How to plan fun activities in snow for my family?|150643

I am planning outing with my family along with my friends. As you know that snow is falling very heavily all around that is why I searching for some good tips to plan it out.

I found

http://www.tictacdo.com/ttd//How_to_plan_fun_activities_in_snow_with_your_family_and_friends

This is very helpful. But if anything is missed on this, please add so that I can make this outing memorable for me as well as for my family too?

You seem to have a good idea of what to do when you get there. So, I_ll give you some tips on how to prepare for the trip.

Check the current weather conditions before you go (watch the Weather Channel or go to a website like Intellicast to see current temperatures and Doppler radar loops). Consider that the roads may be covered with snow and chains may be required. If you don_t have chains, the highway patrol will make you turn around, basically ruining your day. You can get them the cheapest at some place like WalMart for about $40. If you get them locally at the bottom of the mountain, they gouge you for at least twice that. Practice putting them on before you leave. And, you might want to bring along a tarp or something to set on the ground while you install them. The road will be all slushy and muddy where they will require you to install them.

Make sure you take along a cell phone or two-way radio. You can possibly get stuck in the snow or slip off the road into a ditch in snowy conditions. And, you_ll need to call someone for help. Also, take along some non-perishable food and water. If you do get stuck or run off the road, it may be a while before someone comes to get you. A basic first aid kit is a good idea, too. And, make sure everyone has warm jackets, gloves, boots, and hats to wear. It could get a lot colder than you think.

Everyone should put on sunscreen on exposed skin and lip balm, and wear good UV filtering sun glasses. The sun bounces off the snow and it kind of amplifies the sunburn effect. It_s also very dry if the temperature is below freezing, and you can easily get chapped lips and wind burn.

Be on the lookout for patches of ice on the road. Over night, it can get very cold to the point where patches of ice form. And, if the ice is in the shade all morning, it may not melt until the afternoon, if at all. And, it_s extremely slick (you_ve probably seen the videos of cars in the southeast lately spinning around on icy roads). It_s also hard to see some times. It could look like a puddle or be covered with a light layer of snow. Or, it could be black ice, where it looks like pavement, but it_s actually a layer of ice.

Keep the kids hydrated. When they run around in the snow, they may sweat a lot in their warm clothes and not realize how dehydrated they_re getting. Take a cooler full of Gatorades, bottles of water, etc.

Observe the speed limits and give yourself extra room between cars, especially if there_s a layer of snow on the road. And, be especially cautious going around turns. A layer of snow on the road can quickly get compacted by the cars and become very slick. If there are ruts in the snow from other peoples_ tires, try to drive in them yourself. You_ll be less likely to slip across the snow that way.

Good luck and have fun.