I've heard of, but haven't worked with, a plastic film that's sold to to wrap around the edge of the pool and the wall to keep the wind out. I believe it's like saran wrap and sticks to itself.

If there's a water level in your skimmer, ice will break it. There are "gizmos" that thread into the bottom of the skimmer and are supposed to crush to relieve the ice expnsion and save the skimmer. Somone on this forum packs the skimmer solid with closed cell foam.