ST. LOUIS — As St. Louis prepares for the bitter cold this week, and public agencies are releasing guidance on how best to prepare.
Dangerous wind chills between minus 15 and minus 35 degrees are forecast Thursday evening through Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s St. Louis Bureau.
Here are five things to know and check off your list before this week’s cold snap:
1. Avoid pipe bursts
Before the storm begins on Thursday, residents should leave their closet doors open so the pipes are exposed to warmer air, said Christie Barnhart, senior director of external communications at Missouri American Water, which has about 1, 5 million customers statewide and serves all of St . . Louis County.
People can also choose to wrap their pipes in heating tape — available at home improvement stores — or even newspaper, Barnhart said.
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When temperatures are expected to drop below freezing for an extended period, residents should leave their faucets running. Some customers worry about increasing their water bill, Barnhart said, but that’s a small price compared to the damage caused by burst pipes.
“I personally feel like it’s a good investment for a relatively low cost,” she said.
During the polar vortex that hit the region in 2019, there were more than 30 major breaks each day in St. Louis County, Barnhart said.
Missouri American Water isn’t expecting anything that extreme this year. Conditions during the 2019 storm were “very unusual”, with extremely prolonged cold temperatures.
But, she added, “Will we have any? More than likely, yes.
Residents can sign up to receive phone, text or email notifications about water main breaks at Missouri American Water website.
2. Know the safety of radiators
Furnaces are a leading cause of home fires this time of year, according to a warning issued this week by Missouri State Fire Marshal Tim Bean.
During a February 2015 temperature drop in Missouri, for example, supplemental heating sources were suspected in seven deaths and six injuries statewide in less than a week, according to the fire marshal’s office. .
Fire Marshal advice for space heaters includes:
- Keep children, pets, furniture, curtains and electronics several feet away from heaters.
- Do not overload extension cords or outlets. Many extension cords and power strips are not designed to support the load of an electric heater.
- Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. You can get help installing a smoke alarm from the Red Cross at redcross.org/smokealarmMO or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
- Do not use space heaters as the primary source of heat for your home and never use outdoor propane furnaces or heaters to heat your home.
3. Keep your pet indoors
The Humane Society of Missouri urge people to bring pets indoors whenever the temperature drops below 35 degrees to prevent frostbite on the ears, tail and feet.
Pet owners should also dry wet pets and clean their paws after walking in the snow, as the chemicals and salt used to melt the ice can become embedded and cause pain.
Pet owners should also be wary if there is antifreeze around their pets. Pets may try to eat it, but it can be deadly.
According to the Humane Society, owners of dogs with short or coarse hair might also consider putting them in a sweater or coat on very cold days.
4. Fuel your car
Before the weather turns bad, the Missouri Department of Transportation Warns drivers to check their vehicles for supplies and safety.
The department offers residents:
- Fill gas tanks at least half full.
- Check vehicle antifreeze, battery and oil levels.
- Stock cars with an ice scraper, shovel, blankets and warm clothes, bottled water, non-perishable food, jumper cables, first aid kit and a small bag of sand to use for traction under your wheels.
Residents can track Missouri driving conditions and accidents at https://traveler.modot.org or by calling 1-888-ASK-MODOT. In Illinois, visit https://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/winterconditions/.
5. Watch for frostbite, hypothermia
The American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas, in a warning this week, said anyone showing signs of frostbite or hypothermia should seek medical attention immediately.
Signs of frostbite include “numbness, gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy skin,” the Red Cross said in its guidelines.
The first signs of hypothermia are “confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and intense chills”, according to the Red Cross.
The Red Cross advises that if people have to go out in the freezing cold, they should wear layers of clothing, cover their mouths in the freezing cold and quickly change into wet clothes.
Post-expedition reporters Erin Heffernan and Annika Merrilees contributed to this report.
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