Northern Arizona residents and government agencies are anticipating our first winter storm of 2021 to hit this weekend.
The Sedona area is expected to receive several inches of rain and snow while Flagstaff and the towns above the Mogollon Rim can expect more.
We have also had people move to Sedona over the past year — a dry year — who have no idea how to drive in our type of rain and snow. Don’t be surprised if new residents who moved to Sedona from Sunbelt states lose all rational ability to operate a motor vehicle in the slightest wet weather.
New residents from the Midwest or New England treat our rain and snow storms like a nor’easter about to sweep them into a snowbank or the sea. Our storms can be intense, but not cataclysmic. If you have decent tires and stay on paved roads, you should be able to drive at a normal speed safely.
While the weather likely won’t be as serious as in past winter storms, you should stock up on winter supplies including food and, if you don’t have a gas heater, firewood just in case the power goes down, rendering electric heaters and space heaters inoperative. If you have a fireplace, keep the flue closed when you’re not using it.
Make sure your furniture isn’t blocking your home’s heating vents. Heat works best by warming open air. If heat is directed into furniture, you’re just warming the sides or bottoms of objects and get no benefit.
It’s been months since we experienced a major storm lasting several days, so dry washes and culverts uphill may not have been cleared or cleaned in quite some time and the infrastructure like power and phone lines that haven’t endured stress conditions in a while may be more likely to break from natural wear and tear.
Stay indoors during the storm. If you’re outside, walk carefully on wet, snowy, icy walkways and sidewalks.
Avoid overexertion if you have to shovel snow. It’s a serious workout, and going at it too hard can bring on a heart attack, a major cause of death in the winter according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now probably won’t be much of a concern for most Sedona area residents, but could be a problem for residents living up in Oak Creek Canyon.
Stay dry. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits the cold rapidly.
Disconnect and drain all outside hoses. If possible, shut off outside water valves. Insulate walls and attics, and caulk and weather-strip doors and windows. Repair roof leaks and remove tree branches that could get weighed down with ice or snow and fall on your house or your neighbor’s.
Oak Creek Canyon drivers may notice snowplows driving along State Route 89A. The Arizona Department of Transportation uses snowplows to clear roads during active snowstorms to keep the roadway passable so no one gets stranded.
Should you find yourself behind a snowplow, stay at least 50 feet behind. Do not pass. The safest place to be during a snowstorm is directly behind a snowplow.
If you leave city limits, don’t travel alone if you can avoid it. Keep others informed of your schedule.
If your neighbors are elderly, drive cars not conditioned to winter weather or are snowed-in, offer to carpool and run errands together to be safe on the road and reduce the number of cars on the road that may slow traffic or cause accidents.
Be careful heading up or down on Cooks Hill. The majority of storm-related car accidents occur on this steep hill, both up and down.
Top off antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, gas, oil and other fluids. Make sure your tires have enough tread.
Keep bagged salt or sand in the trunk of your car or bed of your truck for extra traction and to melt ice. If you have rear-wheel drive, your rear wheels need pressure to gain traction.
Clear snow from the top of the car, headlights and windows before your drive.
Save the numbers for your auto club, insurance agent and towing service into your cell phone.
If you plan to drive outside the city, keep a cold-weather kit in your trunk. It should include a blanket or sleeping bag, gloves, hard candy, bottled water, folding shovel, first-aid kit, flashlight and cell phone charger.
Christopher Fox Graham
Managing Editor
