How to keep your body and house safe during the heavy snow

During heavy snowstorms, emergency room workers like to predict they'll have a quiet day, said James Miner.

"Invariably we all think it's going to be slow," said Miner, chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center. After all, wouldn't anyone want to stay home and hunker down when the snow piles up?

But it never seems to work out that way.

"Minnesotans get out no matter what," Miner said. "We really don't slow down in this state."

And when people get out, emergency rooms fill up with people suffering from a host of weather-related injuries and ailments.

Miner said there are three main reasons why more people end up in ERs during snowstorms.

First, auto accidents. There will be a rash of injuries related to crashes on snowy roads, Miner said. Happily, the injuries tend to be less severe because people are typically traveling slower due to the snow, he said.

Also, many snowstorm vehicle injuries involve a single car going off the road, which often results in less severe injuries than collisions between vehicles, according to Alecia Gende, a physician in the emergency department of the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Wis.

The second reason snowstorms fill emergency rooms - slips and falls. Thanks to the snow and ice, emergency room doctors see broken and sprained wrists and ankles, broken collar bones, broken hips, even concussions from people who fall and hit their head.

A third category of snowstorm health problems is what Miner calls exertional injuries from people shoveling heavy snow, often people unaccustomed to the strain. This could range from back and shoulder issues to heart attacks.

Add in a few cases of people putting their hand in the wrong place while running a snowblower and it can end up a pretty busy day in the emergency room.

When there's a snowstorm, emergency room doctors advise avoiding driving if you can, and drive slower if you must. Keep your headlights on and your cruise control off, adds Anne Meyer, a Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesperson.

Wear footwear with good traction, and be vigilant at all times when walking. The slipperiest spot might be the first step outside of the house or car, Miner said.

And don't be a hero when it comes to shoveling.

"It's real work. You need to take rests and pay attention to your body," Miner said.

Both Miner and Gende were reluctant to say how old is too old to shovel. But know your limitations.

"You definitely want to get the smallest shovel you can the older you are," Miner.

Also, you probably should avoid getting on the roof of your house.

"We could be in a period of ice dams, for sure," said Patrick Huelman, Cold Climate Housing Program coordinator for the University of Minnesota Extension. But Huelman advises against getting on your roof in icy weather to clear off snow.

If your house is prone to ice dams, using a roof rake to remove snow from the eaves might be an option. But beware of overhead power lines, says Reuben Saltzman, owner of Structure Tech Home Inspections in St. Louis Park. Also, consider using a foam roof rake to avoid damaging shingles with a metal one.

And when shoveling, avoid piling snow up against your home's foundation, Saltzman said. That will help prevent wet basement problems when all that snow finally melts.