Published: January 12, 2009 05:54 pm      

WEATHER: Temperatures could hit the zero mark; school closings unlikely

Get ready to bundle up — this week is going to be cold one.

“It’s been close to three years since we’ve been below zero and we have a pretty good shot of getting there Wednesday or Thursday,” said Jon Hitchcock, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service working out of the Buffalo airport.

A strong cold front will be heading through the region this morning, bringing a burst of snow and sending temperatures spiraling down. It’s expected to last throughout the week. By Wednesday, it’s expected to be in the low teens and a zero temperature is likely at night, Hitchcock said.

It’s not a remarkable winter season, although it’s slightly colder on average and about 20 percent snowier, Hitchcock said. Niagara Falls won’t see the worst of it — other parts of the state are looking at wind chills resulting in double-digit negative temperatures this week — but experts are still warning that residents should be wary of the public health and transportation effects.

Drivers will need to give themselves plenty of travel time — roads will likely remain slick in the midst of especially frigid temperatures, Hitchcock said.

“Salt becomes very ineffective once you get into single digits and below zero it’s basically useless,” he said. “It lowers the melting temp for water but it can only lower it so much.”

AAA sees its service calls double during bouts of extremely cold weather, said AAA regional spokesman Shaun Seufert. Most commonly, drivers can be faced with a car that won’t start because of a dead or weakened battery.

“It’s good to make sure you had your battery checked recently, especially if it’s an older battery,” he said.

If your battery is having problems but you’re sure it’s good, Seufert said turning the headlights on for five minutes can warm it up and get it functioning.

Car lockouts are another common cold-weather problem, either from frozen doors or people accidentally locking keys in their cars as they pre-heat their cars for the recommended five to 10 minutes before hitting the road, Seufert said. The automobile association recommends heating keys to warm up frozen locks from the inside.

“One more tip is it’s a good idea to keep gas tank at least half full,” Seufert said. “It avoids any freezing in the tank and ensures if weather does turn bitter, bitter cold, you have gas available to keep you warm.”

But no one should be counting on any school days off this week.

Interim Superintendent Cynthia Bianco said in order to cancel school due to the cold, temperatures have to drop to 20 degrees below zero.

“Approximately, not quite half of our students walk,” Bianco said. “That 20 degrees below zero is the recommended cut off by (the National Weather Service). ... It’s not healthy for anybody to be out in the open air for 30 minutes then. That’s the guideline.”

If classes will be canceled, a districtwide call system should alert families by 6 a.m., she said.

Children waiting for school buses in the mornings will need to bundle up, Hitchcock said: “Wear lots of layers, hats and gloves. There should be no skin exposure.”