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Puff backs are a common danger that any homeowner with a furnace should be aware of. A puff back is defined as an explosion that originates inside your furnace and forces fire, smoke, and soot out of your furnace and into your home’s exhaust system. Once inside your exhaust system, fire, smoke, and soot can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home by damaging building materials and the exhaust system itself. In addition to causing damage, puff back fires can pose a health risk to you and your loved ones. Puff back fires are most common with oil burning furnaces. However, they can also occur inside gas, hot water, or forced air heating systems.

Puff back fires usually begin as a result of built up vapors inside your furnace. Luckily for you, this means that commonly checking and cleaning your furnace and exhaust system is one easy way to prevent puff back fires. Biyearly furnace and heating system cleaning is recommended for most homeowners. However, all homeowners should seek out a professional crew to clean their furnace at a minimum of once a year. This cleaning will allow you the opportunity to release any built up vapors and replace old or broken parts inside your furnace. Additionally, paying for a professional inspection of your heating system can further reduce the possibility of a puff back fire inside your home. Although these inspections can often be expensive, you will save yourself money in the long run by preventing a puff back fire that can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.

Another easy way to prevent puff back fires inside your home is by monitoring your furnace on a regular basis. Once in a while, open your furnace door and quickly scan for soot or odors. High levels of soot and distinct odors inside your furnace can be a sign that the furnace is experiencing problems that may lead to a puff back fire. If you notice soot or odors coming from your furnace, call a professional company to come do a thorough inspection. Although it may be inconvenient, it can save you a lot of time and money by preventing a future puff back fire. Another part of regularly monitoring your furnace is paying attention to rumbling noises coming from your furnace room. Regular rumbling noises inside your furnace can be an indicator that a part is either loose or broken. Your furnace is a delicate machine, and any part that is not working correctly can cause a puff back fire that can damage your entire heating system.

Puff back fires should be a real cause for concern for any homeowner with a furnace. However, the good news is that with regular monitoring and yearly inspections and cleaning, the likelihood of a puff back fire can be greatly reduced.

When a fire breaks out, you will feel in a state of alarm. In times like this, knowing what to do is very important in order to control the situation. Having some basic knowledge on this can make a difference in whether you escape safely or not. The following are 3 tips on what do before help arrives during a fire emergency.

1. Making the Escape
Not every fire requires you to call the fire department. If it is a small fire, for example, your stove caught on fire, you can easily extinguish it by covering it with a pot lid or with a pail of water from the bathroom. However, if the fire is too big and spreading fast, the first thing to do is to get yourself out of the house in 5 minutes. If there is someone who is not able to make it, you can move the person as near to the open window as possible so that the firefighters can easily rescue him afterward.

You can escape through the door if you see no smoke under it and the handle is cool to touch. If the fire is behind the door, you can try to escape through the window. If the smoke is choking you, use your hand to cover your nose and mouth. After that, get down on the floor and crawl to the destination. Inhaling too much smoke can make you fainted in the middle of escape.

2. Call the Fire Department
Once you have to get out of the house, you can dial 911 to call the fire department. It is best to call 911 when you have already safely escaped. When you call 911, the operator will ask your name, your address, and the emergency you are calling for. It is important to give the full address so that the fire truck will arrive at the right place. The operator may also ask for other information such as the fire location, pets, people trap in the fire, and other hazards so that they know what to expect.

3. Carry Out an Injury Assessment
After that, you can carry out an injury assessment on yourself and your family members. If there is someone injured, you should call the ambulance quickly to get the person sent to the hospital. As a rule of thumb, you should always keep your house prepared for a fire emergency. This includes installing smoke detectors and make sure that the batteries are always fresh. If your windows have bars, you must make sure that they can be opened easily in case you need to escape. You can also keep collapsible ladders in the rooms in case you need to climb down to the ground from a second story.

Just as another winter storm moves out of the area, the temperatures will once again plunge in the central and eastern United States. This is right on the heels of two surges of frigid air that hit these areas last week on Monday, causing record lows and the coldest temperatures in years for some cities.

As we move into the last portion of this week, dozens of record low temperatures could be shattered. Lows in the single digits (above and below zero) could move all the way into parts of the South. The last blast of cold air will make its way into the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, and from there it will move into the South and spread eastward by the end of the week.

The temperatures will be dependent upon just how much snow is left over from this system. Areas that see a lot of snowfall are much more likely to experience colder temperatures this week, as snow cover loses energy to outer space quite quickly. When the skies are clear, this can result in a very quick drop in temperatures.

On Tuesday, the highs will be about 10 to 20 degrees below average through most of the central and eastern United States. The next swath of freezing air will move southward and into the Upper Midwest.

As we move into Wednesday, lows will be in the teens and 20s below zero in northern Minnesota and some areas in North Dakota. Single-digit lows are even possible as far south as Kentucky and Missouri. In the Midwest, the temperatures are expected to drop to 30 degrees below average, with highs in the single digits and teens as well. In the Southern region, the temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average.

Thursday will be one of the coldest days this week, and record lows will be threatened in dozens of cities in the South, Midwest, and East. If Nashville falls below zero on Thursday morning, it will be the latest in the season with a temperature of zero degrees or lower in the city since the records began in 1871. Anywhere east of the Mississippi river will experience temperatures that are up to 30 degrees below average.

Moving into Friday, the record lows will be threatened once again in more than 70 cities along the East coast, from New England to Florida. Subzero or single digit lows can be expected in the Upper Midwest through the Northeast, and single digits are possible into North Carolina and even Tennessee. If Washington D.C experiences a low of 4 degrees or colder, it will be the coldest temperature recorded there since 1994. If the low reaches zero or lower, it would be one of the eight times on record where this has happened there in February. As for the highs on Friday, 10 to 25 degrees below average will be the trend from Maine to Florida.

As we make our way into the weekend, below-average temperatures will continue on Saturday for the Midwest and Northeast. In the Northeast, more than a dozen daily record lows could be shattered.

Warm temperatures that have the potential to smash records will occur for parts of the West later in this week, and mild weather that is not usual for this time of year will move across most of the Midwest after a midweek cool down.
There are more benefits than just being able to go outside without freezing, it also means that you can experience lower heating bills as well as a reduced risk of having to drive through snow or ice!

But, there are also some downsides to this mild weather. The persistently warm temperatures will more than likely cause the ice cover to grow thinner and thinner on the lakes and ponds, which means that it is much more dangerous to try and walk on the ice for fishing or ice skating. In the western region, this warmer weather will aggravate the ongoing drought in California, especially as it eats away at the little amount of snow that is still present in the Sierra Nevada.

Thursday will probably be the coldest day of the week for the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, but the highs are still expected to be several degrees above average compared to the Central Plains to the Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes. If you’re a resident of North or South Dakota, then you will be able to experience the biggest break from the January cold with temperatures from 10 to 20 degrees above the average. Most of this region will experience the high temperatures above freezing.

As for the Southern Plains, the colder than average temperatures will weasel their way into the area during the middle of the week. This will be due to widespread cloud cover and precipitation that will block the sun from providing any source of extra heat.

The central and Northern Plains will experience some warmth, with highs hitting the 50 degree mark as far as South Dakota where most of the ground has no snow so it can warm up more quickly. By this time, the twin cities should be back above the freezing level.

On Friday morning, about all of the Midwest can expect to see lows in the 20s which is close to normal for Kansas and the Ohio Valley, but it’s about 30 degrees above average for parts of the Dakotas and northern Minnesota.
This is the perfect timing to see the temperatures exceed the average. Long term average temperatures in the Upper Midwest begin to bottom out through the middle of January and will start to inch up degree by degree a few days from now. The West will also warm up as well, with temperatures possibly surging into the 70s through the end of this week. As we reach the weekend, the West will move upwards 15-20 degrees above average through parts of the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, and some parts of Oregon. Some locations may even challenge the record high temperatures for this date. Warm weather will then expand into the Midwest this weekend as highs can be expected to be 10-20 above average through the central and northern Plains states.

As the system in the South moves to the eastern region of the U.S, temperatures should begin to rebound and become sunny and clear.

Some cold arctic air is making its way up into the Upper Midwest, and will more than likely bring the Twin Cities metro area the coldest temperatures so far this season. The National Weather Service has now issued a wind chill advisory for most of the state of Minnesota as well as Western Wisconsin. This was put into place due to the fact that the temperatures are predicted to fall below zero during the overnight hours on Tuesday, bringing along with it wind chills that could range anywhere from 25 to 30 below zero.

As for the Twin Cities area, the wind chill advisory is in effect from midnight through noon Tuesday, and the weather service is forecasting a high of only 1 degrees and a low of -7. Luckily the temperatures will warm up a bit on Wednesday with highs near 13 degrees, and on New Year ’s Day, when the temperatures are expected to reach near 20 degrees.

This cold weather is probably a surprise to most residents of Minnesota, since the state has been experiencing an unusually warm December thus far.

The air that is coming will be below zero, and this is the first cold day for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport since December 1st when the low was -3. Overall, the average temperatures for the month was about 26.7 through Sunday, 6.6 degrees above normal and higher than this November’s average temperature of about 25.4.

Motorists should be careful to watch for black ice on the roads by early Tuesday, as that is when the temperatures are expected to drop. Black ice usually forms on the overpasses and bridges where the cold circulates above and below the elevated surface. It can also form on roads where the snow melts from heated automobile undercarriages and exhaust emission, then refreezes later on. Since it can be quite difficult to spot, that is why it is especially dangerous.

Winter Storm Astro is taking it’s aim at the Upper Midwest this week, sending chilly temperatures and snowfall to Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Snowfall totals are just beginning, and more snow is in the forecast as we move through the week.

Here are snowfall totals in the states that have been impacted so far:

Montana: 14 Inches at Big Mountain Summit
Wyoming: 11 Inches near Lander
Colorado: 6 Inches near Phippsburg
North Dakota: 8 inches near Bowman
South Dakota: 8.5 Inches in Northern Rapid City
Minnesota: 16.5 inches at St. Augusta
Wisconsin: 12 Inches at Spooner and Glidden
Michigan: 14.6 inches at Negaunee

This system is a result of the aftermath of Typhoon Nuri, and it’s first target was a small island off of the coast of Alaska; but the storm didn’t do much damage. As we move into the end of this week and the beginning of next week, the already snowy states can expect more snow and light rain, which may make for some dangerous traveling conditions. If you plan on flying, you may expect some delays due to low visibility and cloud cover.

For the most part, Minneapolis and St. Paul have experienced nothing but pleasant weather lately. Unfortunately, that wonderful weather streak may be coming to a screeching halt this weekend. Storms that are in the forecast for this weekend may hinder any plans that you have outdoors for this last official weekend of summer.

The temperatures have been relatively mild, and the temperature will continue to hold in the low 70’s until Friday’s storms roll into town, and they will raise the temperature into the mid 70s. When looking up to the sky, you can predict nothing but an overcast shade of gray as the storms make their way into the region from the afternoon into the evening hours.

As for the temperature as we going into tonight, they will continue to follow the same trend which is warming up. The temperatures are actually going to rise nearly 16 degrees above average for this time of year. The typical overnight lows for this time of year are somewhere in the low 50’s, and on Friday night and early Saturday morning, they could reach a low near 65 degrees.

The storms will then continue into Saturday morning as the temperatures continue on their incline upward. By the middle of the day on Saturday, the high will be fairly close to the 80 degrees mark, which is a whopping 10 degrees higher than normal for this time.

If there are any football fans that are planning to head to the TCF Bank Stadium to catch the University of Minnesota take on the Spartans, they will want to stay alert for any lingering thunderstorms that may make their presence during the tailgating hours.

If you are going to be outside this weekend, make sure that you stay updated on the weather system in your area. At the first sign of severe weather, such as thunder or lightning, seek shelter indoors immediately. Do not take shelter under trees.

The skies should be clear by Saturday evening. As we move into Sunday, the skies will no longer be overcast, and there will be sunshine with some potentially breezy conditions. The temperatures will drop as well into the seasonal average of the low 70s.

The overnight temperatures will also fall into place and settle a little closer to the average for this time of year on Sunday night. The low on Sunday is expected to be in the low 50’s.

As we look ahead into next week, temperatures will fall yet again into the mid 60s and sunny skies will bring the autumn season into full effect.

A storm system is making its way throughout the central U.S, and by the weekend, it will be out of the northern Rockies. What does this mean for the Midwestern region? It means that there will be an outbreak of severe weather on Sunday, and this could pose a risk of a couple tornadoes in portions of the northern and central plains to the Upper Midwest.

If you live in this area, you will most definitely want to stay informed on this situation, especially if you have holiday weekend festivities to attend to. As well as the threat of tornadoes being spawned from this system, there is also a risk of very severe weather, including damaging straight line winds, large hail, flash flooding, and frequent lightning.

On Sunday afternoon, the risks of stormy weather will extend from the central and northeastern regions of Nebraska to eastern South Dakota, and even western and central Minnesota. After the daytime hours have passed, the risk of severe weather will then shift farther southeast and will extend from central and eastern Kansas to eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

The major cities that are expected to be hit the hardest by this system are Sioux Falls, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, La Crosse, and Minneapolis. The threat for potential tornadoes will be at its peak as the severe weather threat commences on Sunday afternoon, according to a senior Meteorologist with the AccuWeather team. The threat will mainly be from eastern Nebraska and western Iowa into Minnesota. This cell will shift into more of a straight-line wind threat overnight on Sunday.

On Labor Day, the weather will again shift to the east and can affect Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. They can expect locally heavy thunderstorms. The outbreak of severe weather could possibly rival the incidence that occurred on June 16^th, when there were more than 500 reported incidents of severe weather, including several dozen tornadoes throughout the United States.

 

It is important to stay aware of the weather in your area, and make sure to check your local weather authority or the Weather Channel and AccuWeather for updates on the weather in your area.

The severe weather that the Midwest has been experiencing this week, including tornadoes, did not slow down on Tuesday. A supercell, which has been quite dangerous, rolled through northeastern Nebraska on Tuesday night. It produced large and slow moving tornadoes, and storm chasers even spotted a large twister near Coleridge, Nebraska, where several homes has reportedly been damaged.

In addition to the ongoing threat of tornadoes, heavy rain and flash flooding has continued to make its way through parts of the Plains states. Many roads have become impassable in Minnesota early on Wednesday morning as a large cluster of scattered and severe thunderstorms rolled through. Sadly, more severe weather is predicted in the days ahead.

The Midwest will not see any let-up on the severe thunderstorms on Wednesday. These severe thunderstorms are developing along a long front that stretches from the Northern Plains, all the way into the Mid-Atlantic States. Strong to severe weather is a definite possibility again father south into the Central and Southern Plains, such as Sioux Falls, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

This severe weather will continue into Thursday with no means of letting up. In addition to the severe threat, strong to severe thunderstorms are definitely possible farther south into the Central and Southern Plains, especially throughout the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, including the major cities of Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City being the largest cities to be impacted.

Heavy rainfall has been prominent over the past weekend. The ground has been left saturated in parts of southern Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, northwest Iowa, and southeast South Dakota due to the heavy rainfall over the weekend and the soaking torrential rains earlier this month.

In Minnesota, the Rock River crested at an all-time high last Sunday. Sioux Falls received about 4.71 inches of rain over the past weekend, pushing them to an all-time monthly rain record of almost 10 inches through June 15th. Another heavy thunderstorm and rain cell brought almost an inch of rain to Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 5 minutes time. Parts of the Interstate 29, located south of the city, were impassable and blocked by floodwaters on Monday evening.

Within 24 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday morning, Canton (South Dakota) picked up a whopping 8.43 inches of rain. If the heavy rainfall keeps up, it will quickly runoff. This will only lead to additional flash flooding of any fields, roads, and there is a definite possibility of rivers and streams rising. Unfortunately a complex of severe thunderstorms will bring heavy rainfall to parts of this region each evening throughout Thursday evening. Lightning is also a dangerous component to any thunderstorm, and keep this in mind if you have any outdoor plans.
Stay updated for any updates to the weather predictions in your area.

Stay tuned to your local weather authority or The Weather Channel for any updates in the system.

Home fires can occur in any home, at any time. A house fire can have many causes, such as faulty electrical equipment, cooking incidents, and even children playing with fire. The average number of home fires each year is 374,000. Each year, over 7 billion dollars is spent on restoration and repairs of homes that have been either damaged by fire and smoke or need to be completely rebuilt. Although there are many factors that could start a fire in the home, here are the top three in order that are major causes of fires.

1) Smoking Inside. Along with the wide array of health problems that smoking can cause, it is also the number one cause of home fires in the United States. Cigarettes are a major fire hazard, and if the homeowner smokes inside of the home, it poses an even larger risk. Each year, there are about 800 deaths from fires due to cigarettes. The most common reason why a fire starts on the property is because the cigarette was not extinguished properly. Also, it usually begins when a smoker falls asleep. This type of fire is more likely to happen at night when everyone in the home is sleeping, which makes it hard for everyone to be able to evacuate. It is important that if you or a family member is a smoker; make sure that nobody smokes in bed. To prevent a fire in the home due to cigarettes, a good rule would be to only permit smoking outside. This will benefit the health of the inhabitants of your home, as well as reduce the risk of a home fire on your lot.

2) Children. Kids of a young age should never be allowed near matches or anything that can hold a flame. When children are young, they may not understand the consequences of their actions, and they are naturally curious about fire. This means that they could throw a lit match on the ground, as they do not know that it will begin a fire on your property. It is important to teach your children that matches and lighters ARE NOT toys and should not be played with. Then, explain the consequences of playing with fire, and teach them the basics of fire safety. If you involve your children with fire safety, they will be much less likely to begin experimenting in the first place.

3) Heating Equipment. Heating equipment can be a large risk if you are not educated on how to use the equipment properly. These appliances can start a fire easily if left on for too long. Even a small space heater with a shut-off valve can malfunction. To be absolutely sure that your family stays safe, be sure to only use heating equipment when you are in the same room as the appliance. That way if a malfunction or issue does arise, you will be better prepared and can take care of it in a quick manner.

Fire damage is something that no homeowner should have the misfortune of dealing with, but unfortunately it happens to many residents each year. Taking preventative measures is always a good way to make sure that this does not occur to you and your home. If you do undergo property damage due to fire, it is in your best interest to call in a team of professionals to help you with the process. Fire damage is a serious matter and should be taken as such.