Dear Readers: With climate change has come some very unpredictable weather, which has caused many of you to ask how long food can last in the refrigerator or freezer. It appears that weather-related outages have increased significantly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of us should be stocking up on ice and frozen containers of fresh water. If you know a bad storm is coming, you might want to stock up on ice and store it in coolers before the storm begins. Pay attention to the expiration dates on bottled water.

Do not store milk, eggs and (nearly all) dairy products in the refrigerator door. Because the door is often opened and closed, the temperature can fluctuate. Dairy products do better with a steady temperature.

Stock up on nonperishables, such as canned tuna, peanut butter, pasta and powdered drinks that can be mixed with water.

A full refrigerator can usually go 36-40 hours without power and still keep food safe enough to consume. A refrigerator that’s half full will usually keep food safe between 12-24 hours. Of course, this means you can’t open the refrigerator door.

If you have food in the freezer, it’s probably best to cook the meats after 5 or 6 hours without power. Poultry and seafood should be cooked much sooner than the meats. Cooked foods can be stored or eaten immediately. If you refreeze items in your freezer, you risk getting “freezer burn” on your food.

The biggest variable on when to cook food depends on the make and year of your refrigerator. Newer models will generally stay cool longer if the refrigerator door is kept shut.

One very important thing to remember: After your refrigerator/freezer goes 4 hours without power, put all that prepared ice (mentioned beforehand) in with your food. This is especially important for perishable foods. — Heloise