Storms Roll Through Upper Midwest and Northeast United States

Spring visited us for a day or two, but Jack Frost is back in town for one final hurrah! The cold, frosty scalawag is bringing with him a storm, and it won't be a little one.

Even with winter getting closer to its end, these storms will continue. As temperatures drop, they'll transition from snow and ice to rain and wind. This also means flooding

Before spring kicks into full gear with raining and flooding, it's recommended that you have a quality portable generators and a battery backup sump pump to keep your power on and your basement dry.

Dumping substantial snow from northern Illinois to northern New England, the storm will start Wednesday night and continue through Thursday. Travel conditions will be strongly effected, and school cancellations are likely.

The heaviest snowfall will be seen throughout interior New England, possibly exceeding 1 foot in the northern part of the area.

The I-95 corridor from Providence, R.I. to New York City to Washington, D.C. will see mostly rain, however colder air plunging southward behind the storm may mean a change from rain to snow toward the end.

Pick a Size - But Not Any Size

As you're shopping portable generators for the first time, you may find yourself overwhelmed with options. Your first question will likely be "What size generator do I need?"

The size of the generator will usually reflect its power. If you need more starting amperage to get powered up, you're going to likely need a bigger portable generator.

To determine how large of a generator you really need, you can follow the formula posted below.

Starting Amps x Volts = Watts

The starting amperage load will be much larger than the running load, which is why proper calculations need to be made to properly size your unit.

Because every home is different, I recommend having a certified electrician do your wattage calculation.