I may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but an icy Christmas? Not so much. But that looks like what we might be experiencing over the next few days.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Thursday evening through Saturday morning and Wednesday Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency for the expected winter storm. This may prove to be a problem for those traveling for the holidays.
“If traveling, please plan to arrive by mid-Thursday,” Beshear said in a press conference in the capital.
Heavy snow is possible along with speedy wind gusts. With gusts as high as 55 miles per hour, blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. It could also bring down tree branches and cause power outages.
Wind chills are also expected to reach as low as -28 degrees. This could cause frostbite on exposed skin and freezing pipes inside.
A flash freeze is expected Thursday evening, with temperatures dropping more than 30 degrees in a matter of hours during a transition from rain to snow. When a flash freeze like the one expected Thursday occurs, treating the roads like normal with salt can be difficult.
The CDC recommends you always have a plan in place for a bad storm.
Some overall suggestions they make when weatherproofing your home is to insulate water lines that run along exterior walls, insulate your windows and doors with caulk and weather strips and cover them in plastic to keep the warm in.
Repairing any roof damage and cutting back tree branches that may fall on your home in the case of a bad storm are all structural repairs the CDC recommends staying on top of. They also suggest having your chimney or flue inspected each year if you plan on lighting fires in your fireplace.
Lest your power goes out; this can lead to lots of problems other than just the cold. The CDC stressed the importance of always having working smoke detectors with batteries and installing a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector.
While you never want to drive in a winter storm, sometimes you have to or you might get caught in one you didn’t know about, which is why it’s important to have an emergency kit in your car at all times. The CDC also suggests keeping up with general car maintenance and getting snow tires if you live in an area where that is needed.
The CDC recommends the following items to be packed in your kit:
- Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries
- Items to stay warm such as extra hats, coats, mittens, and blankets
- Windshield scraper
- Shovel
- Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Water and snack food
- First aid kit with any necessary medications and a pocket knife
- Tow chains or rope
- Tire chains
- Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
- Cat litter or sand to help tires get traction, or road salt to melt ice
- Booster cables with fully charged battery or jumper cables
- Hazard or other reflectors
- Brightly colored flag or help signs, emergency distress flag, and/or emergency flares
- Road maps
- Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
Before a storm rolls in, the CDC suggests keeping an eye on the weather forecast, filling your car up with gas and checking your supplies including food and water plus cold weather gear. As well, they remind pet owners to bring their pets inside or at least into adequately warm shelters with access to unfrozen water.
