Is Your House and Vehicle Prepared for the Extreme Cold?
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Warning for southeast Washington and northeast Oregon from 7 p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. Sunday. Expect cloudy skies and gusty winds late this afternoon and overnight. The low will be around 5 degrees with wind chill factor of -12 to -25 degrees. This is a short list of ideas to keep you warm in your house and your vehicles running safely.
Preparing the house:
- Have your furnace inspected before the cold arrives.
- Keep drapes and blinds closed, except when windows are in direct sunlight.
- Put up storm windows
- Cover or remove window air conditioning units
- Check and replace weather stripping and thresholds around doors and windows.
- Put draft snakes on window sills and against doors.
- Buy a carbon monoxide detector.
Preparing your vehicles:
- Antifreeze levels – ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
- Inspect and clean batter terminals.
- Check brake fluid levels
- Heater and defroster should be working properly
- Check your oil
- Windshield wiper blades should be replaced and ready
- Check tires for tread and inflated properly. Replace with snow tires and studs.
Emergency items to keep in your vehicles:
- a small shovel
- windshield scraper and small broom
- flashlight
- battery powered radio
- extra batteries
- water
- snack food
- matches
- extra hats, socks and mittens
- first aid kit with pocket knife
- necessary medications
- blanket(s)
- booster cables
- emergency flares