Nanaimo Cold Snap

Nanaimo Airport -14C
Yes, That is COLD

The temperature at the airport this morning at 7:00 am was a chilly -14C, which is about 7 F on the old scale.

Those kind of temperatures are enough to freeze water pipes and test the strength of you car battery.

It is also the kind of temperature which will send you searching for your warm clothes, which we seldom need to wear.

You might want to get used to it, as the weatherman is forecasting below freezing temperatures for the rest of the week.

Be sure to shovel you sidewalk and steps and apply some salt or sand to the slippery patches, as it looks like it won't be melting this week.

Here are a few cold weather tips which for the rest of Canada is considered just common sense, but for those of us living in the banana belt, we need reminding from time to time.

• Dress in layered clothing and wear some kind of head cover.
• Keep pets inside; when necessary to walk them, do so on the grass, not the cold sidewalk.
• Protect livestock and other animals with adequate shelter, extra feed and supplemental heat.
• Bring potted plants inside.
• Cover outdoor plants with burlap or cloth. Cold will penetrate plastic.
• Check space heaters for sufficient ventilation and wire condition.
• Never place space heaters close to flammable objects, such as drapes or bedding.
• Make sure fireplace flues are working properly.
• Check extension cords for breaks or fraying.
• Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors. They produce deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
• Check on the elderly and infirmed.