Five Things You Need To Know About A Snow Day

So it may not be snow outside, it's more what the weathermen like to call a wintry mix. But when there's snow or ice on the ground, there are delays and other things of note that you as a resident need to know.

1. When schools are delayed or closed there a few ways to get the information.
   • Get an alert directly from Prince George's County Public Schools. Create a username and sign up for e-mail alerts at http://www1.pgcps.org/weather/
   • Or sign up for an alert from School's Out, a private subscription service that will send you alerts to your phone and e-mail for a fee.
2. If trash is scheduled to be picked up on a day when it snows, trash should be picked on time. However, University Park Public Works Director Mickey Beall said last February they postponed trash pick-up for a week due to the blizzard.
3. When it snows, residents have to clean up the ice and snow within a 24-hour period after the precipitation stops, according to Colleen Ferguson, with Riverdale Park's code enforcement. 
4. AAA suggests checking your tires' air pressure and having a gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
5. Know your brakes. If your car begins to skid, AAA suggests regarless of whether you have antilock brakes or not, the safest way to stop is threshold breaking. "Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal."