January is usually the month where bad weather, extreme cold temps, and blowing snow can make driving very treacherous here in our little corner. Tonight will be very cold, with actual temps 10-15 degrees below zero with up to 30 miles per hour winds. I visited with our sheriff, Evan Verbrugge, this past week about what steps we should do when venturing out. First, he said, Do you REALLY need to go where youre going? If you need to because of job responsibilities or an emergency, prepare yourself. Otherwise, stay home. He hates risking the lives of his deputies and city/county personnel to go extract you out of the ditch because Target had 75% off Christmas decorations. When you do leave, let someone know which direction youre travelling and which road youll be on. Secondly, and most overlooked, is the condition of your car. Common sense general maintenance can help you from going into the ditch in the first place. Tires are most important. Make sure you have good tread on your tires, and that the tires are properly inflated. Good wipers come in second (and washer fluid) and be sure to allow your car enough time to warm up to clear off the windshield before leaving. Its hard to catch up with the wind of travel if you do not. You see many people every morning on the road with only a small hole to see through. If you cannot wait for your car to warm up, make sure you have a decent scraper. Also, keep your gas tank FULL or as close to it as you can. If you see it at halfway, stop to fill it. Bonus this year is that gas is at about $2 a gallon! If you need to have your car run when stranded, its obviously better to have more fuel with which to burn. For supplies to keep in your vehicle or trunk, a small shovel is recommended to try to dig out your vehicle, or if stuck too deep, to clear away snow from the exhaust so you can run your vehicle for heat when needed. Flashlight with fresh batteries, plus extra batteries. 3/4 filled water bottles (in case they freeze up) for water and then when you drink the water, refill with clean snow. Snickers bars, protein bars, or power bars. You will need immediate carbs and some protein. Matches, candle, road flares, extra blankets, a tow rope, and always be sure to have jumper cables. Kitty litter is very helpful to help gain traction when stuck. We have had extra coats, sometimes even snowsuits in the trunk. Be sure to have warm winter boots, hats, and gloves with you if conditions warrant. When temps dip under 20 degrees below zero, frostbite hits exposed skin quickly. Now to your cell phone. Make sure its charged before you leave and also have a charger in the car. Enable Location Services in your phone so authorities can ping your phone to pinpoint your location. If you are in an emergency or involved in an accident, and you see your phone does not have any bars...dont fret, when you dial 911 your phone will enter Emergency Services Mode, which will boost your signal and allow you to use any carriers tower nearby, regardless of carrier agreements. If youre NOT in an emergency, and you have cell service and are in Rock County, call 507-283-5000 for the Rock County Dispatch. Finally, know whats out there. Check road condition websites like: hb.511mn.org/ and others. You can also sign up for nixle, a service similar to school reach where updates are sent via text or email. You can text your zip code to 888777 (dont forget to put zip code in the message), and you will receive weather and road updates for your area. If you just want emails, you can sign up at: https://local.nixle/register/ Whats nice is that Evan and other local officials can send out additional information they deem important to share, like the drinking water situation after this past summers flood. You can reply STOP at any time to discontinue the texts. Drive safe!
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 00:39:11 +0000