Get ready to prepare for a hard freeze this weekend with the coldest air since February 2015 coming to our area.
Homes in hard freeze zones are most at risk for pipe problems -- which means not all homes are at risk. Pipes exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, well pumps and water sprinkler lines should be protected; including plastic or metal pipes.
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Let’s reiterate, most homes are well insulated and don’t need to take any protection from freezing temperatures.
Older homes, built before 1990 and off grade homes that have a crawl space are more susceptible to deeper penetration of windy freezing cold air. This will be a bigger issue for Georgia folks early Saturday. Then for everyone in the hard freeze zones on Sunday. Saturday morning temperatures will be in the mid-20s with winds over 25 mph, freezing conditions will impact exposed pipes.
Other outdoor, exposed pipes that freeze most frequently include, water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements, and attics, garages or kitchen cabinets.
Here’s a tip on whether you should be concerned about your pipes.
When you turn on your water, does it quickly feel freezing cold? If so, the water line may be exposed to the outside.
- If the water quickly warms, you are probably ok. But if it takes a while to warm, this implies a long stretch of piping might be exposed. See if you can trace where the water line goes and determine how much protection it has to the outside.
- If you find exposed pipe, see if you can insulate the pipe with pipe insulation. This is a cylinder of Styrofoam with a lateral cut with the pipe. You just separate the insulation and squeeze it around your pipe. If you can’t find any insulation, you have two choices, just cover exposed areas with whatever you can and/or leave a drip running over night. Just do it before going to bed, just a trickle will do.
For what it is worth, the blast of cold coming from the Arctic will have a deep reach down into Cuba and the Bahamas. In fact, freezing temperatures may drop down into the Everglades.
So far, Jacksonville has had a cold start to the year with all four freezes this season occurring in the second half of January.
The most significant freeze reached 27° in Jacksonville, this Sunday we should hit this mark once more or even drop slightly below it.
No areas will be immune from the freeze in Georgia or even the coastal and river areas in North Florida Sunday morning. A widespread hard freeze is expected inland with temperatures below 26° for several hours. A light freeze along the beaches will drop near 28° with mid 20s around the I-95 corridor.
How else to prepare:
- Plants need to be protected with cloth blankets or brought inside.
- Pets should be kept inside overnight.
- Pipes need to be protected from water that freezes and expands.