UB researcher offers tips on winter preparedness

January has proven to be an eventful weather month in Western New York, with single-digit temperatures, sub-zero wind chills, thundersnow, snow squalls and a lot of snowfall overall. And while residents surely have felt like they’ve been on constant weather watch this month, winter weather in the area usually doesn’t hit its peak until February.

But don’t despair: UB faculty member Susan Clark has some emergency preparedness tips that can help even the most seasoned Buffalonian deal with the stretch of winter that looms ahead.  

Clark, associate professor, director of the Sustainability Leadership master’s degree program and Edward J. Kikta Jr. Innovation Professor of Experiential Learning in the Department of Environment and Sustainability, is an expert in climate change and sustainable development, resilient infrastructure, power outages due to extreme events, sustainability education and community resilience.

She says one of the key aspects of being prepared for winter weather and heavy snowfall is to anticipate power outages. “The occurrence of power outages in the U.S. is increasing due to extreme weather, aging infrastructure, higher energy demands and more items becoming electrified,” she says. “The higher demands on electricity needs combined with the old infrastructure of the grid struggling to keep up is a perfect storm.”

For power outage preparedness, Clark echoes the typical courses of action: have candles, flashlights and extra batteries, power banks, phone chargers, wood if you have a fireplace, hand-crank radios, a lighter and matches at the ready. She encourages students on campus to be prepared, dressing in layers and wearing hats, gloves, boots and a good winter coat — especially critical for those who are not used to colder climates. And students should limit time spent outside. “Even 10 minutes outside in bad weather can get a person frostbite without the proper gear,” she says.  

Generators are another great tool to have in extreme weather events, but Clark cautions that those who use generators need to be aware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. “Areas with weather events where folks are using traditional generators often see a spike in carbon monoxide poisoning injuries because people are directly around the generators — usually plugged in with an electronic device,” she adds. “Never sit around generators, and keep them in a well-ventilated space.” An alternative may be to invest in a home battery back-up system.

Depending on the temperature and how well your home is insulated, turning off the water may be a necessary precaution during a power outage to keep the pipes from freezing. For shorter outages, let faucets drip to keep water flowing. Clark notes an old trick to keeping plumbing warm is to open the cupboards and vanity doors to allow warm air from the home to circulate around plumbing pipes located on exterior walls. 

She also suggests having an action plan ahead of time, considering such questions as, “Where will I go if I can’t stay at my home? What resources are around me that I might need to know about when the power goes out? Where can I get bottled water? What neighbors do I know? Do I have their contact information? Where are the local designated warming centers?”

Clark says it’s important to know the best places for credible communications and updates, such as the National Weather Service (NWS). Severe alerts from the NWS automatically go out to cell phones, and New York State residents can sign up for emergency alerts through ny.gov.

She stresses it’s important to stay up to date with local updates as well. Since UB is in Erie County, Erie.gov is a good place for local information, and residents can call 211 to locate a warming shelter. Students are automatically signed up for UB Alert emergency notifications, and can learn more about what’s happening on campus by visiting emergency.buffalo.edu for more updates.

“It’s also important to get connected with local groups on Facebook, X or other places where you can communicate with people in your own community for updates,” Clark says. “Facebook groups like Buffalo S.T.O.R.M were especially vital for community members during the Buffalo blizzard in 2022, when people were looking to connect people with resources and loved ones, obtain medicine, help shovel elderly people out and so on.”  

The concepts of weather and climate are often at risk of being intermingled, but Clark says it’s important to know the difference and why it matters. “Weather is basically what is going on outside your window that day and the next day,” she explains. “Climate is defined by trends over long time periods.” She says what scientists are seeing is consistent with a warming world.

In Western New York, lake-effect snow events are a clear signal of what we might see in the decades to come. 

“When you look at predictions based on the warmer water temperatures in the Great Lakes, it’s a perfect setup for big snow totals and blizzard-like conditions over the next 50 to 75 years,” Clark says.