My car is winterized. My outdoor faucets are shut off for the season. My garden is ready for next year. I’m prepared for winter, but one thing I didn’t give much thought to until recently was my smartphone.

Families use mobile devices to make their lives easier, more efficient and meaningful. During harsh winter conditions, it’s a good idea to keep your device safe from the cold, just like you would for any other piece of equipment you want to last. You don’t want to be caught traveling and in an emergency situation with no supplies, and no way to contact anyone. 

These tips will help your wireless device survive this winter and travel with peace of mind:

  • Accessorize: A LifeProof case is rugged and waterproof and can protect your device through inclement weather such as lifeprooffrigid temperatures, ice, and snow. Another option is a waterproof Otterbox.
  • App-etizing: AccuWeather, MyRadar Weather Radar, The Weather Channel, and WeatherBug are among the leading free apps available on iTunes and the Google Play store to help keep people ahead of winter storms. I love using AccuWeather on my phone to see what the weather is going to be like before I head out on the road.
  • Battery Blues: When cellphone batteries are exposed to cold temperatures, their performance dips like the winter mercury. Cellphone batteries that would provide 100 percent capacity at 80 degrees will typically only deliver 50 percent when it’s 0 degrees outside.
  • Cover Up: Prolonged exposure to the cold may affect a cellphone’s display screen. The display cover can become brittle when exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period of time, which causes the liquid crystals within the display to start freezing.
  • Don’t Fret When Wet: If a cell phone gets wet from condensation or an encounter with snow, power it down right away and remove the battery. You should grab a towel or napkins to get as much excess water off the phone as possible. You should leave a wet cellphone powered down for a day or two to give the internal circuitry a chance to completely dry out.

 

With these tips at my disposal and a phone that is protected from the elements, I feel confident about taking my smartphone outside with me wherever I go!

My phone is protected and ready for the cold temperatures, my car is winterized, and I have an auto emergency kit ready to go. Do you? 

 

 

 

Note: While snow only happens occasionally in the Seattle area, when it hits it can be debilitating. These tips offered by Sunset Kia of Auburn to help provide a little safety in Washington, and anywhere in the country when winter weather does strike.