SAN ANTONIO – It may be hot and humid on Thursday, but the city is expected to get a much different start to Friday as a cold front moves through the area.
Potential wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected Friday, creating concerns about loose outdoor items, tree branches and possible power outages.
For homeowners, the change in weather is also a reminder to check the heater before colder temperatures arrive.
Christian Moore, a senior technician who has worked in the HVAC field for nearly 12 years, said people with natural gas in their homes should begin with their carbon monoxide alarms.
“If you have natural gas in your house, the first thing I tell every homeowner is make sure your carbon monoxide alarms are working,” Moore said. “If you haven’t replaced the batteries on them, go ahead and check those, make sure that they’re working and good to go.”
Moore said homeowners should not be surprised by an unusual odor when they turn on their heat for the first time after months of warm weather.
“The weirdest way I can describe it is it almost smells like burnt vegetables,” Moore said.
He said that odor can be normal during the first few times a heater runs, but people should call a professional if the smell continues.
“The first maybe one to three times you turn your heater on, if you have that smell, it is normal,” Moore said. “If that smell continues after that, that is a concern, call a professional at that point.”
Moore also recommends checking the air filter to make sure it is free of dust and debris. He said filters should be replaced monthly.
Outside, residents can use Thursday night to bring in or secure patio furniture, trash cans, decorations and other loose items before the wind picks up.
People should pay attention to branches near power lines. Branches breaking in strong wind can lead to power outages.
Residents can also check weatherstripping around doors and windows to help limit drafts once temperatures fall.
Another task worth adding to the list: checking tire pressure. Colder air can lower tire pressure, and drivers may want to address a low tire before heading out in potentially windy or wet conditions.
A CPS Energy spokesperson told KSAT by phone that the utility is making contingency plans if power lines are affected.
Additionally, the utility said crews could take longer to repair outages due to high winds. Read the full statement below:
CPS Energy is closely monitoring a forecast of strong winds in our area tomorrow. High winds can impact trees and may cause downed power lines. High winds may also slow outage restoration, and repairs may take longer than usual as crews work safely. Our crews are on standby and prepared to respond.
As a safety reminder, CPS Energy encourages customers to Move Over or Slow Down if you see our crews out on the road and to never approach or drive over downed power lines, which should always be treated as energized. Customers should report downed power lines immediately by calling 210-353-HELP (4357).
CPS Energy encourages customers to enroll in Energy Alerts at cpsenergy.com/alerts to receive emergency notifications.
To stay up to date with the latest outage information, visit CPS Energy’s outage map at cpsenergy.com/outage and follow the utility’s social media channels.
CPS Energy
The key is to handle the small jobs while the weather is still warm. By Friday morning, the wind and cold are expected to make those same jobs much less convenient.
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