Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Time to get your bread and milk now as a major winter storm is spiraling through the Midwest headed for the East Coast, looking to enter our area by Saturday.
The Weather Channel says that Winter Storm Izzy will be upon us on Saturday but continue to linger through the early morning hours on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. day.
Predicted is a mix of wintery weather with ice, sleet, and snow over the holiday weekend, which could lead to treacherous driving conditions on Monday morning.
The best chance for heavy snow accumulations will be over the Appalachians, according to the Weather Channel. For Swain County, as much as 8 inches of snow accumulation is expected and about 12 inches for higher elevations like Asheville.
AccuWeather has our area under an Ice Storm Threat Saturday-Sunday night but leading into mostly snow Sunday through Monday. According to the Local Yokel, temperatures will be mid 30s-40s on Saturday and mid 20s-30s Sunday-Monday.
The most worrisome part of this storm system is the potential for ice, which could lead to extended power outages, tree damage, and slippery roads.
Safety tips from the CDC
Be sure to:
- Have an alternative heat source like a kerosene heater (with proper ventilation) or a generator
- Keep a battery powered flashlight or lantern
- Have plenty of drinking water and foods that don’t require heating up
- Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously to prevent your pipes from freezing
- Make sure children and elderly stay warm; infants less than one year old should never sleep in a cold room because they lose body heat more easily than adults and older adults often make less body heat because of a slower metabolism and less physical activity
- Do not drive on icy roads and avoid walking on icy surfaces
If you MUST drive have an emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle:
- cell phone with portable charger
- warm coats, gloves, hats, blankets
- water and food
- first aid kit
- tow chains, ropes, and tire chains
- canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
- cat litter or sand to help tires get traction, or road salt to melt ice
- booster cables with fully charged battery or jumper cables
- bright colored flag or help signs, emergency distress flag, and/or emergency flares
- waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
Stay safe out there!