This week’s arctic cold snap dipped deep into the south, creating significant risk for people, property and business operations. A shift in the polar vortex will bring some of the coldest air of the season, so far to parts of the Midwest & Northeast through Saturday. The cold air will be brief, but homeowners and businesses should still be on alert to prevent pipes from freezing.
Wind chills will range between 35-55 below zero where most people live from northern New York state through New England Friday night. In locations at the top of the mountains, such as ski resorts, the feels-like temperatures could dip to near 70 below zero.
Pipes freeze in the winter because of a combination of two factors: colder temperatures and the presence of moisture. As temperatures drop, the water inside the pipes begins to freeze, eventually reaching a point that causes a blockage. The presence of moisture further increases the risk of pipes freezing, as the water has more potential to become a solid.
To prevent pipes from freezing, it is important to make sure that the pipes are properly insulated. This will ensure that the temperatures inside the pipes remain above freezing. Additionally, if the pipes are exposed to the outside air, it is important to make sure that any moisture is removed, as this can increase the chances of the pipes freezing.
Through the Esri Marketplace, Monarch offers a U.S. Pipe Freeze Risk by Zip Code.
Monarch's U.S. Pipe Freeze Model considers compounding daily freeze risk, climatological temperatures, pipe freeze thresholds based on peer-reviewed research, and air and soil temperatures at depth. Each forecast day is valid for a Zulu day (00UTC to 23UTC) and is updated at 08UTC each day. This package includes feature services for each forecast day as well as a breakdown of pipe freeze risk by zip code area across the entire United States.
This model can be used with a modeled solution to initiate alerts to plumbing companies, homeowners, investors, etc. that a damaging pipe freeze event may be coming. It can also be used as a loss-prevention forecast tool as a part of winter weather prevention plan on statewide, local or individual household level.
About Monarch Weather & Climate Intelligence
We are a woman-owned business with a team of Certified Consulting Meteorologists (CCM) and GIS Analysts, providing meteorological and climate services via custom forecasting, modeling and advisory within the insurance, tech, energy, real estate, transportation and agricultural sectors. Visit our homepage www.monarchweather.com or message us directly Team@MonarchWeather.com.
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