Maryland residents get ready for frigid temperatures following winter storm

Residents across the Baltimore region are grappling with freezing temperatures after Sunday's winter storm, which dumped inches of snow and sleet.

Experts are reminding people to make sure their homes and cars are cold-weather ready.

Protecting your home

Experts said you should monitor your pipes at home to prevent them from freezing. Keep your water faucets dripping, wrap your pipes in minimally heated areas with piping insulation, and leave doors open to allow heat to flow through your home.

"Go and caulk some of those gaps and cracks around your windows and doors to help limit the amount of heat release," said Sarah Dillingham, the senior meteorologist with Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Dillingham said to have your HVAC checked ahead of the winter and summer seasons.

In the event of a power outage, she said, consider installing a home generator.

Make your car winter weather-ready

When it comes to your car, make sure your tires are in good shape, check your car's battery, and windshield wiper fluid.

"When you're parking your car, when you turn it off, you've turned off your seat heaters, your defoggers, and all that sort of thing because you don't want anything drawing extra power when you start the car up in the morning," said Ben Perrinone, the AAA Approved Auto Repair Territory Manager. "That takes away from the amount of power going to your starter motor. So, turn off all your accessories as you leave the car."

Perricone said AAA has recently received lots of calls for flat tires.

During Sunday's winter storm, he said AAA responded to more than 500 calls for service in Maryland alone. Perricone said more than 36% were for members stuck in the snow. 

Water main break in Baltimore County

Some neighbors in Baltimore County were without water Monday morning after a water main break on Smith Avenue.

"It's like you can't do anything at all," said Marilyn Clawson. "It's so crazy."

Right down the street from the Greenspring Shopping Center on Smith Avenue lies a couple of cones surrounding a water main break Monday.

"We just found out this morning that we don't have water," Clawson said.

Clawson's husband said he was going to use the bathroom when he learned the Department of Public Works turned off water in the area to fix the broken water main.

Baltimore City Department of Public Works Director Matthew Garbark said there are some challenges to fixing these bursting pipes during weather like this.

"Everything is covered in snow," Garbark said. "So, we have to make sure we can even get to the water main first. And because of the temperatures, it's a lot harder to start excavating into the ground."

Baltimore City suspends trash pickup

Garbark said Baltimore City DPW will not pickup trash on Tuesday. It will be made up Saturday as if it were a holiday.

"This is going to give more time for residents and others to dig their alleys out and to be able to get to sidewalks and to the street."