It’s time for falling leaves, hot drinks, and runny noses. It’s also time for the Alaskan clothing combination of hats, sweatshirts, and shorts because we know it’s cold but are refusing to relinquish summer. You’re probably reminding yourself that it’s time to clean out the gutters, put away the garden hose, and find the extension cord to plug your car in at night. Several of us have also figured out that turning on the porch light is now necessary when letting the dog out in the morning.

The temperature is dropping and it won’t be long before we wake up to ice-covered streets. It’s time to think about winter-appropriate tires for your vehicle (studs are allowed beginning September 16th). It’s also a good idea to scrounge up a tub and put jumper cables, warm clothing, and a shovel in it and toss it in your trunk. No one ever MEANS to drive themselves into the ditch but sometimes it happens anyway.

Speaking of vehicles – this is also the time of year when people like to warm them up before climbing in and taking off. Folks, cue the broken record: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLES UNATTENDED WITH KEYS INSIDE. We still take an incredible number of stolen vehicle reports wherein the vehicle was taken because it was left all by its lonesome with the keys in the ignition. Locking the vehicle doesn’t make it any better either. All that gets you is a stolen vehicle with a newly-broken window. Just don’t.

And finally, we are losing at least five minutes of daylight per day, which means the kiddos are walking to bus stops in the dark. Remind your children to stay on the sidewalks when they’re available, and to walk on the edge of the roadway when they’re not. Reflective tape on school bags/backpacks is an excellent idea. If you are a driver, pay extra attention when navigating residential streets and keep an eye out for our students. Whether you are excited or of the “bah-humbug” mentality, the holidays are coming and bringing all kinds of challenging weather with them. Be prepared to give yourself extra time to travel to your destination and SLOW DOWN. Playing bumper cars is only a good idea at the fair.

  clothes, preparation, studs, tires, vehicle theft, warm, winter