Very cold temperatures and windy conditions will make for dangerously low wind chills once again Friday and Friday night. What's in store for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Full details in our latest forecast video.
Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
Don’t forget furry friends
Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure that they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
Remember the 3 feet rule for space heaters
If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away — things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Turn off space heaters before leaving the room or going to bed.
Practice fireplace safety
If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs. Make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
Protect water pipes
FILE PHOTO, STATE JOURNAL
Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent water pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.
Keep thermostat at same temperature
Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.
The kitchen is for cooking
Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
Use generators outside
Never operate a generator inside a home, including in the basement or garage. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.
