Well, the first official day of winter may be the 21st, but the forecast doesn't seem to notice.  The temperatures are going to plummet tonight and tomorrow so we would like to give some handy-dandy reminders for your safety:

 1.  Please dress warmly.  We know, fashion is a consideration-but hats and mittens and scarves are all the rage in NH right now!  Wear layers and make sure your little ones and tough-guy teens do too!

 2.  Pet care - Do NOT let your pets outside for extended periods of time and do not leave them in the car for any amount of time.

 3.  If you use a space heater, do not plug them in to an extension cord or power strip.  Plug it straight into the wall and keep a 3 foot perimeter around it.  Do not leave them on while you sleep - same goes for the fireplace!

 4.  Pipes are known to freeze at these temps - run water, even at a trickle to help prevent pipes from freezing.  Keeping kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open helps to keep pipes warm too!  Conversely, keep garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

 5.  Do not use generators inside the home, including the basement or the garage.  Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are powered also.

 6.  If you have any elderly neighbors, please take it upon yourself to check on them and see if they are all set.  A little kindness goes a long way!

 Lastly, the Bedford Public Library is open today until 8:30pm and Friday until 5:00pm so if you need to warm up you can head on over.  After closing hours, the Bedford PD will open a warming station at the PD in the training room for anyone needing to get out of the cold.  Watch our Facebook page for updates and keep an eye out for alerts.  BPD Cares!