EXTREME COLD weather is making its way to Eastern Ohio, so residents should take steps to ensure they are prepared to stay warm.

Belmont County residents have been experiencing cold weather in recent day, but the National Weather Service predicts that temperatures will get much colder.

The mercury is expected to dip as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit, though forecasts continue to fluctuate.

Currently, the NWS is predicting the temperature will drop to 7 degrees Thursday night.

“C​oupled with fresh snow cover from Winter Storm Blair, we also expect some lows to flirt with 0 degrees as far south as the Central Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley,” The Weather Channel notes.

Temperatures are expected to be in the 20s throughout the week during the day, dropping lower at night.

The NWS said frigid temperatures mixed with brisk winds can be dangerous. People who are exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia, according to its website. It says that uncovered skin and extremities of the body, including hands and feet, are most prone to frostbite.

Although everyone is at risk from the dangers of extreme cold, the National Weather Service says newborns, seniors, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers and the homeless are more vulnerable during cold temperatures outbursts. Warning signs of hypothermia include confusion, shivering, difficulty speaking, sleepiness and stiff muscles.

Some safety tips from the National Weather Service are to stay indoors if one can, keep a survival kit in one’s car and wear warm layers of clothing.

A vehicle survival kit should have resources such as jumper cables, flashlights, medical supplies, non-perishable food, water, toolkit, shovel, warm clothes, blankets and a phone charger. One’s car should also be filled to at least half a tank to keep it running to stay warm if someone gets stranded.

The American Red Cross offers cold weather tips as well. To keep someone’s house warm and prepared, weather-strip doors and window sills to keep cold air out by using weatherstripping tape, covering windows with plastic from the inside to provide an extra layer of insulation to keep cold air out, protecting pipes from freezing by insulating them and making sure one has enough heating fuel on hand.

Whenever it gets cold, people tend to want to use space heaters and other methods to warm up their houses, but people should be cautious with such devices. The American Red Cross says to never use a stove or oven to heat a home and, if using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs. Place space heaters on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least 3 feet away from them. Turn them off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Use generators correctly by never operating them inside the home. Connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

Bringing animals inside is also important, according to the Red Cross.

It’s also important to know what to do if the power goes out in one’s home. The biggest tip, according to the blog constellation.com, is to weatherize your home or get it ready for the cold temperatures. To do this, people should clean their gutters, install and set programmable thermostats to operate the heating and cooling system more efficiently, checking, cleaning or replacing central heating filters and covering windows and doors with blankets to reduce cold air coming into the house.

Constellation also suggests stocking up on food and water. This includes bottled water and non-perishable foods, such as canned foods, cereal, rice, nuts and dried fruits.

People should have warm clothes ready. Wear several layers of clothes, such as starting with insulated long underwear that will hold body heat in. Put mittens on rather than gloves, and wear hats, socks and boots.

People should also unplug devices during a power outage to prevent any damage to appliances and electronics.

“Knowing what to do if you lose power in the winter makes a big difference in how warm and comfortable you stay while you wait for the electricity to return,” according to Constellation. “You will have peace of mind knowing that you and your family are as ready as you can be.”