If you think it’s cold now, just wait until 2018.
Temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-to-low 20s Monday night, according to the Liberty County Emergency Management Agency.
The thermometer will drop below freezing again on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, with lows of around 27 each night, LEMA said.
The freezing temperatures are part of a massive cold wave covering a large portion of the United States.
In addition, while forecasters at Accuweather.com are warning of the possibility of freezing rain and drizzle on New Year’s Eve in parts of the South, LEMA forecasted only a 20 percent chance of rain Sunday.
Accuweather reported Friday it appears the air will likely be too dry to allow freezing or frozen precipitation over much of Georgia and the Carolinas on Sunday night and New Year’s Day. Only if the Arctic air holds back might there be icy conditions in this area.
Residents are urged to “protect people, pipes, pets and plants,” and reminded to check on elderly neighbors and friends.
As temperatures drop this winter, LEMA offers steps people can take to stay safe during the cold weather.
1. Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.
2. Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
3. Remember the three feet rule. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away from things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.
4. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
5. Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
6. Protect your pipes. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.
7. Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.
8. The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
9. Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.
10. Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

Liberty County Emergency Management Agency (912) 368-2201
Website: www.libertycountyga.com