Brrrrrr! No relief in sight

PROVO — You can see your breath, your windshield wiper fluid is freezing on your windshield and, even with that extra pair of gloves, you've lost feeling in your fingers.

It's officially cold.

Temperatures have bottomed out in the frigid teens the past few days, and forecasters say it's not going to get warmer any time soon.

"It will continue to be colder than average the next few days, but I don't think we'll be breaking any records this year," said Larry Dunn, meteorologist in charge of the Salt Lake City National Weather Service office.

Dunn attributed the chilly weather to recent snowstorms. A combination of high pressure and snow cover are keeping temperatures in the valley low.

The storm pattern is expected to continue through Sunday, he said.

In addition to bundling up, experts recommend taking precautions to prepare your household for the cold.

Paul Hall, a plumber at The Home Depot, said he gets frequent calls from people who come home from vacation to find their pipes burst. Don't turn the heat down past 65 degrees, he said, even if you don't plan to be in the house for a while.

Hall also recommended opening the cabinet doors under the faucet to allow heat to flow around the pipes. In extreme cases, residents should leave a faucet on and let the water trickle down the drain.

"It's hard to get running water to freeze," he said.

Residents should make sure garden hoses are disconnected from outdoor faucets. The hose traps water in the faucet, which can cause pipes to burst in freezing weather.

Low temperatures also spell danger for household pets.

"This is a real cold snap," said Gene Baierschmidt, director of the Humane Society of Utah. "When it gets down into the teens like this, we recommend people keep the animals inside if at all possible."

If pet owners can't keep their animals inside, Baierschmidt said they should have access to an insulated shelter that blocks wind and cold. Short-haired dogs should be outfitted with a sweater or a coat to guard against hypothermia and frostbite, he said.

Baierschmidt also said pet owners should consider pouring a little vegetable oil over their animals' food to add extra calories. The animals burn up energy keeping their body temperatures up in cold weather.

While the weather's cold, people should not leave their pets in the car, he said.

"The car acts like a refrigerator," he said. "Dogs can freeze to death."

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