Stoddard County, Missouri – Winter has arrived in southeast Missouri and with much of Missouri having temps below freezing or at least near the zero march this week there are few things we need to do to prepare!
The National Weather Service in Paducah, KY says an extended period of arctic cold is expected this week. High temperatures will likely stay well below freezing after Tuesday. The greatest concern is late Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Gusty winds will force temperatures to fall through the teens Wednesday.
That has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge people to be prepared in case of winter weather emergencies.
The CDC has a list of things to areas to double check before temperatures get dangerously low.
Communication Checklist
•Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure: ◦Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries.
◦Battery-powered radio, with extra batteries, for listening to local emergency instructions ◾National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts.
•Listen to emergency broadcasts.
•Make a Family Communication Plan. Your family may not be together during an extreme winter event, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do during an emergency.
•Be sure to check on older neighbors and family members; assist as necessary.
Heating Checklist
•Turning on the stove for heat is not safe; have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out: ◦Extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats
◦Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or a gas log fireplace
◦Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
•Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
•Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
•Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
•Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
•Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
•Have the following safety equipment: ◦Chemical fire extinguisher
◦Smoke alarm in working order (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
◦Carbon monoxide detector (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
•Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
•Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
•Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
•Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.
Cooking and Lighting Checklist
•Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns.
•Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stoves indoors. The fumes are deadly.
•Avoid using candles as these can lead to house fires.
•If you do use candles, never leave lit candles alone.
Food and Safety Checklist
Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand. Make sure you have the following supplies:
•Drinking water
•Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
•Non-electric can opener
•Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
•Prescription drugs and other medicine
•First-aid kit
•Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
•Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
•Flashlight and extra batteries
•Battery-powered lamps or lanterns
(To prevent the risk of fire, avoid using candles.)
Water Checklist
Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.
•Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
•Keep the indoor temperature warm.
•Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
•If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
•If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
•Fill the bathtub or have bottled water on hand.
•In an emergency, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.
Car and Emergency Checklist
Is Your Vehicle Winter Ready? - A bird character near the back of a vehicle with a water bottle, flash light, ice scraper, jumper cables, cell phone, shovel, first aid kit, and blankets. Minimize travel, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your vehicle:
•Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries
•Shovel
•Windshield scraper
•Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
•Flashlight with extra batteries
•Water
•Snack food
•Blankets
•Road salt and sand
•Booster cables
•Bright colored flag or help signs
•First aid kit
•Tool kit
•Road maps
•Compass
•Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
•Paper towels
... EXTENDED PERIOD OF ARCTIC COLD EXPECTED THIS WEEK...
- BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST THIS WEEK. IN FACT THE ONLY DAY TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE FREEZING IS TUESDAY. THE PERIOD OF GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY... WHEN A VERY STRONG ARCTIC HIGH WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST FROM THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AND END UP RIGHT OVER TOP OF THE REGION BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY.
- FALLING TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE TEENS... AND INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS SOME AREAS... COMBINED WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH... WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS FIVE TO FIFTEEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO FROM MIDDAY WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LOWS BY THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE NEAR ZERO MANY LOCATIONS. HOWEVER... THE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
- EVERYONE IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO LIMIT ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO WATER LINES. THE WIND DURING EXTREME COLD CAN DIRECT THE FRIGID AIR INTO POORLY INSULATED AREAS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND RESULT IN DAMAGE TO PIPES.
Weather brought to you by Allen Christian Buick GMC, a proud sponsor of the ShowMe Times.
Monday, December 22, 2014 – Rain. High 51F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Monday evening cloudy with light rain this evening. Low around 45F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Sunset 4:48 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014 – Cloudy skikes. High 51F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Showers early Tuesday night, becoming a steady rain late. Low 39F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Sunrise 7:11 a.m. Sunset 4:49 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014 – Christmas Eve – A steady rain early, then remaining cloudy with a few showers. High 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Wednesday night cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Sunrise 7:11 a.m. Sunset 4:49 p.m.
Thursday, December 25, 2014 – Christmas Day – Sunny skies with high 47F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Thursday evening clear skies with low near 35F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Sunrise 7:11 a.m. Sunset 4:50 p.m.
Friday, December 26, 2014 – Intervals of clouds and sunshine in the morning with more clouds for later in the day. High 53F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Friday evening considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low near 35F. SW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Sunrise 7:12 a.m. Sunset 4:51 p.m.
- ... LIGHT SNOW... SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN LIKELY IN SOME AREAS TONIGHT...
- A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY LATER TONIGHT. THIS WILL LIKELY CREATE LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION AS IT MOVES OVER A COLD DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE NEAR THE SURFACE. MAINLY LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR NORTH OF A MARBLE HILL MISSOURI TO VIENNA ILLINOIS TO GREENVILLE KENTUCKY LINE. A LIGHT WINTRY MIX AND EVEN SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL BE LIKELY SOUTH OF THAT LINE. TRAVEL SHOULD NOT BE IMPACTED... MAINLY DUE TO THE RELATIVE WARM PAVEMENT TEMPERATURES AND AIR TEMPERATURES NEARING THE FREEZING MARK. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF IN MOST LOCATIONS AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY.
Stoddard County, Missouri – Weather brought to you by Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home, a proud sponsor of the ShowMe Times.
Monday, December 15, 2014 – Overcast with rain showers at times. High 57F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Evening forecast - clear to partly cloudy with a low 39F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014 – Partly cloudy skies with a high 46F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Evening forecast – clear skies with a low of 29F. Sunrise 7:07 a.m. Sunset 4:46 p.m.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 – Mostly sunny skies with a high of 42F. Winds light and variable. Evening forecast – light rain early then remaining cloudy with showers late. Low 34 F. Chance of rain 70%. Sunrise 7:07 a.m. Sunset 4:46 p.m.
Thursday, December 18, 2014 – Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 39F. Winds light and variable. Evening forecast – a few clouds from time to time. Low 32F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Sunrise 7:08 a.m. Sunset 4:47 p.m.
Friday, December 19, 2014 – Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will give way to cloudy skies with light rain and snow developing in the afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%. High 35F. Friday evening rain and snow, becoming all snow late. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Low 31F. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected. Sunrise 7:09 a.m. Sunset 4:47 p.m.
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Snow showers early. Peeks of sunshine later. High around 35F. Winds NN at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60% Snow accumulations less than one inch. High 35F. Saturday evening a few clouds, low 26F. Sunrise 7:09 a.m. Sunset 4:47 p.m.
Sunday, December 21, 2014 – A few clouds from time to time. High 37F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Sunday evening a few clouds low 22F. Winds light and variable. Sunrise 7:10 a.m. Sunset 4:48 p.m.
- ... DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CST FRIDAY...
- THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CST FRIDAY.
- AREAS OF DENSE FOG HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE REGION... AND THE DENSE FOG WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
- * VISIBILITY: ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TOMORROW MORNING AS LIGHT RAIN SPREADS INTO THE REGION.
- * IMPACTS: MOTORISTS NEED TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION.
- PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
- A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING... SLOW DOWN... USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS... AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.
- ... FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...
- THE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING.
- * TODAY... LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP... POSSIBLY CAUSING TRAVEL ISSUES MAINLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. ISOLATED POCKETS OF SLEET MAY MIX IN WITH THE FREEZING RAIN AT TIMES... BUT ANY SLEET THAT DOES FALL SHOULD BE BRIEF AND OFFER LITTLE ADDITIONAL HAZARD.
- * RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO FREEZING RAIN EARLY AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING. THE FREEZING RAIN MAY AT TIMES MIX WITH SLEET.
- * ICE ACCUMULATIONS IN MOST AREAS SHOULD BE LIGHT. ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF A TENTH OF AN INCH OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE THOUGH.
- * TRAVELERS ACROSS THE ADVISORY TODAY SHOULD DO SO WITH EXTREME CAUTION... ESPECIALLY WHEN CROSSING BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.
- PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
- A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
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- ... FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED TODAY...
- .RAIN WILL CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN TODAY AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING. THE FREEZING RAIN WILL BE FALLING ON WARM GROUND AND AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT... BUT IT STILL MAY POSE A HAZARD FOR AREA TRAVELERS... ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES AND ROADWAYS LIKE BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THE FREEZING RAIN MAY BRIEFLY MIX WITH SLEET AT TIMES.
