Winterize before the first freeze, not after.

You meant before the first frost, right? Because after the last frost is spring, and that’s when you unwinterize. But let’s cover winterizing plumbing properly, since that’s the actual problem.

Drain everything. Shut off the main water valve to the house, then open every faucet (inside and out) to let gravity do the work. Flush toilets until the tank and bowl are mostly empty, then sponge out the remaining water from the bowl. For outdoor spigots, disconnect hoses, drain the spigot, and if you have a shut-off valve inside the house for that line, close it and leave the outdoor spigot open so any trapped water can expand without cracking the pipe.

Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, basements, or unheated garages with foam pipe sleeves. Don’t use rags or newspaper—they get wet and freeze, making things worse. If you have a sprinkler system, blow it out with an air compressor or hire someone to do it. That’s non-negotiable; sprinkler lines are shallow and will crack.

Final thought: The $50 you spend on insulation and a few hours of work beats the $2,000 pipe replacement bill in February.