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Freezing temps expected this week
COLD WEATHER file
In this file photo from January 2008, ice is shown on a fountain at Woodland Square as a result of overnight temperatures under 20 degrees. Temperatures are again predicted to dip below 20 degrees on Thursday night. - photo by SCOTT BRYANT/file
    Temperatures are expected to plummet by Thursday as an arctic blast comes this way, sending the mercury down to the low 20s and even into the teens by Friday and Saturday, weather experts say.
    Bulloch County Public Safety Directors Ted Wynn advises citizens to make sure pets are protected, bring in any outdoor plants that  may be at risk and take extra care when using space heaters or any other “alternate heat sources” in the home.
    National Weather Service meteorologist Pete Mohlin said a cold front will send temperatures into the low 20s by Thursday, with even colder weather over the weekend.  Thursday, highs are expected to be in the 50s, with a low in the upper 20’s, but Friday and Saturday will see highs in the 40s and lows dipping in to the teens, he said.
    When will it get warmer? Mohlin said not for several days, as there are more cold fronts coming back to back that could give the Statesboro-Bulloch County area several days of cold.  Temperatures may not return to normal until “the middle of next week,” he said.
    The cold snap may be a surprise to some, used to unusually warm winter weather since Christmas, he said.
    Mohlin suggested people “dress in layers and stay indoors is possible.”
    He also reminded people to “drip” water pipes and wrap exposed pipes, and to seal any drafts to conserve heat.
    Wynn warned people using kerosene and other space heaters to be careful in filling the heaters, as well as placing them in well ventilated areas where flammable materials cannot catch fire.  Public safety agencies usually see an increase in structure fires during cold weather, he said.
    During the extreme weather, people who do not have warm places to stay should contact the Bulloch County Public Safety Office at (912) 489-1661, he said.
    The American Red Cross will help with approved situations, and if there are a large number of people needing a warm place to stay during prolonged extremely cold weather, “ we will open a shelter,” he said.
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