Area temperatures hit 70 degrees in the last week of October during "Winter Weather Preparedness Week."

Did you put a winter storm kit in your vehicle?

Now that winter has our collection attention, perhaps we will heed the advice of Butte County Emergency Management Director Scott Jensen to properly equip vehicles and homes for bouts of bad weather.

Cell phones are wonderful, he said, "but they won't keep you warm or keep you from being dehydrated."

And, he said, they don't always work in rural areas or hilly locations.

"That's why you need to have your kit ready, and be prepared with a shovel, blankets and basic gear," Jensen said.

In his pickup he has a "blanket, flashlight, some candy bars, a shovel - and I have a chain, just something I have from growing up," he said. "It's pretty much the basics so you can live for a few days."

Cars and trucks may not be as comfortable as home, Jensen said, but they make a decent bad-weather shelter for people who are prepared.

Walking away from a vehicle when stuck in a blizzard is not a good idea, he said.

"You'll get lost, disoriented, and it's harder to find you. Just stick with your car and you're a whole lot easier to find," he said. "A snow plow is going to come through on the road and find your car - and hopefully, you're with it."

An even better idea?

"If it's going to be nasty out and you don't have to go, stay at home," he said.

If the power is out at home, possibly even shutting down gas heating, have a radio with batteries handy so you can listen to the weather and news to see how long the outage is going to last, he said.

"Keep your refrigerator closed up … have your water bottles so you'll have something to drink and food that doesn't require heating," Jensen said.

Without heating - sometimes with it - water pipes can freeze.

He suggests opening the tap - just a crack - "so it keeps running. It's something you really don't want to do, but if you have to evacuate your house, it's probably not a bad idea."

Whether at home, in the vehicle or at a shelter, Jensen said people who need regular medicines or oxygen should plan ahead and have enough supply for a few days.

If they're near the end of their supply in bad weather, Jensen said people should call the local law enforcement dispatch center so responders know where there may be a major risk factor.

"We will try to help out if we can, but it still could take us a day to get there," he said.