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Snow and Ice
Winter conditions can create specific environmental problems, indoors and out. When power lines are down, people run generators which can release toxic air pollutants inside homes and buildings. Deicing chemicals can damage local ecosystems and contaminate drinking water supplies. This page provides information about how to reduce these effects.
Read the winter weather forecast and summary from the National Weather Service.
Find general winter tips for reducing waste, energy, and more.
DANGER - PELIGRO
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Envenenamiento de Monóxido de Carbono
Learn the warning signs of CO poisoning:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, move to fresh air immediately. Call 911 for help. Read more / Lea más.
Listen | Eschuche
Public Service Annoucement about carbon monoxide. | Aviso del servicio público sobre el monóxido de carbono.
Around Your Home
People get sick or die each year from carbon monoxide or "CO" poisoning. Learn how to protect yourself and your family:
- Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents.
- Never use a generator inside a home, garage, crawlspace, shed, or any indoor area. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours. More information
- Proteja su vida y la de su familia: Evite el envenenamiento con monóxido de carbono (español) - conozca los síntomas del envenenamiento con monóxido de carbono. | Más: Tormentas de nieve y hielo
(trad. Chinese) (PDF 2 pages, 173K)
(Korean) (PDF 5 pages, 311K)
- Never operate a gas-burning appliance in a poorly vented or closed room, or where you are sleeping. Never try to heat your home using a "combustion appliances" like a gas stove, oven, barbeque grill, or dryer. Learn more about combustion appliances.
- Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Know the symptoms of CO poisoning. Public Service message about carbon monoxide
Clearing ice from walks and driveways, or keep it from building up in the first place? Find options that are less harmful than salt. 
Be prepared for severe winter conditions before storms arrive. Read more about:
- Winter preparedness safety tips, from FEMA
- Extreme cold prevention guide, from CDC
- Snow shovel safety tips from the American Heart Association.
Did you know...?
If you are working or playing outdoors, a strong wind can make it seem much colder than the thermometer says it is. Scientists call this effect "windchill."
For
example, if the temperature outside is 30°F but the wind is blowing at
10 miles per hour, the windchill will FEEL to you like it's a colder
21°F! Be ready for windy conditions - read more about windchill, and try the wind chill calculator, from NOAA.
For municipalities and airports
- Manual for Deicing Chemicals: Application Practices - the results of a study about minimizing the loss to the environment of chemicals used in controlling snow and ice on highways.
- Road Salt Application and Storage - Application and storage of deicing materials, most commonly salts such as sodium chloride, can lead to water quality problems for surrounding areas. Municipalities in areas with snowfall that requires deicing must ensure proper storage for materials such as road salts.
- Storm Water Management Fact Sheet Minimizing Effects from Highway Deicing (PDF, 229 KB, 8 pp.) - This fact sheet emphasizes methods and practices for snow removal that are feasible and cost effective for local governments to implement and that are also consistent with sound environmental quality goals.
Road salt should be covered so it isn't
lost in stormwater runoff or doesn't clump together. More about road salt application and storage.
- Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet: Airplane Deicing Fluid Recovery Systems (PDF, 121 KB, 6 pp.) - The recovery of spent ethylene glycol or propylene glycol from industrial processes is accomplished by a three-stage process typically consisting of primary filtration, contaminant removal via ion exchange or nanofiltration, and distillation.
- Preliminary Data Summary - Airport Deicing Study - To support the effluent guidelines development, EPA is collecting data on the engineering, economic and environmental impact aspects of airport deicing operations. (Scroll down to read preliminary data summary.)