Preparing For The Freeze

Above, the heater I got at Tractor Supply Co. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before our usual morning gathering at Denny's at the Flying J, I headed to Gallup to pick up a heater for P.K. and her kittens, who have taken residence under the deck. This is to prepare for the big "killer freeze" that is expected to hit the region tonight and possibly last through the weekend.

A "kitty condo" heating pad is on order, but it isn't expected to arrive until Friday. So I needed something for the cats in the meantime.

I first went to Home Depot. While they had small heaters, the ones they had were not appropriate for outside use.

I thought I would head over to Gallup Lumber to see what heaters they have available, but decided that I would try Tractor Supply Co. first, since it was only a couple of blocks away from Home Depot.

Above, inside Tractor Supply Co. in Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was a good thing that I did as they had what I wanted, a "barrel" heater that would blow warm air further than the space heaters used indoors. This was the second time this week that Tractor Supply Co. came through for me. They had RV holding tank anti-freeze on the shelf when others were sold out.

I put the heater under the deck already so that the cats would get used to seeing it before I turn it on tonight.

The forecast is now 15° tonight.

According to the National Weather Service, the forecast is as follows:

This Afternoon

Sunny, with a high near 54. Northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 52. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 24. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast after midnight.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 63. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Clear, with a low around 40.