Even with snow and freezing temperatures forecast today, local football fans shouldn’t be left out in the cold — or in the dark.

With the Alabama vs. Texas BCS national championship game in California set for tonight, a Cullman Electric Cooperative official said he doesn’t expect any major power outages from the snow and cold weather.

“If anything does go wrong, I just hope it’s after midnight,” Co-op communications coordinator Brian Lacy said with a laugh. “We’re keeping things closely monitored and are as prepared as we can be.”

Lacy said his office does not anticipate any major issues, as snow itself causes few power problems.

“Normally, snow is not a huge problem for us,” he said. “Our problem normally associated with cold weather is icing, when limbs snap and fall on power lines … We can also see an increased load on our system when it gets this cold, because everyone cranks up their heaters.”

A 70 percent chance of snow is expected today and temperatures will continue dropping throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service.

“[Today] we could get about an inch of snow area-wide, while the higher terrain could get upward to two inches,” NWS forecaster Chelly Amin said. “The snow will likely start in western Alabama at daybreak and work its way eastward throughout the day.”

Amin said Cullman County residents should be prepared for some of the lowest temperatures in recent history.

“Some of the coldest air we’ve seen in years is here to stay for a few days,” she said. “If people think it’s cold now, it’s going to get really cold this weekend.”

As the week wears on, Amin said the temperature lows will hover around the single-digits at night.

“The temperature is going to plummet,” she said. “It’s going to be dangerously cold.”

Earlier this week, the icy temperatures left approximately five city blocks without water for several hours.

A 16-inch water main broke at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Seventh Street, and another 16-inch main cracked on Short Street late Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Cullman Water Department Supervisor Junior Heaton said the breaks occurred because of the frigid weather.

“Basically, those cast iron pipes expand and contract with the heat and the cold,” he said. “They just had some stress breaks on them. We cut them off temporarily and had crews out all night repairing lines.”

To prevent pipes from freezing, Heaton said residents should leave at least one faucet on a slow drip to keep the water moving in the pipes.

“We’re getting a lot of calls from people with their water froze up,” he said. “Make sure you wrap your pipes good and seal your houses at the bottom so cool air can’t get under there.”

With the temperature in the single-digits, Cullman City Schools, the Cullman County Board of Education and Saint Bernard Prep have all canceled classes on Thursday and Friday. Classes at all local schools are expected to resume as normal Monday.

Safety

Cullman Emergency Management Agency Director Phyllis Little said her department is already making plans for the dangerous conditions.

“We’re working with the volunteer fire stations and municipalities to see what resources we will have if we need to open warming stations for local residents,” she said. “We’re hoping no one will require anything more than that.”

Local residents and media will be alerted when and if warming centers open.

Little said precautions should be taken before the weather begins to worsen.

“If you have gas heat, check your gas levels now and make arrangements to get extra heating,” she said. “Battery powered radios and flashlights in case of power outages are also good. Plus, make sure you have plenty of blankets and charge your cell phone — don’t wait until the last minute.”

Having an extra supply of food and medicine is also important, Little said.

“Make sure you have things you can eat without heat, such as granola bars and dried fruit,” she said. “If you’re on medication, now is the time to check you prescription and make sure you have enough to get through the weekend. Don’t wait until the snow starts falling.”

With temperatures near freezing, Little recommended residents keep travel to a bare minimum.

“This cold is going to be brutal and it’s going to be with us all the way through the weekend, so stay indoors as much as you can,” she said. “Dress in loose layers and wear a hat if you have to go out, since most of our heat is lost through our heads. Also, check on any elderly family or neighbors and don’t forget to bring your pets in.”

Little said as the week wears on, local roads could become more dangerous.

“As the snow and water seep through and re-freeze, icing on the roads could be a real problem,” she said. “On Thursday night and Friday there could be black ice, so if you have to drive be cautious.”

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.