Cold reaches everywhere

Many U.S. cities start feeling the chill early — freezing temperatures and snowfall before the season has properly begun. But extreme cold is not exclusive to the north. In January 2014, all fifty states logged below-freezing temperatures on the same day. Hawaii recorded 21 degrees that year.

Cold weather wreaks havoc on a house that is not prepared for it, wherever that house happens to be.

The eight tips

1. Install a smart thermostat. You are not always home when a cold snap arrives. A smart thermostat lets you adjust the temperature from a phone anywhere, so the house is warm when you walk in.
2. Seal windows and doors. Check the weather stripping. Worn, cracked or inadequate sealing gets replaced — that seal is what stops heat loss all winter.
3. Prep your pipes. Below-freezing temperatures crack and burst water pipes. Insulate every exposed pipe, winterize outdoor faucets, and shut off the water to the house if you will be away for a prolonged period.
4. Make sure the heat source measures up. Older traditional HVAC systems struggle to keep a house comfortable once temperatures drop below freezing. Cold-climate systems are built for it: some are rated to deliver 100 percent heating capacity down to 5°F and keep heating reliably at outside temperatures as low as -13°F.
5. Take care of the roof. Inspect it and repair damaged shingles before the storms arrive. Clean the gutters to help prevent an ice dam, and trim tree branches that could come down on the house under heavy snow and ice.
6. Tackle indoor air. Extreme temperatures keep everyone inside for long stretches. An air purifier keeps the air in a closed-up house fresher through the season.
7. Add insulation. The Insulation Institute estimates 90 percent of American homes have less than the minimum recommended insulation. The Department of Energy publishes home insulation guidelines worth checking against your own. Adequate insulation is what keeps the heat in and the cold out.
8. Gather emergency supplies. Extreme weather can leave you without power, or unable to leave for supplies. Keep a stocked kit: bottled water, non-perishable food, extra blankets, a battery or hand-crank radio, a battery or solar light source, and a solar charger for a phone. With a wood-burning fireplace for backup heat, keep dry firewood on hand for an outage.

Before it hits

Extreme weather can happen anywhere, which is the whole argument for doing this work in advance. None of the eight takes long. All of them are harder once the temperature has already dropped.