COLUMBIA, Mo. – January is when many Show-Me-State residents start to experience the full wrath of winter: plummeting temperatures, ice, snow and their attendant woes: frozen pipes, slick roads, power outages and more. MU Extension has resources to help you prepare for and respond to severe winter weather.

Extended cold weather can freeze water in household plumbing. This can not only make your faucets run dry, it can result in burst pipes. Learn how to prevent or safely thaw frozen pipes.

Do you have icicles hanging from the eaves of your roof? Aside from the obvious danger when they fall, icicles can be a symptom of ice dams, which can inflict serious damage outside and inside your home.

Power outages can be a consequence of winter weather. While generators can keep the lights on and help you stay warm, be aware of the dangers generators can present.

Shoveling snow from the driveway is hard – and sometimes dangerous – work. Take precautions, or, depending on your age and overall health, consider having someone else do the job.

Winter weather can inflict severe damage to your trees. Learn about first aid for storm-damaged trees.

Speaking of trees, if you’re going to use ice melters on your driveway or sidewalk, be careful to not harm nearby trees.

As many as 25,000 older adults die each year from hypothermia, and room temperatures as mild as 60 F can trigger hypothermia. Here’s how to help older friends, neighbors and family members stay safe.

In extreme cases, winter weather might leave you without power for extended periods, make travel all but impossible, or even force you to seek shelter elsewhere. In such cases, having a disaster supplies kit can be a lifesaver.

These MU Extension publications are available for free download:

• Preparing for an Emergency: Home Heating in an Emergency
• For the Unprepared: Home Heating in an Emergency

More information:

• Missouri Extension Disaster Education Network
• List of MU Extension winter weather resources