Subfreezing temperatures are here, and possibly snowy weather is predicted for later this week.
That means drivers and homeowners need to do some things to keep themselves safe, weather agencies and safety experts warn.
According to the National Weather Service, snow could fall at lower levels of the North Olympic Peninsula by late Thursday afternoon and night.
A chance of snow continues Friday through Monday.
Overnight low temperatures will continue to drop into the upper 20s on Thursday night and into the mid-20s overnight through Monday.
Temperatures should not reach into the teens or single digits, the Weather Service said.
The wintry weather requires extra precautions on Peninsula highways and roads, said the Washington State Patrol.
What to check on car
Troopers recommend that drivers check their car’s equipment, including tires, wiper blades, nonfreezing wiper fluid, lights, fluid levels (including gasoline) and belts and hoses.
Additional cold weather equipment should include tire chains, a snow shovel, first aid kit and a cellular telephone or citizens band radio.
Other items include important phone numbers, gloves, flashlight, an ice scraper, blanket, radiator antifreeze and nonperishable food.
The State Patrol also recommends listening to weather and traffic reports and allowing extra travel time.
Plan your route and tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, the State Patrol urged.
Problems at home, too
Cold and snowy weather also presents problems for homeowners.
Port Angeles Fire Marshal Ken Dubuc said Tuesday that the most important thing residents can do to stay safe during cold weather is have a working smoke detectors with fresh batteries, preferably one in every room.
Smoke detector batteries should be changed twice annually, he said.
Dubuc said even smoke detectors wired into house currents have battery backups that need replaced.
“The No. 1 thing we get across to people is make sure you have working smoke detectors with batteries,” Dubuc said.
People should be careful of space heaters, Dubuc said.
Such heaters should not be plugged into extension cords but directly into wall outlets, he said.
Space heaters also should be kept two to three feet away from anything combustible, Dubuc said.
The same goes for wood stoves, he said.
“Also, don’t bring barbecues or habachis inside the house for cooking or heating because of the carbon monoxide,” he said.
Don’t dispose of your Christmas tree in the fireplace, and don’t go to sleep with a fire in the fireplace, Dubuc said.
Cleaning out the fireplace
When you clean out your fireplace, put the ashes in a metal container, outside on a nonflammable surface, he said.
“People say, ‘But I haven’t used my fireplace in several days.’
“I’ve heard of chimney ashes staying hot for as much as a week,” Dubuc said.
Another common cold weather hazard is people using their kitchen ovens to heat their homes.
Dubuc said this is dangerous because the open door allows the heat to escape, but the oven gets hotter and hotter as it tries to reach its set temperature.
If the power goes out, Dubuc recommends using flashlights instead of candles.
Frozen water pipes
Broker Ray Gruver of State Farm Insurance said the other cold weather concern for homeowners is frozen and broken water pipes.
He said residents should maintain heating in the home, close off crawl spaces that provide access for cold air to pipes, and wrap pipes in insulation — including those of the summer home or vacation cabin.
A slow drip through vulnerable outdoor faucets keeps water moving inside the pipes.
And garden hoses should be disconnected from outdoor hose bibs.
Gruver’s other concern, he said, are motor homes and recreational vehicles.
“The engines should have antifreeze, and take the water out of the systems,” he said.
“Every year we have people with motor homes who forget to empty the holding tank.
“The biggest issue is we don’t get cold or snowy weather often, so people get caught off guard or surprised,” Gruver said.