As temperatures in the South go south the chilly reality of prepping your home for winter has set in. Temperatures in the Southeast are running 15 to 20 degrees below normal, and forecasters predict a particularly cold winter there, the New York Times reports.

Here in Yonkers, it's a brisk 27 degrees F. Luckily, on a milder day we got a lesson in how to winterize your home from Celia Kupersmid Lehrman, our deputy Home editor. Today seems like a good time to reprise it with this video. Here are the highlights—Southerners unaccustomed to the annual routine may want to take note:

• Turn off water to hoses and lawn sprinklers.
• Move piles of leaves, compost, or wood away from house or other structures.
• Turn off power to outdoor compressor on your central AC.
• Cover outdoor furniture.
• Clean out gutters one last time after all the leaves have fallen.
• Wash windows to let the sun in.
• Check windows and doors for air leaks.
• Review the settings on your programmable thermostat.
• Have a pro service your home heating system.
• Replace furnace filters every month.
• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned.
• Skip duct cleaning services.
• Check detectors and fire extinguishers.