Getting ready to shovel snow? Do this first to make it easier.

A winter storm is coming, so you’ve dragged the snow shovels from their summer hiding places, stocked up at the grocery store and filled your car’s gas tank.

Is there anything else you can do to prepare?

Life will be less difficult if you do a few things outside your home before the snow falls. That includes removing leaves and debris from driveways and walkways – and the sidewalk on your property, if you’re required to do so – and pretreating those surfaces to make snow removal easier.

Here are some quick tips on how to prepare your pavements for a snowstorm, and what to watch for as you’re doing it.

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First: Know what type of chemical you’re using

Deicers are chemicals that lower the freezing point of water. Anti-icing is the pretreatment of surfaces with deicers before snowfalls. Deicing is the application of deicers to help remove ice and snow.

A variety of anti-icing products are available. Most contain some amount of sodium chloride (salt) but others, like calcium magnesium acetate, do not.

Chlorides do not break down over time, so they can wash into freshwater rivers and lakes and make them more salty and toxic, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The agency has asked state residents to limit chloride use to only what's needed.

It's a good idea to check labels when purchasing deicers. Claimed temperatures may vary by brand and application.

Second: Apply the deicer before it snows

It’s best to deploy the deicer before the snow falls and temperatures start to drop. This “anti-icing” helps prevent ice from bonding to pavement surfaces. It’ll be easier for you to remove snow later, and you won’t need to use as much deicer.

General rules for applying deicers:

• Rock salt: Spread it shortly before or as snow starts to fall.
• CMA: Use a liquid form and spray on one to two hours before precipitation and as much as 24 hours in dry conditions. Use granules when it starts to snow.
• Ice melt: You can apply ice melting compounds one to two hours before precipitation and as much as 24 hours in dry conditions.

You should not pretreat pavements if rain is expected before the cold stuff arrives. Wait until after it stops raining. Whatever you're using, spread it thinly and uniformly across pavement.

Consider brine when pretreating pavement

Brine is a deicing mixture of water and about 23% sodium chloride that's sprayed on pavement before a winter event. It lowers the freezing point of water and creates a thin film that prevents ice from bonding to the pavement surface.

It's considered more effective than applications of granular products and is commonly used by road crews on streets before snowfalls. It's commercially available to homeowners.

A handheld sprayer is useful to apply a thin layer of brine on pavement. You want only a thin coating – no puddles.

Have pets? Be careful what you use

Rock salt and other compounds can be "harsh on dog paws, cause irritation, and if ingested, can cause dangerously high sodium levels," according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The compounds can also cause gastrointestinal problems.

Pet-friendly deicers can contain urea or magnesium chloride, which are safer than other chemicals but can still cause stomach problems, the ASPCA says.

Alternatives that won't harm pets include sand for traction or clay cat litter, which absorbs moisture, the agency says. Heated mats are also effective but can be expensive.

Protect your concrete drive and walkways

Melted ice from chemical deicers creates water that saturates concrete surfaces. When the temperature drops, another freeze-and-thaw cycle begin that can cause the surface to flake or scale.

To help avoid damage, shovel frequently and reduce the amount of deicer applications.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; aspca.org; Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety