Dear Dave,

I am new to Western Colorado, coming from the East Coast. I am used to winter weather, but am wondering how much I should prepare my home for winter conditions here in Grand Junction.

Do you have any recommendations on whether or not I need a back-up generator in case of power outages? What about sprinkler systems - is there anything special I need to do? I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for me.

I look forward to hearing from you-

Joan - New to Grand Junction, CO

Joan,

Welcome to Western Colorado, where the people are nice, the living is easy and our winters are really not that bad! I don’t believe you will find our winters anything like what you are used to. We do get snow, but it generally melts in a few days, if not later that afternoon when the sun comes back out! Having a backup generator is not a bad idea, however I have never had need for one in my 25 years of living in Grand Junction. Power outages are generally short lived and few and far between, as we don’t get ice storms here. As you know, ice storms are generally the culprit of long power outages. Although we see little severe winter weather, there are a few thing you do need to do to get ready for winter.

Your irrigation system needs to be winterized and blown out. Your evaporative cooler (if you have one) needs to be drained and the water supply line blown out. While you are at it, you need to make sure it is covered or at least the cooler vents are covered so you don’t lose heat through your vents all winter long. It is also a good idea to close your crawl space vents (if you are on a crawl space) and cover them with insulation. Clean out your gutters, roof valleys and downspouts to help reduce your chances of getting an ice dam and allow proper drainage when we do get snow and it is subjected to the freeze/thaw cycle. These items should cover most of the things you need to do to prepare for winter that might be different from back east.

My bet is, you will love it here and wonder why it took you so long to move west! Welcome!

Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team