West Lebanon — As weather forecasters predicted heavy snowfall totaling as much as 18 inches beginning this afternoon and lasting through most of the day on Sunday, officials in the Twin States on Friday advised residents to take precautions to stay safe in snow and cold.

The Vermont Department of Public Safety, in a Friday news release, urged residents to check on friends and neighbors, heat their homes safely, dress warmly and drive carefully in the coming storm.

The department recommends that residents ensure they have heating fuel sufficient to last through the weekend, clear heating vents of snow and ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning properly.

The American Red Cross, in its own release on Friday, also urged residents to keep a safe distance between heating equipment and children, pets and combustible items. The Red Cross also advised people to keep space heaters on hard, nonflammable surfaces, and to avoid leaving fires unattended and using cooking ranges or ovens to heat a home.

In addition to dressing in warm layers, residents also ought to look out for symptoms of hypothermia, such as confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering, and frost bite, such as numbness and skin discoloration, the Red Cross said.

Before heading out on the roads, motorists should be aware of the conditions and leave additional time to get to their destination, the Vermont public safety release said.

Lebanon officials, in a Friday LebAlert, asked motorists to avoid parking in the streets or crowding plow-truck drivers. City officials also asked residents to avoid pushing snow onto sidewalks.

Information about the region’s road conditions can be found online at newengland511.org and additional resources can be found by calling 211.