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SMORTLER + SI / Violet's Winter Command Center

The big freeze? We've got a plan.

Brrr-ace yourselves! Winter can turn a peaceful home into a plumbing, power and road-safety puzzle. Violet is here to help you protect the people, pets, pipes and places that matter - before, during and after the freeze.

6 readiness zones41 practical checksPrintable + interactive
Start Violet's checklist
Violet-SI, a white cable-suspended mechanical robot with a violet eye and orange SI badge, examining a warm home and glowing pipe-protection blueprint in the snow
Violet's winter mission: warmth inside, water flowing, family safe.
Violet's first rule: check the actual forecast.

This guide is evergreen and does not report live local weather. Freezing risk depends on the temperature, how long it lasts, wind exposure, insulation and where your pipes run. Check National Weather Service alerts and your local emergency management office before deciding what needs attention.

Mission 01 / The Chill-Proof Checklist

Six zones. One safer winter.

The original SMORTLER winter guide covered six smart areas. Violet kept every area, refined the advice, and turned it into an interactive mission board. Check tasks off as you actually complete them.

How your readiness tracker works

Choose All, Before, During or After to see tasks for that stage. Your checks remain selected when you switch views and are saved only on this device in this browser, if browser storage is available. This is a checklist, not a live monitoring system.

Not sure which phase? Start with All, then prepare the critical items first.

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Mission progress

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Showing all 41 tasks.

Home & heat

Keep warmth inside and protect the house.

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Pipes & water

No flooded surprises when the thaw arrives.

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Pets & animals

Warm paws, safe water and a cozy place to sleep.

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Vehicles & roads

Prepare the vehicle - then know when not to drive.

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Attic & HVAC

Small equipment problems can become large leaks.

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Family & power

The essentials when roads and electricity fail.

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Mechanical Violet-SI suspended outside a snowy house, pointing to a neon blueprint of warm pipes, an indoor dog, and thermostat protection
Violet checking the home's weak points - with her original SI robot design.
Violet's inspection note

Little checks now can prevent big surprises later.

From frozen hose bibs to a cold attic drain, the riskiest problems often hide where the home's warm air does not reach. Start with exposed pipes and heating, then check supplies, pets and your travel plan.

Know what to do if something goes wrong
Mission 02 / Watch the hidden hazards

Ice can be beautiful. It can also be dangerous.

The original guide wisely warned about steep hills and ice-laden trees. Here's how to treat those hazards, along with the indoor dangers that cause some of winter's worst emergencies.

Slippery hills & bridges

A thin coating of ice can make a steep hill impassable. Change plans early when freezing rain is expected, and avoid unnecessary driving. Check official road conditions.

Ice-laden trees

Keep clear of damaged, leaning or heavily iced branches. Report dangerous trees. Never approach a tree touching utility lines or attempt to cut it free yourself.

Carbon monoxide

Generators, charcoal grills, camping stoves and fuel-burning equipment can produce deadly CO. Never operate them indoors or in a garage. A working CO alarm is essential.

Space heaters

Use a listed heater designed for indoor use, on a stable surface, at least 3 feet from anything flammable. Plug it directly into a wall outlet; do not leave it unattended.

Outdoor faucets deserve extra attention

Disconnecting a hose and draining a properly designed exterior faucet matter more than placing insulation over a water-filled hose. Add a suitable insulated cover where appropriate, but follow the plumbing manufacturer's winterizing instructions.

If the faucet feeds a vulnerable line through an unheated space, protect that upstream line too. An exterior cover cannot fix an uninsulated pipe inside the wall.

The image is a creative illustration, not a photograph of an approved insulation installation.

Violet-SI checking an outdoor water faucet near a snowy wall while a dog looks out from a warm window
Violet's faucet patrol - remove hoses and protect vulnerable plumbing before the freeze.
Mission 03 / When something goes wrong

Violet's freeze emergency playbook

Preparation buys you time. If trouble strikes, your first job is to protect people, then prevent more damage. For immediate danger, contact emergency services.

Water pipe bursts

Shut off the main water supply if safe. Avoid wet electrical hazards. Call a licensed plumber and document damage for repairs or insurance.

Pipe is frozen

Keep the affected faucet open and warm only accessible pipe using gentle warm air or wrapped warm towels. Never use a torch, open flame or unattended heater. Call a plumber if hidden or damaged.

Power or heat goes out

Use flashlights rather than candles. Wear warm layers, limit heat loss and go to a safe warming location if necessary. Never heat your home using a gas oven, grill or generator.

CO alarm activates

Get everyone, including pets, outside to fresh air immediately. Call 911 from outside. Do not re-enter until emergency responders say it is safe.

Tree or power line falls

Stay far away from downed wires, anything touching them, or flooded areas near electrical equipment. Contact the utility or emergency services; do not attempt removal.

Someone shows cold injury signs

Confusion, unusual drowsiness or severe shivering can be signs of hypothermia. Seek urgent medical help; move the person to warmth and replace wet clothing while help arrives.

Mission 04 / The three-phase playbook

Before. During. After.

The work changes as the weather changes. Use the stage filters above to focus the checklist, and keep an eye out for damage as temperatures rise.

Before the freeze

Prepare early

Inspect the home and vehicle, insulate lines, protect outdoor fixtures, charge devices, gather supplies and check forecasts.

During the freeze

Protect & monitor

Keep indoor heat on, watch vulnerable pipes, care for pets, avoid icy roads, and never improvise unsafe heating.

After the thaw

Verify & recover

Check for leaks, HVAC drainage problems, icy trees and refreezing roads. Replace supplies and document anything that needs repair.

Safety review / Official guidance

Violet checks the facts.

This page keeps the original SMORTLER guide's six topics, playful spirit, icy-hill warning and tree-safety reminder. For the 2026 update, we refined thermostat guidance, qualified dripping and irrigation practices, corrected attic drain advice, and added strong heating and CO warnings.

Reviewed October 28, 2026. General educational information, not a substitute for local warnings, a professional inspection, the manufacturer's instructions or emergency services. The Violet winter illustrations are original creative artwork. Checklist progress is browser-local, with no submission to SMORTLER servers.

Violet says: A little preparation beats a big surprise.

Keep warm, check on your neighbors, and know your water shutoff before you need it.

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