While I've neither seen nor heard anything from the Town of Christiansburg, Blacksburg has been blanketing its residents with information designed to try to help make things easier for everyone with this new predicted snowfall.

Here are some of the things they are recommending that would certainly apply here as well:

• Park in your driveway rather than on the side of the road (This keeps roadways clear for the snow plows to come through, keeping roadways open for emergencies and emergency vehicles.)
• Please wait to clear your driveway until the snow plows have cleared the street. (This one may not apply so much where there are streets that end up waiting for days for the snow plows to come through. People with 4 wheel drive vehicles may be able to get in and out before the snow plows ever reach them. In cases where you do need to clear part or all of your drive, please consider keeping the removed snow in your yard, not in or on the side of streets. Be aware that you could clean your drive area only to find the snow plow has filled it up again.)

The big thing is don't get out in this type of weather unless you have to do so. The more vehicles on the roads, the harder it is to clear them safely.

Be prepared to stay in the home for a few days if need be. That means stocking up on the basics (don't forget the toilet paper) such as food, pet food, medications, some crossword puzzle books, a good book or two, etc.

Be prepared to deal with issues such as the loss of electricity, phones, television service by having backup plans in place.

Check on your neighbors! If you have older neighbors or those who are disabled in any way, you may want to offer to make a last minute run to the store for them, or during the weather, take the time to call or walk over and check on them.

If you have children who are likely to want to play in the snow, be sure that they know that sliding down a hill/driveway that ends at a roadway is not the best thing to do. Check where they are playing and make sure that it is safe.

I'm sure that many of you have a lot of other tips to offer. Feel free to share them here if you wish.