There are a number of precautions people should be taking when heading out in a vehicle in treacherously cold conditions like the ones expected in Wisconsin on Friday.
That’s what Molly Hart, a spokesperson for the auto club group AAA, told “Wisconsin Today” about traveling during the upcoming cold snap that’s expected to bring subzero temperatures and dangerous windchills, with much of the central and southeastern part of the state under an extreme cold watch starting on Thursday night.
Ahead of traveling, Hart said people should make sure their car’s tire pressure is adequate, the battery is charged enough to withstand the cold and that antifreeze and washer fluids are in working order.
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Hart also recommends people stock their cars with things like extra blankets and food and water in case of getting stranded on the roadside.
“You want to have that emergency kit — we cannot stress it enough,” she said. “If it is safe to stay inside your vehicle, absolutely stay inside.”
During the cold snap, Green Bay and Madison could see temperatures of -15 degrees, and windchills could make temperatures feel worse, said Kurt Kotenberg, a warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Green Bay. For example, Rhinelander’s roughly -25 degree forecast will actually feel closer to -48, he said.
“This is some very, very cold weather that we need to be prepared to take seriously here, because it’s going to hit us pretty hard Friday morning,” Kotenberg said.
Hart said anyone stuck on the side of the road during these conditions should make sure their car is pulled over with its hazard lights on, making it easier for a tow truck to identify you.
She also said people should run their car’s engine intermittently, rather than continuously, to conserve gas while keeping the interior warm.
The state is under an NWS extreme cold watch as arctic air blasts down from the north, Kotenberg said. He warned that while some people may argue that Wisconsin winters are always cold, this week’s weather isn’t the same.
Friday’s temperatures will likely make it the third-coldest Jan. 23 on record, going back to 1886, he said, noting temperatures will be roughly 30 degrees colder than the state’s average at this time of year.
“Yes it’s Wisconsin, yes it’s January, yes it gets cold, we know all of that,” he said. “But this is much colder than what we’re used to dealing with. It’s a big difference in these temperatures coming than what we typically see here.”
Kotenberg said he expects the worst of the cold to break late Friday, with average temperatures in the state getting back into the high single digits by Sunday.
