Albuquerque freeze warning expanded through Friday morning

A Freeze Warning has been expanded to include the Albuquerque metro area for Thursday night through Friday morning, with temperatures expected to fall near or below freezing. The warning comes as residents are advised to take cold-weather steps around their homes.

Temperatures will fall near or below freezing tonight, according to the report.

“Take your cold weather precautions,” the report said.

While it may be a little early to completely shut down outdoor irrigation systems, the expected freeze is described as a wake-up call for homeowners to start prepping for winter.

Recommended steps include shutting down sprinkler systems by turning off the automatic timer and bleeding the system of water to avoid pipe damage from freezing.

Homeowners are advised to find the master shutoff valve, if they have one, learn its location and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is, as that could be critical if a pipe should burst.

Outdoor hoses should be disconnected and drained, allowing water to drain from the pipe so an overnight freeze does not burst the faucet. Faucets and exposed outdoor pipes should be insulated.

Pipes and faucets in unheated areas, such as the garage, basement, crawl space or space beneath a mobile home, should be wrapped before temperatures plummet. Pipe wrapping materials are available at hardware or building supply stores.

Heat tape or similar materials can be installed on exposed water pipe, using UL-listed products and following all instructions carefully.

Access doors, air vents and cracks should be sealed off. Air vents used by a furnace or water heater should not be plugged.

Pets kept outside should have a house with the door facing away from the prevailing wind, with straw or cedar shavings layered on the bottom for added insulation and a strong flap on the entrance to keep cold out and warmth in.

Plants should be brought inside.