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Threats & Emergencies  

Winter Weather

Winter Home • Winter Basics • Preparing for Winter Weather • Responding to Winter Weather

Preparing for Winter Weather

Special Needs

Citizens with special needs and their caregivers should take the time to prepare now for the hazards that winter weather can bring. Along with the recommendations made on other pages of this site, be sure to take the precautions described below.

Freezing Temperatures and Wind Chills

• Because some disabling conditions may limit sensory abilities and heat maintenance, be particularly vigilant about staying warm when you are out in low temperatures.
  • Wear multiple layers of clothing, including a scarf around your neck, a winter hat, lined boots, and two pairs of socks.
  • If possible, wear thermal gloves underneath mittens to keep your hands warm.
• If you travel in a wheelchair, wrap a small blanket around your legs, tucking it underneath yourself or around your sides. This will help to maintain body heat.
• If you use a working assistance dog, remember that dogs can also suffer from hypothermia and frostbite. Get a dog coat to place under his harness, and consider getting boots for his paws. Also, have a blanket for the dog in your vehicle.

Ice, Sleet and Freezing Rain

• Wheelchair users may consider purchasing pneumatic tires for better traction. Another alternative is standard dirt bicycle tires.
• Use table salt or clay cat litter to clear ramps. Rock salt can poison working assistance animals and may also be slippery.
• Freezing rain will stick to surfaces such as canes, walkers, forearm cuffs and wheelchairs. Use gripper driving gloves to keep your hands warm and to prevent slipping.
• Remove the tires from your wheelchair and shake debris and ice off them before placing them in your vehicle.
• Wipe down any metal surfaces (wheelchair tire rims, walkers, etc.) as soon as possible after returning home. This will prevent rusting.

Snow

• If you are a wheelchair user and unaccostomed to heavy, strenuous wheeling, be very careful when travelling through snow. The added exertion could lead to heart attack or stroke.
• Check your feet, pelvic areas and hands for circulation problems. This is particularly important for wheelchair users, because feeling may be normally limited or not present.

Adapted from materials produced by the Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management in the state of Washington.