Are you ready for prolonged subfreezing cold?

— from KOMO-TV News —

Forecasters are in agreement that Western Washington will experience several days of prolonged subfreezing temperatures starting late Sunday or early Monday – whether it snows or not.

So now is the time to start preparing for the onslaught of unseasonably cold weather. Here are some helpful tips:

Check antifreeze in your vehicles: You should have enough antifreeze in the radiator to protect your engine against temperatures down to the low teens in urban areas around Puget Sound and down to the low single digits in outlying areas – especially up north around Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. And make sure you have a windshield ice scraper handy.

Insulate outdoor water pipes: Any exposed outdoor water pipes or faucets should be drained and wrapped or protected with insulating material to prevent them from freezing and bursting. Disconnect and store outdoor hoses.

Allow indoor faucets to drip in cold areas of your home: Faucets that are fed by pipes running near exterior walls or through unheated areas should be left to drip to keep them from freezing. Alternatively, such pipes can be protected with insulation.

Protect sensitive outdoor plants: Bed sheets, drop cloths, blankets and plastic sheets make suitable covers for vulnerable plants. Use stakes to keep material, especially plastic, from touching foliage. It also may help to make sure the soil is moist around sensitive plants (except succulents).

Check your fireplace: If you are not using your fireplace, make sure the flue is fully closed to prevent warm air from escaping. If you plan to use your fireplace, make sure it is clean and critter-free before you light the first log.

Stock up on cold weather essentials: Make sure you are prepared for possible snow and ice by having essential items on hand, including sand, ice melt and a shovel. And make sure you can safely survive a possible prolonged power outage by having an alternate heat source available, such as a generator, wood-burning stove or fireplace. (But never use a wood or charcoal grill indoors because of the carbon monoxide risks.) Other recommended items include oil-burning lamps, flashlights, a fire extinguisher and food items that do not require cooking.

Protect your pets: Make sure your dogs or cats have a safe, warm place where they can come in from the cold.

Protect hummingbird feeders from freezing: The sugar water used in hummingbird feeders will not freeze until temperatures reach the mid- to upper 20s. If it gets colder than that, you should insulate the feeder or bring it inside at night then put it back out in the early morning.

Dress warmly: Make sure you have coats, insulated gloves, scarves, wool cap, warm footwear and other clothing that protects against subfreezing cold.

Reverse ceiling fans: Warm air rises to the ceiling. Run your fan on its lowest setting in a clockwise direction to push the warm air back down to where you can feel it.

Seal off unused rooms: Stuff rolled-up towels in the cracks under the doors and cover windows with extra blankets or sheets at night.

You can find more cold weather survival tips here >>