Community Corner
Season's First Serious Snowstorm to Create Rush-Hour Mess
According to the National Weather Service, snow will start falling after midnight and road salt will be less effective because the overnight low will be about 11.
If the National Weather Service's forecast holds true, we're going to wake tomorrow to anywhere from two to four inches of snow.
A winter weather advisory has been issued for Will County starting at midnight, which is when the white stuff is to start falling, and ending at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Should make for a lovely morning rush-hour commute.
The most intense part of the storm will be between 4 and 8 a.m. for north central Illinois and the Chicago suburbs, according to the most recent forecast.
Also, "very cold temperatures will make regular non-treated road salt less effective," the weather service said.
Tonight's low will be 11 degrees, relatively balmy compared to the 5-below low expected Wednesday night. The good news is we'll have to endure just one more night in the teens before things start to get closer to the freezing point during the day on Friday and Saturday.
While those frigid temperatures are still in effect, however, the city of Joliet reminds residents that warming centers are available to anyone who needs to find refuge from the cold.
They are:
The city also urges residents to "check on the elderly, those with medical conditions and those with special needs during periods of extreme cold weather."
The city's advice for what to do during winter storms and extreme cold is covered in this news release:
When At Home:
• Stay indoors in a heated room as much as possible.
• Hang blankets over windows at night, but let the sun shine in during the day. Cover cracks around doors with rugs, newspapers, towels or other such material.
• When using alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., use safeguards and ensure proper ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If your water pipes freeze:
• Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car or walking in deep snow. The strain from the cold and the hard labor of snow shoveling could cause a heart attack at any age - a major cause of death in the winter. Don’t ignore chest pain or tightness in your chest.
• If you become stranded outdoors:
Symptoms are numbness and a white or pale appearance to the skin. When symptoms are apparent, seek medical help immediately. If medical help is not immediately available, slowly warm the affected areas.
Hypothermia, or low body temperature, is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 95 degrees F, which can be life-threatening!
Symptoms include:
• Slow or slurred speech
• Incoherence
• Memory loss
• Disorientation
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Drowsiness
• Repeated stumbling
• Apparent exhaustion.
If these symptoms are detected, take the person's temperature. If below 95 degrees F, immediately seek medical attention. If medical help is not available, begin warming the person slowly.
Always warm the body core first. Do NOT warm the arms and legs first – this can force the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure. Get the person into dry clothing and wrap them in a warm blanket covering the head and neck. Do not give the victim alcohol, drugs, coffee or any hot beverage. Warm broth is better.
** Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included incorrect hours for the Joliet Public Library.
The most intense part of the storm will be between 4 and 8 a.m. for north central Illinois and the Chicago suburbs, according to the most recent forecast.
Also, "very cold temperatures will make regular non-treated road salt less effective," the weather service said.
Tonight's low will be 11 degrees, relatively balmy compared to the 5-below low expected Wednesday night. The good news is we'll have to endure just one more night in the teens before things start to get closer to the freezing point during the day on Friday and Saturday.
While those frigid temperatures are still in effect, however, the city of Joliet reminds residents that warming centers are available to anyone who needs to find refuge from the cold.
They are:
- Joliet Public Library, 3395 Black Road and 150 N. Ottawa St., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.**
- Louis Joliet Mall, 3340 Mall Loop Drive (off Plainfield Road), 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
- Daybreak, 611 E. Cass St., overnight.
- MorningStar Mission, 350 E. Washington St., overnight.
The city also urges residents to "check on the elderly, those with medical conditions and those with special needs during periods of extreme cold weather."
The city's advice for what to do during winter storms and extreme cold is covered in this news release:
When At Home:
• Stay indoors in a heated room as much as possible.
• Hang blankets over windows at night, but let the sun shine in during the day. Cover cracks around doors with rugs, newspapers, towels or other such material.
• When using alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., use safeguards and ensure proper ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If your water pipes freeze:
- Shut off water at the main source. This can minimize the damage to your home.
- Call a plumber and contact your insurance agent.
- Never try to thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame or torch.
- Always be careful of the potential for electric shock in and around standing water.
• Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car or walking in deep snow. The strain from the cold and the hard labor of snow shoveling could cause a heart attack at any age - a major cause of death in the winter. Don’t ignore chest pain or tightness in your chest.
• If you become stranded outdoors:
- Seek shelter to stay dry.
- Cover all exposed parts of the body.
- Do not eat snow as it will lower your body temperature. Melt it first.
Symptoms are numbness and a white or pale appearance to the skin. When symptoms are apparent, seek medical help immediately. If medical help is not immediately available, slowly warm the affected areas.
Hypothermia, or low body temperature, is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 95 degrees F, which can be life-threatening!
Symptoms include:
• Slow or slurred speech
• Incoherence
• Memory loss
• Disorientation
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Drowsiness
• Repeated stumbling
• Apparent exhaustion.
If these symptoms are detected, take the person's temperature. If below 95 degrees F, immediately seek medical attention. If medical help is not available, begin warming the person slowly.
Always warm the body core first. Do NOT warm the arms and legs first – this can force the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure. Get the person into dry clothing and wrap them in a warm blanket covering the head and neck. Do not give the victim alcohol, drugs, coffee or any hot beverage. Warm broth is better.
** Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included incorrect hours for the Joliet Public Library.
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