ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Dangerously cold weather is predicted for later this week and into the weekend, with temperatures that could make Friday the coldest day in Rochester for seven years.
The latest forecast predicts a high of -11 degrees with wind chills reaching as low as -40 to -50 degrees on Friday. If it holds, it would be the third coldest day in Rochester since 2000.
The last time Rochester had a daily maximum temperature colder than -11 degrees was Jan. 30, 2019, with a high of -19 and a low that day of -29 degrees.
Local professionals are sharing maintenance tips to help residents prepare for the extreme cold.
Vehicle preparation
Joe’s Auto & Tire Service Advisor Zach Nielsen said electronics can become unreliable in extreme cold, and heater problems are common.
“Electronics start to get a little glitchy in the cold and then heater problems are the biggest one we noticed,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen advised drivers to allow proper time for vehicles to warm up to potentially avoid vehicle heating issues.
“Typically, at least 10 minutes if it’s sitting outside. If it’s in a garage, it obviously helps with the insulation factor as well. But [allow it] a good 10 minutes or so just to let it warm up, especially if it’s going to be a short trip drive,” Nielsen said.
He also recommended checking freeze protection in vehicle fluids, particularly for visitors from warmer climates.
“More just keeping up on the maintenance factor, in my opinion, making sure freeze protection is proper. We get some people that’ll come up from Texas for Mayo. Making sure you got proper freeze protection on the washer fluid and stuff like that too, otherwise it’ll freeze up,” Nielsen said.
Home maintenance
Haley Comfort Systems Project Manager Pete Klassen suggested changing HVAC filters and keeping exterior vents clear of blowing snow.
“There’s going to be a lot of people waking up with a cold house in the morning. It’s just going to shut itself down because of its safety measures,” Klassen said.
He said high-efficiency furnaces are particularly vulnerable to snow blocking their exterior PVC vents.
“If you have a high efficient furnace, your PVC that goes out the side of the house, it can get plugged with snow blowing in there. And if that snow gets in that PVC and the furnace can’t exhaust or bring air back in for combustion, again, the furnace will drop out,” Klassen said.
If furnaces do fail, Klassen said colder areas of homes are most vulnerable to bursting pipes. He recommends letting water trickle in those areas to keep it from freezing.
“If you have an area that’s skeptical in the plumbing, maybe in the basement in a lower sink, it’s not a bad idea in these temperatures to let the water trickle a little bit to keep the water moving,” Klassen said.
According to the National Weather Service, wind chills dipping as low as -40 to -50 degrees mean frostbite can take effect on exposed skin in 10 minutes or less.
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