Leaves are showing their fall colors.

The morning air carries a nip of autumn chill. And, most telling of all, Christmas decorations are showing up on store shelves. With all these signs, can winter be far away?

Not according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Forecasters for the Almanac are predicting our winter will be colder and snowier than normal with the first flakes supposed to fall in mid-November.

So why tempt fate? A little foresight now can save a lot of grief -- and multiple trips to the hardware store -- later.

Here's a checklist to help you determine what your house needs to put it in shape for the long winter months ahead.

Inside

-- Block drafts: Install gaskets behind outlet and switch plate covers on exterior walls.

Up in the attic, pull the floor insulation back and caulk around everything that passes through the floor -- wires, plumbing vents and ceiling fans are the most common. Sealing around these cuts down on the "chimney effect" where heated air escaping pulls cold air in at the lower levels of the house.

While you're in the attic, check your insulation. Current guidelines recommend a total R-value of 49. (R-value is a way of rating the effectiveness of the insulation.)

-- Protect water lines: Insulate pipes (or wrap with heat tape) that pass through unheated spaces. Unprotected, water lines can freeze and break.

-- Heating: Change the furnace filter and have the unit inspected and serviced by a professional. Clean and vacuum heating ducts and vents and any forced-air wall heaters or electric baseboard heaters, heating ducts and vents. This helps prevent the occasional fire and that awful burning smell when it's first fired up. Remove or winterize air conditioners.

-- Wood stoves and fireplaces: Have the flue cleaned of soot and any debris like leaves. Check, does the damper work and is it closed?

Outside

-- In the garden: Pick up hoses, sprinklers and other garden tools. Inspect them for wear and plan to do any repairs during the long winter months.

Bring tender plants indoors and protect those -- like roses -- that, with a little extra mulch, can withstand our cold Mid-Columbia winter temperatures.

Drain or cover outside hose bibbs to prevent freezing.

-- On the roof: Clean out gutters and down spouts. While you're up there, inspect the roofing. Is it intact? Is the flashing around plumbing vents and chimneys in place and sealed? Are skylight and vent covers secure?

-- Light and dark: Are all outside lights working? Replace any burned-out bulbs and reset timers, if necessary, to standard time.

Walk around after dark. Do you have enough lights? Are they in the best spot?

-- Porches and decks: Do you have dry, slip-proof mats in front of the doors? Do any railings or steps need repair?

-- Outdoor furniture and grills: You may not want to put them away for the season yet, or in the case of the grill, ever, but now is a good time to look them over and make any repairs.

-- Drain irrigation lines: If your system has a drain, open it. Otherwise blow the water out with an air compressor.

Air compressors are available for rent for do-it-yourselfers. (Be careful -- don't use too much pressure or your lines will blow like a popped balloon.)

Or pick up the phone and hire one of the many landscaping companies to do it.

Other equipment available for rent to help with fall chores are leaf blowers, shredders/chippers (but not all rental companies carry them), step and extension ladders for cleaning gutters, fixing loose roof tiles and caulking.

--Leaves: Those leaves dropping from trees and blowing into fence corners are potential nutrient-rich compost. Instead of bagging and sitting them at the curb with the garbage, corral them with some chicken wire, old pallets wired into a square or, if you're feeling flush, spring for one of the many compost bins on the market.

-- Seal and caulk: "Sealing up your home should be at the top of every homeowner's to-do list. The products involved are inexpensive and easy to install, but they are key to fortifying your home's defense against unwanted air infiltration and heat loss, which in turn will reduce heating costs," Danny Lipford, host of Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, said in a news release.

Inspect the exterior of your home for any cracks, gaps or holes and fill them with an all-purpose caulking. Do the same inside checking where plumbing, wiring or ducting passes through exterior walls, floors and ceilings.

To check for gaps around doors and windows, place a piece of paper between the door and the jamb or the window sash and sill. With the door or window closed, try to pull the paper out. Anywhere it slides out easily, your expensive heat is escaping too.

Shine a flashlight around the edges of all entry doors. If you see light from the other side, head to the store for weatherstripping to plug the gaps.

Pets and fish

-- Dogs and cats: Be sure pets have a warm, dry place to sleep when the weather turns nasty. If you opt not to let them in the house, be sure they have one of their own or can find shelter in a garden shed or garage. Add an insulating layer of straw or wood chips to sleeping areas and dog houses.

Equally critical, be sure dog houses have a door flap to keep out wind and wet, and position the house so the opening faces away from the direction of the prevailing winds.

Keep an eye on your pet's outside water. If it's not heated, it'll need to be changed several times a day when the mercury plunges past freezing. Ice and snow are not a substitute for clean water.

-- Pond fish: Stop feeding when the water temperature falls below 55 degrees. For more specific care, contact the Mid-Columbia Koi and Pond Club at www.midcolumbiakoi.org.

Places to find help

-- Access Washington: www.energytips.wa.gov or call the Washington State University Extension Energy Program Library, 360-956-2076. Or send an e-mail to library@energy.wsu.edu.

-- Federal Citizen Information Center: www.pueblo.gsa.gov.

There you'll find a wide variety of pamphlets on topics ranging from energy saving tips to indoor air hazards to weatherizing your home.

Or call 1-888-878-3256 and request a free copy of the FCIC's Consumer Information Catalog, which lists all available government publications.

-- Energy Star: Go to www.energystar.gov. There you can analyze your home energy efficiency, read about new energy saving products and send for information on ways to save on heating, cooling and lighting.

* Reporter Loretto J. Hulse can be reached at 582-1513 or via e-mail at lhulse@tricityherald.com.