At 2 a.m. Sunday, Daylight Saving Time will end. Before you go to bed on Saturday night, remember to turn back your clock one hour. As the days grow shorter, and colder, wintery weather is not uncommon. It’s also time to reset our thinking.

A particular hazard we’ve noticed of late is active lawn sprinklers spilling water onto sidewalks. It is never a great idea to water the sidewalks in an attempt to have a healthy lawn, but now that we have overnight freezes, the issue becomes more than one of wasting water. Now it’s a public safety issue.

It is important to remember that temperatures at and below 32 degrees Fahrenheit cause water to freeze. Broken sprinklers, puddles, and wet pavement create a serious danger of slip and fall injuries.

Automatic sprinkler systems in particular can cause major problems on nearby roads and sidewalks. The problem is at its worst in the morning. 

Sprinkler systems operating in freezing temperatures create hazardous, black ice conditions the next morning. “Black ice” refers to a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadways – especially on bridges and overpasses and low lying areas –  and on sidewalks. It can form any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture, from sprinklers, runoff or precipitation.

If you’re still watering your lawn, turn off those sprinkler systems on automatic timers. If you’re walking or driving early in the morning, watch for slippery spots.

— Susan Thacker