Wisconsin, Put A Quarter In A Frozen Cup Before A Winter Storm

The extremely cold weather has come and gone but we are still in the thick of winter in Wisconsin and the rest of the Midwest. Many people lost power during those major snowstorms and the extremely cold weather and there is a trick to save you and your family if you're the next one to lose power.

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If you were one of the unfortunate people who were without power during and following those major winter storms, you probably were left with some nasty, thawed-out food and didn't even know it. There's a trick you can do to save you from food poisoning the next time that happens.

It's a simple trick that you can do at home today. Because when you need to know if you lost power and for how long, you don't need to trick to do math using your flashing bedside clock.

All you need is a quarter, a mug of water, and your freezer. That's it.

This Homeowners Trick Can Help You After The Next Winter Storm

Folks to the southwest of Wisconsin in Iowa lived through the  2020 derecho, 2023's weather events were crazy in Wisconsin, and through these past two major snowstorms to start 2024, you know that this quarter-in-the-freezer trick can be a lifesaver.

The trick is simple and has been helping people who lose power for an extended period of time make sure that their food is still good, according to Business Insider. It takes ice a long time to unfreeze so if you're not sure how long you've been without power, this will tell you.

The concept is super simple. Place a quarter on top of a frozen mug of water in your freezer because if you lose power and the quarter sinks, you know everything else has defrosted, too.

This Trick Isn't Only For Winter Storms

The quarter on a frozen cup in the freezer isn't just a trick for winter. Remember 2020 when we lost power for days, some for weeks following the derecho? In Iowa and the Quad Cities, we get storms all year long.

Whether it's winter, spring, summer, or fall, the quarter in the freezer trick could help you from eating spoiled food. No, you don't have to use a lucky quarter or a quarter at all. Anything that would sink in water if it was placed in water.