TULSA, Okla. — As we prepare for Tulsa's first significant snow day of the 2024 calendar year, here are some helpful tips to keep your pets, plants and pipes safe in the freezing temperatures.
While some are looking forward to playing in the snow, there are some negatives. We have a few tips that can and things to be mindful of as temperatures drop.
Don't forget your animals. Any outdoor cats or dogs should be brought inside to keep them safe from potentially hazardous conditions.
Weather like this can kill your plants if you leave them outside. If you have plants sensitive to temperature drops, you should move them inside to avoid killing them.
Plants that can't be moved inside can be covered with a blanket or other fabrics to ensure they are protected against frosty conditions.
Remember your pipes. When temperatures drop below freezing during the winter, it can cause water to expand when it freezes, causing your pipes to break both inside and outside of your home.
Here are some tips to protect pipes ahead of freezing weather from the American Red Cross.
- Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer's or installer's directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping.
- Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
- Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in these areas.
- Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated.
- Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable," or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes – even ¼” of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.
- Consider relocating exposed pipes to provide increased protection from freezing.
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