Here’s How To Prepare La. Livestock and Plants For Hard Freeze

The National Weather Service in Shreveport is forecasting some extremely cold temperatures coming to the Arklatex early next week. We're talking Arctic-ish.

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Here's what they're saying:

The likelihood of an Arctic air intrusion across much of the CONUS appears to be increasing for early next week. This may result in an extended period of freezing temperatures across our region, in addition to some wintry precipitation starting late Sunday through Monday.

The Weather Channel is currently predicting a low Monday morning, Jan. 15 of 22 degrees.  Monday's high will only reach 33 degrees with the possibility of a Wintry Mix of precipitation.

The low Tuesday morning will only be 12 degrees with our high again only hitting 33 degrees.

Then Wednesday morning's low will fall to 19 degrees, but if their forecast is right, we should begin to thaw Wednesday afternoon with an expected high of 46 degrees.

Of course, with lows dipping this far, we need to spend some time preparing for the freeze and we've found some great advice from a number of resources to not only prepare your home, but also your plants and livestock.

Red Cross Louisiana Lists the Following Cold Weather Tricks For Prepping

• Bring your pets inside. Make sure outdoor animals have shelter and nonfrozen water.
• Never heat your home with an oven or stove.
• Monitor local media for the latest news.
• To protect your pipes: Open cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate and let cold water drip from the faucet at a trickle.
• If using a space heater, keep it three feet from other objects, place it on a nonflammable surface and turn it off before going to bed.

If You Lose Power

• Turn off and unplug everything to avoid power surges when power is restored.
• Leave one light on so you know when power is restored.
• Keep your fridge door closed as much as possible to preserve food.
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors in dry conditions away from windows or doors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use a generator inside.

Additionally, if you have livestock, pets or plants, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, says you have some other things to prep for.

Livestock Prep Work

• Owners should check their livestock and look for signs of stress, illness, or injury.
• Pay close attention to the young and older animals as they are more susceptible to problems during frigid conditions.
• Provide plenty of hay, feed, energy supplements, and water.
• Be sure to check water troughs as they can ice over.
• If possible, make adequate shelter available. Even a wind-break will minimize exposure to cold winds.

Cold Weather Prep for Companion Animals

• If possible, keep all companion animals indoors. If this is not an option, make sure there is a dry shelter available and have warm blankets for your pet.
• Provide adequate food and water. Monitor water bowls as they can freeze during cold weather.
• Consider a sweater for your short-haired dog.
• Outdoor cats searching for warmth will sometimes crawl underneath the hood of a vehicle. Bang on or open the hood of your car so any animal in there trying to stay warm can get out before you crank up that engine. Cats can be injured or even killed when the car is started