When the weather gets cold it can become more important to be prepared while outside. 

Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator A.J. Seely says if you have to be outdoors during cold weather you should limit your time outdoors and take frequent breaks to warm up inside. 

“The other thing is that you want to dress warm and cover any exposed skin, especially fingers you want to be wearing gloves, on your face you might consider a mask, maybe even goggles to keep that space that’s not covered by your hat or mask warm as well.”

Seely tells Raccoon Valley Radio another aspect of cold weather preparedness is making sure your vehicle is running like it should with normal preventative maintenance checks. Seely says there are some specific things to check for in cold weather including your tire pressure.

“Some windshield washer fluids don’t actually go much below zero degrees. So, figure out what you have in your vehicle and be cautious if you’re using it and don’t know. Some windshield washer fluids can actually cause ice on the windshield as they spray and hit that cold environment.”

Seely says before you leave the home you should make sure to clean the ice from your windshield.