How to Dig Out of Your House in a Blizzard

Wear appropriate clothes for winter weather. Put on several light layers of clothes. Your outer clothes should be water repellent. Wear a hat that covers your ears, mittens and a scarf that covers your mouth.

Stretch your muscles and jog in place briefly to warm up before heading out to shovel.

Begin shoveling before the snow has finished falling. Even if there is only a few inches of snow on the ground, getting a head start can help reduce the potential health risks of snow shoveling. Instead, shovel frequently as the snow falls and take frequent breaks.

Use proper posture as you shovel to reduce the risk of injury. Keep your back straight and use your legs and shoulders to lift the snow. Hold the shovel close to your body and avoid twisting your upper body when tossing the snow aside.

Throw the snow as far away from your path or driveway as possible without injuring yourself. As you continue to work and the snow piles up, deposit the snow closer to the path or driveway. Because you have a great deal of snow to shovel in a blizzard, this puts less of a strain on your muscles. If you piled up the snow close to your path early in the blizzard, later on you would have to throw the snow over the pile.

Stay hydrated as you shovel. Drink lots of water on each of your breaks.

Clear snow away from your car's tailpipe before starting the engine to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Shovel snow away from the exhaust vent of a direct vent gas furnace system, if applicable.