Winter weather is upon us, and ice can cause serious problems for your home. One of the main issues with ice is not during the actual freeze, but once temperatures begin to warm again. “If I were to tell people only one thing, it would be clear your gutters,” said Jennifer Hawton of PEMCO Mutual Insurance. Ice can get in the gutters and expand and clog them, causing roof leaks or foundation issues during rapid melt. It’s also key to ensure your hoses are disconnected, faucets are covered and pipes are insulated or wrapped. “The amount of damage that you can get from a burst pipe is catastrophic,” Hawton said. “It’s something you cannot foresee, and it will really be frustrating and displace you out of your home and take a lot of time to get fixed.” Inside your home, it’s important to keep warm air circulating. For kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls, open cabinet doors to allow warm air in and consider a trickle of cold water to keep pipes from freezing. If you’re going on vacation, keep the heat on but turn off the main water valve to your house and drain the pipes. Leak-detecting sensors in high-risk areas (bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements) can also alert you to any issues. To prepare for storms, Hawton suggests making sure you’re parked in your garage if you have one, sleeping on the first floor of your home for safety and ensuring your cell phone is charged. When it comes to driving, make sure your wiper blades are in good condition and that you regularly have a full tank of gas. Older car batteries are more likely to fail in the winter too, so be sure to check yours. With the holidays and traveling on the way, it’s always important to stay prepared. “There’s a lot of things you can do to prep your house and prep your car to go on these longer trips,” Hawton said. For more tips and advice to protect your home and yourself during the winter, visit the PEMCO website. Sponsored by PEMCO Mutual Insurance Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.