Cold snap a prelude to another winter storm
Posted Jan 25, 2011 05:09:35 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Another winter storm has Nova Scotia in its sights this week and the forecast calls for a lot of rain or snow – though it’s not clear yet which we’ll actually get.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement warning about a system tracking near the coast which could bring significant amounts of snow and strong winds Thursday.
News 95.7 meteorologist Richard Zurawski says there’s still a question about which direction the storm will go and what kind of weather it will bring.
“If it tracks down to the south than we’re looking at a bucket of snow and if it tracks to the north than we’re looking at a ton of rain,” he said. “Either way, it’s a deep low pressure system and it is moving into our neck of the woods.”
Until then, Nova Scotians are still dealing with bitter cold temperatures, which will persist for another day before becoming moderate in advance of the storm.
The Red Cross is urging residents not to resort to unsafe ways of staying warm as the mercury dips into the minus double-digits.
Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management in Atlantic Canada, points to a rise in the number of house fires including at least one attributed to unsafely thawing frozen water pipes.
The organization suggests occasionally running the water and letting one faucet drip steadily to prevent pipes from freezing. It also warns people to give space heaters and wood stoves extra attention and to check electric heaters for blown fuses or warm plugs and cords.
The heightened fire risk underscores the need for working smoke detectors, insurance, and a household emergency plan, said Lawlor in a media release Monday.
The cold is also causing trouble for firefighters. In Amherst, the spray from the hose was rapidly freezing, causing icy conditions on the ground as attempts were made to extinguish a blaze in minus 30 degree wind chill Monday.
