Unless you reacted instantly to our piece last week on cheap fleeces, you’ll be looking around for ideas on coping with the cold air mass from the north which will chill two-thirds of the U.S. Sunday through Tuesday.
Staying warm when you are off the grid can be doubly important if you cannot even leave home and are far from supplies of food or fuel. Even if you your home is like a chiller, you may be able to create a warm room.
Ensure that there is adequate insulation, and check and clean the fireplace and furnace. Furnace filters should be replaced monthly.
Minimize drafts by filling old socks with sand and using them in drafty windowsills and door jams. Weather-strip around windows and doors. Keep doors to unused rooms closed and close curtains at night.
Add an extra blanket to the bed and warm the bed in advance with a hot water bottle. Never use an electric blanket — it may be difficult to operate the controls if the temperature needs to be adjusted in the night.
Dress in layers of loose fitting clothing. If you go outside, make sure your head is covered.
Try the Ensure that there is adequate insulation, and check and clean the fireplace and furnace. Furnace filters should be replaced monthly.
Minimize drafts by filling old socks with sand and using them in drafty windowsills and door jams. Weather-strip around windows and doors. Keep doors to unused rooms closed and close curtains at night.
Add an extra blanket to the bed and warm the bed in advance with a hot water bottle. Never use an electric blanket — it may be difficult to operate the controls if the temperature needs to be adjusted in the night.
To keep feet warm, try Thermacell Rechargeable Heated Insoles
Areas around Chicago and Minneapolis are expecting temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees BELOW b zero. That’s before factoring in the wind chill, which is expected to make sections of the north-central states feel as chilly as 50 to 60 degrees below zero by Sunday evening.
The storm could bring heavy snow to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and freezing rain from the Deep South, along the Appalachians into New England for the next couple of days, the National Weather Service says.
“It’s about as harsh a three-day period as you’ll ever see in some areas of the country,” says Joe Bastardi, chief forecaster at Weather Bell, adding it has been at least two decades since the country has seen an air mass this cold. “If you are out there, it’s dangerous. Temperatures like these can freeze flesh in 10 minutes.”