It’s been crisp. It’s been brisk. There’s been a nip in the air, you might say.
But this week, get ready to shelve those charmingly autumnal words for what it’s about to be: cold. Freezing cold, in fact.
Tonight, the temperature is forecast to dip below 32 degrees. The subfreezing lows are expected to continue through Thursday, with mercury dropping into the 20s.
As such, Clark County residents and homeowners should get ready for the practical challenges that come with sub-freezing temperatures.
“Water pipes are probably the biggest thing this time of year,” said Loretta Callahan, public information officer for the Vancouver Public Works Department.
“It’s that time of year where we want to let people know that the best way to prevent their water pipes from freezing is to take action now, before the temperatures drop.”
If you have a water hose, now’s the time to disconnect it, she said. Locals should also purchase foam insulated covers to protect their outside hose bibs from the cold.
“Even wrapping them with newspapers or old cloth, or covering them with plastic, is better than leaving them uninsulated,” Callahan said.
Homeowners should also consider identifying pipes that run near their outer walls and having them insulated, she added.
And she offered some good advice year round, but especially in pipe-bursting season: “Make sure you know where your water shutoff valve is within your home, and that it works.”
If the worst happens and the pipes do freeze, don’t try to thaw it yourself, and definitely don’t involve an open flame, she said. Call a plumber, or the city operations center if there’s a problem with the meter.
Watch the roads
Through autumn, the city works to prepare for the upcoming winter, including making and storing 300 tons of a de-icing salt brine solution and testing each of the snow plows.
Now, Callahan said, we wait.
“They will be keeping a very close eye on the weather,” she said. “This is that period of time where being prepared is important.”
It’s already cold enough for any water on the roads or sidewalks to freeze solid.
There’s no snow in the forecast this week — unless something changes, the lowest temperatures will come with clear skies. But as the region transitions to winter, it’s important to be ready for how adverse weather might affect city operations.
Vancouver’s garbage collection schedule can be affected by snow, ice or high wind. Apple and Android phone users can install an app to receive up-to-date information on garbage, recycling and yard debris pickup schedule. Instructions are available on the city’s website, at cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/how-sign-service-alerts.
If snow plows become necessary, Callahan said, residents should keep in mind that the city prioritizes routes based on emergency vehicle access. That means that most residential and suburban areas aren’t high on the snow plow drivers’ list of priorities. A snow removal route map detailing primary and secondary plowing routes is also available on the city’s website, on the Public Works page under a tab titled “Severe Weather.”
“If and when we need to, we will mobilize our crews and we will work 12-hour shifts around the clock,” Callahan said.
