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Ready PA Monthly - January 2023
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Brrr! It's Cold Outside
Despite the frigid end to December, January is typically the coldest month of the year. Even though we started January on a mild note, it’s important to review cold weather tips. How many of these did you consider during the recent arctic plunge?
Cold Weather Tips
Cold weather often leads to rising utility bills, bursting pipes, and perishing plants. How do you fight back against the frigid frustrations?
- Bills: Service your heating equipment. Lower the thermostat a degree to two to save if you can. Wear blankets and layers. Make sure windows and doors are sealed well and replace weatherstripping as needed. Add insulation to help keep warmth inside.
- Pipes: Keep water pipes well insulated and reduce any exposed piping from contact with the cold. You may run a slow trickle of water to keep the pipes from freezing on extremely cold days. Keep open flames or heat guns out of the mix to thaw frozen pipes; they often cause fires. Make sure any vent pipes aren’t blocked or covered with snow.
- Plants & Pets: Most plants outdoors that make it through winter should be able to protect themselves, but some may not be able to sustain extreme cold. Cover plants with burlap or other material to trap some warmth. Please don’t cover your pets in burlap. Just bring them inside to a warmer, more sheltered location.
Click the link below to read more......
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Are Your Pets Winter Ready?
Don’t forget to protect your pets from cold air exposure. Despite the fur, they too, need a warm place to stay.
Remember, if it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet, so keep your animals inside.
- Keep your pets inside with you. Cats should not be left outdoors, even if they roam outside during other seasons. Dogs are happy with frequent walks and being kept inside the rest of the time.
- Just like us, windchill can threaten your pet’s life. Most dogs feel more comfortable wearing a sweater. During extreme cold, exposed skin, ears, and paw pads are at risk for frostbite and hypothermia.
- After walks, wipe all paws with a damp towel before your pet licks them. Products such as rock salt used to melt snow and ice can irritate paw pads and their mouth.
The ASPCA also provides tips to prevent winter weather from affecting your pet’s health.
- Coming out of the cold into the dry heat of your home can cause itchy, flaking skin. Towel dry your pet as soon as they come inside, especially your pet’s feet and between their paw pads.
- Never shave your dog down to the skin in the winter. The longer their coat is, the warmer they will be.
- Try to avoid bath time for your pet during cold spells. Washing too often can remove essential oils and increase the chance of developing dry, flaky skin.
- During the wintertime, pets burn extra energy by trying to stay warm. Feeding your pet a little bit more during winter weather can provide much-needed calories. Make sure there is fresh water to keep them hydrated and their skin moisturized.
- DO NOT leave your pets alone in a car during winter weather. During the winter, cars can act as refrigerators that hold in the cold and cause animals to freeze to death.
Winter weather is the perfect time to cuddle up with your pet. A cozy dog or cat bed with a blanket is a perfect way to keep your pet safe during winter weather.
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Know Your Terms
A Winter Weather Advisory is when wintry weather is expected; exercise caution. Light amounts of wintry precipitation or patchy blowing snow will cause slick conditions and could affect travel if precautions are not taken.
A Winter Storm Watch is when snow, sleet, or ice is possible, be prepared! Confidence is medium that a winter storm could produce heavy snow, sleet, or freezing rain and cause significant impacts.
A Winter Storm Warning is when snow, sleet, or ice is expected. Confidence is high that a winter storm will produce heavy snow, sleet, or freezing rain and cause significant impacts.
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Sign Up for Alerts
To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to "Know Before You Go" by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting 511PA. 511PA is free and available 24 hours a day; it provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. You can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the "Check My Route" tool.
Motorists can sign up for alerts on 511PA by clicking on “Personal Alerts” in the left-hand menu.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices by calling 5-1-1 or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
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The State Museum Learn at Lunchtime Program
Pennsylvania is very diverse, and that includes our weather. With all four seasons comes a wide variety of weather across the Commonwealth.
Join us on January 20th at 12:15 p.m., as we talk to Jeff Jumper, the Resiliency Program Manager within the Bureau of Recovery with the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), to discuss some of our weather normal and some of our extremes. From tornadoes to floods, we’ll take a look through the Pennsylvania weather almanac.
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