LUMBERTON — If you are looking for a challenging New Year’s resolution to begin the new year, here’s one: Try to stay warm.
You can use today and Sunday for practice.
Robeson County residents looking for a forecast that they can warm up to won’t get it from Stephen Keebler, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Wilmington. It’s going to be cold.
“And it’s going to be that way for a few days,” Keebler said.
In fact, the forecast through Friday shows days with temperatures struggling to get out of the 30s, and nighttime temperatures in the teens.
When temperatures get into the teens they can be dangerous, so experts advise folks to bundle up in layers when going outside and wear a hat and gloves, and also not to leave pets outdoors for extended periods. Be careful with space heaters, keeping them at least three feet away from anything that might catch fire. If your home’s pipes are vulnerable, let water drip from a faucet to keep them from freezing.
If you know elderly folks who live alone, check on them.
The forecast pushed North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to sign an executive order to help truck drivers get propane and other heating fuels into the state and delivered to homes and businesses more quickly.
The governor’s order means truckers who are limited to the number of hours they can be in their rigs don’t have to count the time they wait in line to have their tankers filled with propane or heating oil, said John Jessup, executive director of the North Carolina Propane Gas Association.
There is plenty of gas in North Carolina and the cold and dry weather is helping deliveries, Jessup said.
“What really slows us down is ice and snow. When it’s just cold we’re really busy but we can keep up with it,” he said.
Jessup said he knows a dealer who heard from a customer who uses propane for a gas fire place and hadn’t needed a fill-up since 2014 because the past two winters have been mild.
“So all those people are calling,” Jessup said. “That puts more demand on our dealers.”
