Biloxi, Mississippi (WLOX) – Temperatures are already dropping…and will continue to drop as we head into the chilly Christmas weekend.
As of Thursday morning, we have a short window to prepare for the upcoming severe weather. Make sure you cover your plants, check your car, and take other appropriate precautions.
Mechanics urge you to be extra careful when it comes to your vehicle. Warm up the car for at least 15 minutes before hitting the road to avoid shocking the system.
Wayne Thompkins, co-owner of A&W Auto, said: “If the transmission is on the edge, you go out, crank it up, put it in gear, and the fluid is ice cold, and the gear slips. The gear slips.”
Mechanics also say you should check tire pressure and tread often.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) recommends preparing for the worst with a “Winter Weather Car Kit” that includes the following items:
- windshield scraper
- Flashlight with spare battery
- jumper cable
- first aid kit
- blanket
- mobile charger
- water/snacks
- emergency flares or reflectors
MDOT also has a page on preparing for winter weather.
Southern Mississippi is already doing what it can to prepare, as evidenced by increased winter hardware sales. Many local hardware stores say they have significantly increased the amount of winter items they sell, from pipe insulation to faucet covers to space heaters.
“It’s kind of steadily fading away,” said Russell Moran, retail sales rep for OS Lumber and Supply. there is nothing”
Another sign of how extreme the weather is going to be… winter shelters are opening up all over the coast this weekend. Check out the stories below for a list of shelters that are open, how to get to one, or if you’re looking to volunteer.
Download the WLOX First Alert Weather app, watch WLOX live, and check the weather page for the latest weather.
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