Your backyard will be vulnerable in the winter and it can face many challenges. One of the biggest challenges is a snowstorm, a weather disaster that could destroy your backyard efforts all year long.
(winter snowstorm)
Even experts can't prepare a yard right before a blizzard is about to hit. The best measure is to prepare your yard in advance of the period when a snowstorm hits.
When do winter snowstorms usually occur?
Winter snowstorms often hit the Midwest. Snowstorms can occur anytime from mid to late October through April. However, snowstorms are most likely to occur from December through February.
How long can winter snowstorms last?
The duration of a winter storm can range from a few hours of snowfall to one day. Sometimes, winter storms can bring strong winds, sleet, and freezing rain, which can last for days or even weeks.
Your backyard preparation checklist
Prepare all the tools you need
Before the snowstorm hits, make a list of the tools you'll need and follow it to the letter.
The following tools are recommended.
- Snowblower. Try to choose a snow blower that consumes little fuel and is easy to use and store.
(Man with Snow Blower)
- Snow shovel. There are places where a snowblower cannot reach, so you need an ergonomic snow shovel. A sturdy shovel will save you energy.
- Roof rake. Snowstorms can overburden roofs. With a roof rake, you can clear the snow from your roof more easily.
- Snow brush. Snow brushes can help you clear your car of snow more quickly, and the soft, durable foam is better for your car than the rough bristles.
- Generators. Snowstorms can cause power outages. The generator as a backup heavy-duty tool can provide temporary power to your home in the event of a power outage.
Clean and maintain backyard gutters
This is one of the most important tasks on your snowstorm preparation list, and snowstorms can be a huge challenge for your gutters. When a storm hits, the weight of rain, snow, and ice can put tremendous pressure on your gutters and can even cause them to fall off. To ensure smooth drainage, be sure to clean your gutters of leaves, debris, and other debris when the storm season hits.
In addition to cleaning, you should also check your gutters for cracks and loose or missing parts.
This task is related to the ability to melt snow and ice to pass smoothly through your gutters. And, you'd better double-check that the gutters are aligned to prevent surprises.
To make your drainage system last longer, installing gutter guards is an ideal practice. This type of device will make the drainage system stronger and able to withstand more snow and ice loads to get through the snowstorm smoothly.
Clean up your yard
You should move your yard furniture, especially items such as party tents on the lawn, swings, children's toys, etc., indoors immediately before a storm is about to hit. Otherwise, they will hurt your grass when the snowstorm comes. If moving them indoors is more of a hassle for you, you should try to move them to the garage for storage.
Mow the lawn
Mow your lawn to a suitable height. Cutting too high may cause the grass to bend and break under the gravity of the snow, leading to disease, and cutting too short may damage the turf.
(Backyard lawn)
As a general rule, winter lawn heights need only be about an inch more than summer ones.
Rake leaves in the yard
The fallen leaves in the yard are sometimes a special sight, but on snowy days, they can be a problem. Early winter is a good time to rake fallen leaves, and too many leaves on the lawn can damage the grass, especially when the temperature is below freezing. But you don't need to make all the fallen leaves disappear, a few fallen leaves can protect the lawn. And the chopped fallen leaves can also be used as compost to nourish the lawn.
Caring for trees
You could give your trees more attention before severe weather to get them through this ordeal. The following five steps can help you
1. Check the tree for peeling bark, trunk chips, cracks, dead branches, leafless branches, etc. These signs indicate that your tree may be sick.
2. Prune. You should prune bad branches, dead branches, branches with insect damage, etc. to keep your tree in a healthy condition.
( trees caring)
3. Wrapping the trunk of a tree. Young and diseased trees are the most vulnerable to damage during snowstorms. One of the most effective ways to protect them is to wrap the tree trunk. This has some benefits, such as, first, helping to reduce the effects of snow and ice, second, preventing rodents from chewing on the bark, and third, reducing the damage caused by UV rays.
You should remove the wrapping when early spring arrives and the climate warms up. Otherwise, the tree trunk may absorb too much moisture leading to mold.
4. Fill the soil. If you find cracks in the planting holes of your new tree, fill them with soil to prevent cold air from penetrating and damaging the roots.
5. Add extra mulch. To nourish the tree and keep the roots warm, add an extra layer of mulch, for example, shredded wood chips, to the soil around the tree.
Prepare Your greenhouse
Your greenhouse can work in winter, even during snowstorms, but you need to make the necessary preparations.
- Add heating equipment. Low temperatures can be very damaging to plants, especially during snowstorms. To protect your plants from snow and ice, you need to add a heating system that can maintain a temperature of 60°F. And you need to turn it on a few hours before the storm starts.
- Reinforce your greenhouse. When choosing a greenhouse kit, your best choice for all conditions is a heavy-duty backyard greenhouse. Because greenhouse construction is critical in the face of severe weather, such as a snowstorm, a quality frame structure increases the entire greenhouse's ability to withstand wind, snow and ice.
(winter clear greenhouse)
Typically, winter greenhouses need to withstand up to 30 pounds of snow per square foot and wind gusts of up to 105 mph. Before the storm hits, you can make your greenhouse stronger by doing the following reinforcement work:
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Prepare durable lumber to support the greenhouse structure.
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Use nails to secure the greenhouse.
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Build a windbreak to protect your greenhouse from the wind.
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Add stones or pavers to reinforce from the inside
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bury the PVC mulch material.
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Inspect every corner of the greenhouse and fix the openings with silicone sealant or sealant tape.
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Keep the doors and windows closed.
Protect your RV
Snowstorms can spell disaster for RVs. Snow and ice can penetrate the interior of the RV and even cause structural damage. Once you know a storm is coming, remember to protect your RV to avoid damage.
(winter RV protection)
- Use an RV carport. If you have the budget, a custom-built RV carport or purchasing an RV carport kit are both recommended options. RV shelters can effectively reduce the damage to your RV from snow and high winds.
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Use an RV cover. You should put a winter RV cover on your RV if you have a limited yard area that is not large enough to accommodate an RV carport. The purpose of an RV cover is to prevent rain, snow, dust and animals from entering the RV. There are many types of RV covers on the market, such as class a rv covers, class c rv covers, and travel trailer covers.
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Park near the windbreak. The location of the RV is important. To reduce the impact of rain and snow on your RV, you should park your RV near a physical windbreak, such as near a large building. Parking your RV on the side that is not affected by the main wind will provide some protection.
Pay attention to your carport
During the winter months, a heavy-duty car canopy is one of the safest places to store your vehicle. This structure can reduce the damage that high winds and rain and snow can bring to your vehicle.
(winter carport protection)
Maintaining your carport is one of your most important jobs before a snowstorm, and it's about whether your vehicle can survive the challenge in the carport and your carport can continue to work.
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Check the carport. This is the first and most important step, first check if your carport is secure, any signs of sagging or leaning? If so, you need to replace aging parts immediately.
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Maintain the carport. Even if your carport appears to be in good condition, you need to remain vigilant and you need to replace old parts and reinforce them before the snow comes. If there are gutters inside the carport, you need to clean them carefully, otherwise, snow and ice and other debris from the storm could clog the pipes.
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Make a path around the carport. You need to check the condition of your carport and vehicles after a heavy snowfall, and shovel or plow a path around the carport for easy access and tool use.
Conclusion
Although snowstorms are a concern, if you are well prepared for them, you will be more confident to face the challenge. While it is important to minimize the damage caused by the storm, your safety always comes first. Try not to go outside during the storm to avoid danger. We wish you the best this winter! Be with you!
