When in it comes time to move, you rarely have the ability to change your plans just because the weather doesn’t cooperate. The truck has been rented, the friends or professionals are ready to work, and you have to get out of the old place before the deadline. None of that changes just because it’s raining or snowing, which means you need to be prepared.

Look Ahead

Keep your eyes on the weather forecasts. If there’s even a reasonable chance of bad weather, take steps to protect your belongings. Look into buying moving blankets and plastic wrap, make sure you’ve got plenty of towels, and that your helpers know what they’re facing. Warn your assistants about the weather, and make sure everyone has good all-weather boots and possibly waterproof parkas or mid-weight winter jackets and gloves. See how lose to your front door you can put the truck, so that your belongings will be in the moisture for as short a time as possible. Movers will generally wrap furniture in blankets, but these are not waterproof, and some will either not come equipped with plastic or will charge extra for it. Have your own supply to use.

Assembly-Line Moving

Marshal your forces efficiently. Get one or two people inside to hand things to a crew outside who give boxes and furniture to those in the truck as quickly as they can. If handled well, this technique is also a good way to get a move over with in a hurry. In rain or show, it can make the difference between a small amount of moisture landing on your belongings and soaking things that should be soaked, like mattresses, couches, or solid wood tables.

Light Rain

A drizzle, mist, or scattered shower can be fairly easy to handle. Cardboard boxes and plastic bins are fairly resistant to a few drops here or there. Wipe them dry before packing them into the truck,and you shouldn’t have any problems. Moving blankets may be enough to protect your furniture, and if not, a thin sheet can help. Make sure to put down some towels to protect your floors, and you should be fine.

Heavy Rain

If the rain is pouring down, the first thing to do is make sure you’re not dealing with a thunderstorm. If there’s even a slight risk of the truck being hit by lighting, just delay the move as long as possible. Movers will understand and appreciate your caution. If you must move in the rain, and there’s no lightning, take extra caution to protect your belongings. Make sure to wrap everything in plastic, and if your items have to be stored together for long, remove the wet plastic first. Use old blankets or towels to keep your floors safe and the movers from having to walk through mud. Check that your moving vehicle doesn’t have any leaks. Keep extra towels around so that your helpers can dry off when needed, and it’s would be a good idea to have warm drinks and snacks to help ward away chills.

Sleet or Snow

As with a thunderstorm, if you’re dealing with freezing rain or sleet, you should consider delaying your move. These conditions can be hazardous both to your movers as well as difficult to drive in, especially with a fully-loaded truck. If it’s a blizzard, you should contact everyone involved and tell them you can’t move. The risks of damaging your belongings, injuring a helper, or having an accident on the road are too high.

If you think the weather isn’t dangerous, make sure the roads are as clear as possible. Have towels, blankets, old rugs, or carpet samples on the ground to protect against slippery surfaces. Make sure everyone has warm clothing and gloves, and if anyone starts to sweat heavily, make them stop working and go inside until they’re not at risk of hypothermia. Protect your furniture and belongings as if from heavy rain, and also consider whether you have fragile items–like electronics–that might not handle the cold. Load them up last so they can be unpacked first. Put as many of these items in heated cabins of vehicles as you can. Also, having those warm treats ready for your helpers–they’re going to need relief from the cold.

As always, contact Gerber Moving & Storage for moving advice and help with your move, no matter how threatening the skies.