No doubt we’ve all heard the forecast for this weekend and none of them sounds good.  They sound cold…very cold…dangerously cold.  Beginning Thursday night into Friday morning the temperatures are forecast to drop to 2 degrees above zero with a windchill factor of -15 below zero on the Plateau.  The frigid air is expected to be with us through Monday and Tuesday.  There is a chance of snow flurries with the cold…some predictions show from one to three inches possible.  But the frigid cold is going to present critical and dangerous circumstances.  The most important thing you can do is have a plan of action if there is a power outage.  First of all, charge all your devices (cell phones etc) in case of a power outage and make sure your car is filled with gas in case you must resort to getting in the car for heat BUT ONLY IF YOUR CAR IS NOT IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE or if you must travel to a friend or family members house with heat.  Here are some more tips to help stay safe during frigid temps.

Heat Your Home Safely

• Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Use caution with portable space heaters – Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter months, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. About two-thirds of home heating fire deaths are caused by portable or fixed space heaters.
• To prevent fire, place space heaters at least three feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and people.
• Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don’t leave children or pets unattended near space heaters.
• Only use approved indoor fuel heaters such as propane and kerosene.  These are very dangerous to use and should be supervised at all times.  Non-approved indoor fuel heaters can produce carbon monoxide which can kill you and your family. Never use fuel powers heaters near flammable objects and never leave those heaters unattended.
• Drying wet mittens or other clothing over space heaters is a fire hazard.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
• If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate the generator outdoors-never inside, including the basement or garage. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring – leave that work to a professional electrician and buy a generator designed for that purpose. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back-feeding power to your home is an unsafe method to supply a building with power.
• Don’t overload your electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that present hazardous walkways.
• Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood – never burn paper or pine boughs.
• Create a disaster supplies kit — Get together lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle.

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Prevent frozen pipes

• Many homeowners may not be ready for frigid weather either. Now is the time to protect your house pipes from freezing and bursting. With the cold weather upon us, preventive action may make all the difference.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent to the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.