Please read the following about the arctic cold weather we are expecting this week:
Arctic Cold Preparations
An arctic cold front will push into North Texas on Thursday bringing plummeting temperatures. The coldest temperatures are predicted to be early Friday morning with actual temperatures in the single digits and wind chill temperatures below zero. Here are some things you might consider doing to help prepare for this event.
Protect Your Pipes
- Insulate exposed pipes in your attic and outdoor faucets
- Leave inside faucets on external walls dripping overnight so they don’t freeze
- Leave cabinet doors open so that pipes on external walls are more exposed to heat
- Disconnect outdoor hoses and store
- Know where the water main valve is located and how to turn it off in the event of a pipe burst
- Turn off your sprinkler system
Home and HVAC
- Change your air filter to make sure that it can distribute heat efficiently
- Have a safe backup plan about how to heat your home (or a small section of it) should a power outage or natural gas outage occur
- If you are heading out of town for the holidays, be sure that someone has access to your home and can check on it and consider shutting your water off and draining the pipes before you leave
Vehicle Preparations
- Change the summer version of windshield wiper fluid (which is only good to 32 degrees) to a winter version that can handle the colder temperatures
- Check your tire pressure (Discount Tire does this for free) since colder temperatures can cause unsafe low tire pressure
- If your vehicle battery has been showing signs of getting weak, consider replacing it, since the colder temperatures may push if over the edge so that it won’t start your car
- As a backup plan, know where your jumper cables are and consider putting them in the car to help yourself of someone else who may have battery issues
- Make sure you have some warm blankets, sleeping bags, or winter coats (and hats, gloves, etc.) in the car when you (and your kids) leave your house in case you encounter car trouble or get in an accident and need to spend some time outside
- Keep your gas tank more than half full, which helps prevent water in the gas lines from freezing and also allows you to idle the vehicle to keep warm if necessary due to traffic delays
- Consider adding gas line antifreeze and water remover (like HEET) to your full gas tank
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