An arctic cold front is expected to make its way through southeastern North Carolina beginning today, bringing with it chances of snow and single-digit temperatures.
According to Steve Pfaff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), snow flurries are possible late Wednesday afternoon and evening “as an arctic cold front blasts through the region.”
If it were to snow in the area, no accumulation is expected.
“The arctic cold front will allow blustery conditions to develop Wednesday evening into Thursday,” Pfaff said. “As very cold high pressure settles across the region, temperatures Thursday and Friday may not reach 30 degrees. Meanwhile, low temperatures are expect to range from 8 to 15 degrees in many locations Friday morning.”
Saturday’s lows are expected to be in the teens, Pfaff said.
Protect your pipes
With lows expected in the teens this week, officials with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) remind area residents to protect their pipes from the biting cold.
“While snaps that place household pipes at risk are rare here, temperatures are predicted to be well below freezing later this week,” the CFPUA said in a news release. “Frozen water expands, putting tremendous stress on the metal or plastic pipes containing it. Usually the pipes that freeze are exposed to the cold, like outdoor hose bibs or water supply pipes in unheated, interior areas like garages or kitchen cabinets.”
Here are a few preventive measures:
- Tightly close doors and windows to the outside.
- Insulate pipes in unheated or drafty areas. Hardware and plumbing supply stores carry insulation to keep pipes from freezing.
- Shut off and drain the pipes leading to your outside faucets so no water is left to freeze, expand and cause a leak in these lines.
- Close the inside valves and drain the pipes leading to your outside hose bib (faucet).
- Know where your main shut off valve is and label it. Minimize the potential for water damage by ensuring that everyone in the household knows how to shut off the water in case of an emergency.
- Open the cabinets beneath any place with a water supply, such as the kitchen and bathroom sinks. This will allow warm air to circulate. (Remove any toxic substances first if there are small children or pets in the home.)
- To prevent your pipes from freezing, allow a faucet to drip cold water slowly. The faucet you choose should be the one that is the greatest distance from your main water shut off valve. It does not need to be a running trickle. The uniform rate for water usage amounts to just over .3 cents a gallon. A moderate drip equaling one drip every two seconds results in just under one gallon of additional water usage per day.
Paul Davis Restoration, a local restoration and remodeling company, suggests people also keep temperatures inside one’s home at 65 degrees or warmer.
“This is particularly important if you have a property that is not currently inhabited, as the tendency is to keep these locations set at a much lower temperature,” the company said in a press release.
The company also suggests homeowners protect external faucets with styrofoam covers that can be purchased for about $5 at home improvement stores.
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