Idaho Winters Can be Deadly and Require Preparation

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I found my main snowbrush.  I fished it out of storage.  It has a scraper on one end and a brush on the other.  I still need to dig out some gloves and a scarf.  We aren’t far away.  I recall some Thanksgiving weekends with single-digit temperatures and snow blowing sideways.  I liked winter as a kid.  I could go skating and sledding.  Now that I don’t do those things, snow and ice are among my least favorite things, however.  I still need to drive to work and for groceries.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office says among the most basic things to check is tire pressure.  I keep two gauges in the car.  One is digital, the other looks like a small tire and gives me a numerical readout on a round face.  I keep some cat litter in the trunk.  In case I need some traction.  And a kit recommended by the Sheriff, in case I get stuck for a time in the cold and snow.

Here's another recommendation from law enforcement.  If you're traveling, give someone on the other end of your trip an estimated time of arrival.  One of the saddest stories I remember from my days working in the news involved an old couple on their way to visit family.  They never made it to their destination.  Days passed and the search became intense.  Police called a news conference to ask for tips.  A television photographer I knew was on the way when he noticed something unusual.

Not far from home, the husband had lost control and the car tumbled over an embankment.  The couple died there.  This was also before cell phones became common.  They couldn't even call.