Ware Mechanical forecast: Another cold one on the way with a high today of 44. Tips on staying warm — and safe.

#hometownweather

The situation:

• Chilly wake up call: It was 25 at the airport at 5 this morning with a wind chill of 19. It was 21 degrees (not wind chill) in Cartersville at 6 a.m.
• Floods: Please see our separate story on road closings and openings.

The forecast:

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 44. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 24. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Calm wind.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of light rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.

Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59.

Home heat safety tips from the Cartersville Fire Department:

With the New Year comes new weather with lows expected to be in the low 20s and 30s this week. With these cooler temperatures comes a higher risk of home fires related to home heating sources. The Cartersville Fire Department responded to two fires this past weekend that may have involved an alternate home heating source. One of these fires was caused by combustibles too close to a portable heater in a garage. This fire was noticed early and extinguished by the fire sprinkler system in the garage reducing the amount of damage to the home. The other fire is still under investigation, but a wood heater was being used in the home at the time of the fire. This fire caused considerable fire damage to the attic of the home. With these recent cooler temps and fire incidents, the Cartersville Fire Department in conjunction with NFPA, would like to offer these home heating safety tips:

• Keep combustibles at least 3 feet away from heat sources such as portable space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, or furnaces.
• Have a 3 foot “no kid zone” around stoves, open fires, and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have a qualified professional install stationary heating equipment, water heaters, or central heating units according to local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have fireplaces inspected and cleaned by a qualified professional every year.
• Always remember to turn off portable heaters when leaving a room or going to bed.
• Always use the correct fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel fired space heaters.
• Make sure you use a sturdy screen in front of your fireplace to keep sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be put in a metal container designed for that purpose and stored a safe distance from the house.
• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave immediately and call the fire department or gas company.
• Ensure there are working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in the home and test them monthly.

Flood updates

The Coosa River near Rome Mayo Bar Lock and Dam.
* Until further notice.
* At 245 AM Tuesday the stage was 24.5 feet.and rising.
* Minor flooding is occurring.and Minor flooding is expected to
continue.
* Flood stage is 24 feet.
* At 24 feet.Minor flooding occurs in the woodlands.fields and
pastures along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on
the old Lock and Dam behind the Trading Post. The boat ramp will
be mostly under water at Lock and Dam park.

 

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