly can be enough to prevent the water in side freezing.