According to the Bosque County Office of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service is telling residents to prepare for the possibility of a significant winter storm event beginning late Wednesday evening and continuing through the end of the week.
Temperatures are expected to drop to about 20 degrees overnight Wednesday with freezing rain being likely between midnight and 3 a.m., and freezing rain and sleet likely after 3 a.m.
Thursday’s high is expected to be around 28 degrees with a northnorthwest wind of 20 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. A 50% chance of precipitation could bring more freezing rain and sleet before noon. Thursday night’s low is expected to drop to about 14 degrees.
Friday’s forecast is mostly sunny, though the high will hover around only 33 degrees. Winds are expected to continue out of the north at 15 miles per hour, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. Friday night’s low is expected to be around 11 degrees.
The NWS said Saturday should be sunny with a high near 41 degrees with an overnight low around 22 degrees, and the high Sunday is expected to be near 48.
Bosque County OEM said residents should prepare for the cold weather by protecting all exposed pipes, checking on elderly family members and protecting outdoor pets, livestock and plants.
OEM also urges residents to complete grocery shopping and errands early to avoid driving on potentially icy roadways. They also suggest having plenty of water and easily prepared foods to last for a minimum of three to five days.
In the event of power outages due to ice it will be prudent to have a plan to stay warm. Vehicles may be used to provide warmth and to charge cell phones, but it must be done outside. Do not sit in a running car in the garage, even if the garage door is open.
The message from the OEM is to prepare to take care of yourself at home, however, if Bosque County experiences widespread and long-duration power outages, the office is prepared to open emergency warming shelters throughout the community.
“Even though we may open some warming shelters, these shelters are not intended to be your goto plan in a power outage,” a spokesperson for Bosque County OEM said on Facebook Monday. “They are intended to be a last resort option where you can go for help when you have no other options.”
OEM will provide a list of shelter sites that may bee opened at a later date. Follow us on Facebook or visit us at www.bosquecountytoday.com for updates.