Be Prepared: Winter Blast to Bring Snow, Frigid Temperatures to Mid-Valley

(SALEM) - Frigid weather is on the way to Oregon and the mid-Willamette Valley. The National Weather Service says a blast of cold air from Canada will arrive Wednesday and linger into the weekend. A cold front will bring rain Tuesday then showers will have snow mixed in rain overnight as the snow level drops. The snow level is expected to lower to 500 feet in the north part of the state Wednesday morning and in the south part of the state Wednesday afternoon. Accumulation of one to two inches of snow is possible Wednesday and Wednesday night above 500 feet. An inch of snow is possible on the valley floor Wednesday. Cold but dry weather will persist through the weekend. Salem-News.com will keep you informed of any school closures and delays, traffic problems, power or phone outages, should snow hit the Salem-area Wednesday. Salem-area elevations from the National Weather Service: Airlie 340' Aumsville 363' Broadmead 183' Buell 385' Buena Vista 260' Burns Corner 440' Canby 153' Colton 707' Dallas 326' Dayton 140' Estacada 480' Falls City 370' Forest Grove 211' Gervais 184' Jefferson 230' Keizer 134' Independence 176' Mt Angel 168' Mt Angel Abbey 250' Marion 300' Marquam 295' McMinnville 160' Millersburg 242' Molalla 373' Mulino 237' North Santiam 355' Pedee 267' Salem (airport) 210' Salem (downtown) 196' Salem (south hills) 250-600' St. Paul 170' Scio 317' Scotts Mill 400' Sheridan 150' Silverton 249' Stayton 457' Sublimity 538' Suver 207' Turner 285' Wilhoit 750' Willamina 225' Woodburn 183' Yamhill 190' Mt Angel Abbey 250' Franklin Butte 891' Bald Hill 989' Knox Butte 541' Bunker Hill 961' Scraver Hill 521' Prospect Hill 1,119' Barnett Knoll 965' Twin Hills 657' Illahe Hill 368' Miller Butte 686' Holmes Hill 576' Red Hills of Dundee 700-900' Smith Hill 740' Eola Hills 600-800' Spring Hill 421' Looney Butte 630' Chapman Hill 525' Hale Butte 436' Price Peak 1,825' Looney Butte 630' Hungry Hill 682' Plumbing is especially susceptible to cold weather and freezing. Burst pipes from freezing can cause some of the most expensive repairs in the home. Here are some of the basics: Insulate Exposed Piping: If you have any exposed water or drain piping at all in uninsulated spaces such as in a crawlspace, attic, outside walls, etc., make sure to insulate them with foam insulation at a minimum. Ideally you should wrap them with electrical heating tape first, then insulate them. Exterior Faucets: Known as hose bibbs or sill-cocks, the exterior faucet needs to have its water supply turned off inside the house, and you also need to drain water from it by opening up the exterior faucet. You may also want to consider an insulated cover for the hose bibb. And remember to drain your hoses if you store them outside. Thawing a Frozen Pipe: Locate the most likely place the pipe is frozen. Open up the closest valve or faucet to the frozen area. Get a small bucket of hot water and some wash cloths. Dip a wash cloth into the hot water, and then lay it on the frozen pipe. Keep switching out the wash cloths so that they're always hot. Once you see water begin to trickle out of the valve or faucet, get a hair dryer. Place the hair dryer below the pipe so that the heat will radiate all around the pipe. It's very important that you don't get too close to the pipe or hold the hair dryer in one place for too long. This could damage the pipe, so keep it moving. Work from the valve back, keeping the hair dryer a few inches from the pipe. Once water starts coming out of the faucet, turn it off and check for leaks. Winter Safety Tips For Employers: A number of hazards exist year-round, but winter in Oregon brings a higher risk of weather-related emergencies, including winter ice storms, power outages, and a higher likelihood of lowland floods. Employers that plan ahead to keep workers safe in an emergency are better equipped to survive a natural disaster and continue operations. Oregon OSHA requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. Those requirements include having emergency plans in place to address fires, disasters, and weather emergencies that could occur during work. Emergency planning may not prevent emergencies, but it can protect lives, equipment, and property over the long term. Oregon OSHA requires most employers to have emergency plans. Companies that have more than 10 employees must have written plans. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees don't have to put their plans in writing; however, they must ensure that their employees know what procedures to follow to protect them in an emergency. Follow these tips to make sure your employees can stay safe during emergencies, including workplace incidents and winter weather events: · Communicate before, during, and after an emergency. Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, bulletin boards, all-staff e-mails, and other internal communication tools. · Consider setting up a telephone-calling tree, a password-protected page on the company website, an alert message sent to home e-mail accounts, or an answer-only voice-mail recording to provide information to employees in an emergency. · Provide workers with wallet cards detailing instructions, including phone numbers and websites, for getting company information during an emergency. Information about closures and delays can protect workers from being exposed to unnecessary traffic hazards. · Establish a process for safely evacuating your facility, if appropriate, and coordinate a safe area where workers can be accounted for. · Once snow has fallen or ice has formed, make sure that parking lots and walkways are cleared of those hazards. Make sure heavy snow accumulations are removed from roofs so they do not impact the structural safety of the building. · Identify co-workers in your organization with special needs. Train people willing to help workers with special needs get to safety and be sure they are physically suited to their responsibility. This is particularly important if a worker needs to be lifted or carried. · Plan how you will alert people who cannot hear an alarm or instructions during an emergency. · Closely tie a business continuity plan to your emergency plan. The business continuity plan should address how your business can remain functioning. · Define incident-management procedures and individual responsibilities in advance. Make sure those involved know what they are supposed to do, and train others who can serve as a backup. · Review your emergency plans annually. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in how your company functions, update your plan and inform your people. Salem Oregon Area 7-Day Forecast