October has brought a great month of weather to Western Colorado, but you know the cooler temperatures are coming soon. The forecast for next week looks like we are headed in that direction. Are you ready? There are at least five things you need to do before the cold weather sets in.

(Zane Mathews)
(Zane Mathews)
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1) SWAMP COOLER
One of the most important things to do is get your swamp cooler winterized. By now, a lot of people have taken care of this task, but some are waiting until the last possible moment. Do it this weekend and you are assured of working in very pleasant conditions.

(iStock)
(iStock)
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2) DISCONNECT OUTDOOR HOSES
Here's a simple task that can easily be overlooked and forgotten - making sure all of your outdoor water hoses are disconnected from the spigot. The last thing  you want is a busted water pipe from water frozen inside the pipe. Do it now before you forget.

(iStock)
(iStock)
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3) RAKE LEAVES
The leaves haven't  yet all fallen, and there are two schools of thought on this. Number one - wait until all the leaves have fallen so you only have to rake one time. That's fine, but it also can make the job more difficult because of the high volume. The other thought is to rake the leaves now and later. Do some now, and there will be fewer to do later, and the piles won't be so big. Besides that it's good exercise!

(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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4) LOCATE WINTER ACCESSORIES
Although we may not be expecting measurable snow fall just yet, the fact is, you never really know when it's going to fall. Do you know where you snow shovel is? Can you access it easily? What about the ice scraper for your windshield? Don't wait until the first hard frost to try and figure out where it is when you are trying to get to work on time. What about your gloves, scarf, and winter coat? It's time to put them on stand by.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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5) STOCK UP
When the weather turns cold, there's nothing like hot beverages and soups to warm you up. How does the pantry look? Now's the time to get it stocked with hot chocolate, flavored teas, and specialty coffees. And are you ready for that first pot of hot chili? Now would be a good time to get most of  your ingredients together so you are ready when the time is right.

 

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