WILKES-BARRE — The weather in Northeastern Pennsylvania was surely frightful Thursday as a polar vortex invaded the Wyoming Valley.
The National Weather Service at Binghamton issued a hazardous weather outlook, advising residents that bitterly cold air with winds gusting northwest could reach speeds of 30 to 45 miles per hour into Friday. Those winds could produce chills as low as 10 below zero.
For overnight Thursday into Friday, the NWS predicted a low around 10, but the wind child could drop as low as -1.
WNEP Chief Meteorologist Tom Clark told the Times Leader earlier in the week that Friday’s weather will be “absolutely frigid.”
Snow, sleet and rain drizzle is predicted throughout the weekend, including overnight Friday into Saturday. The Weather Service is predicting 4 to 6 inches of snow by Saturday afternoon.
Because property owners are responsible for maintenance of their water service line from the curb to the house, as well as any in-home piping, Pennsylvania American Water is encouraging customers to be vigilant for frozen and damaged pipes.
Tips from the water company include:
• Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
• Locate your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.
• Protect your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric might also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation, so don’t disturb it.
• Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing.
• Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
• Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.
• Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water.
