Cold Weather

While the nation's coldest spots are typically in Wisconsin, Michigan or upstate New York, the unusual weather patterns this month have changed that. Tuesday, the nation's lowest temperature was recorded in the Grand Canyon , at 1 degree below zero. That's not a total anomaly - the great national park posted a national low in March 2011, too. And cold spots are common in New Mexico and Colorado, as well. But the cold weather typical along the Great Lakes region has been noticeably absent, with daytime highs in the 80s and strings of record-breaking heat.

Be prepared: Snow may make today's morning commute treacherous.The snow was expected to begin falling in Western Maryland in the early morning hours and move toward Baltimore, National Weather Service meteorologists said yesterday.They predicted that the hardest-hit areas would be Frederick and Carroll counties, where up to 5 inches could fall. Totals of 1 to 3 inches were forecast for Harford, Montgomery and Howard counties and northern Baltimore County.Baltimore City would be spared the brunt of the storm, the meteorologists said, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport might receive, at most, an inch of slushy snow, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s.

ONE RECENT afternoon, I saw a leaf fall and I started worrying about the furnace. A few nights later, a draft of cold air rushed in from a bedroom window, and I felt guilty that I had not yet removed the air conditioner and weatherstripped that window. Then, at breakfast, I began studying the newspaper advertisements for all-weather tires.These are symptoms of a malady that overcomes me and many other folks in the fall. I call it the cold-weather-is-going-to-get-me syndrome.It is common among homeowners, but has been known even to strike renters.

As Howard County's permanent homeless shelter prepares to relocate this month, officials are trying to minimize confusion while preparing to launch what has become a vital adjunct: a roaming winter-weather shelter. Both events - the temporary one-year move from Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center's old building next to Atholton High School and the start of the fourth year of the mostly church-operated cold-weather shelter - are scheduled for Monday. The current Grassroots building is to be replaced with a larger facility.

Don't stop worrying about global warming just because the wicked cold is breaking records in the Midwest and the East, climate experts say.It would take more than a single deep freeze, they say, to discredit the widely accepted theory, which holds that gases produced by industry and agriculture are gradually warming the planet.No one disputes that the cold is unusual. Low temperatures filled homeless shelters and closed schools throughout the Deep South yesterday -- breaking records in about 70 cities.

Cozy colors Hate cold weather? Warm up your decor with the sunlight of Provence. Waverly's Colors of Provence line offers rich tones of red clay, mustard, rose-russet, and deep and bright greens. Motifs are florals, paisleys or fruit. Prices for paper, borders and fabric by the yard range from $20.90 to $29. For information, call 800-423-5881, or visit www.decoratewaverly.com. Clay display Most of us take housewares for granted, handling them and seeing them for the useful functions they perform.

¿Q: Is it OK for our dog to play in the snow with our kids? A: Generally, yes -- with some caveats. A dog's normal body temperature is about 101 degrees, so they're a little warmer than us internally. But other factors explain why some dogs are better able to withstand winter weather. Small dogs with less body mass have a harder time staying warm. Dogs with double coats -- a top layer and a thick undercoat -- are naturally better insulated against cold (and heat, too, so people shouldn't shave dogs in an attempt to keep them cooler in hot weather)

Q. My wife and kids have persuaded me to give up using ZTC pesticides on our lawn and in the vegetable garden. What should I do with all the partially used containers of pesticides I've accumulated? My brother will take some of them, but they've been in our shed for three to five years and I don't know if they still work.A.Contact your city or county office of recycling or your local landfill to find out about sites for dropping off household hazardous waste.Pesticides do lose their effectiveness over time, especially when stored at very high or very low temperatures.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. ACCORDING to the unwritten rules of cold-weather footballforward passes and offensive flair simply don't mix with ice, snow and the arctic north wind.Draw plays and an occasional screen pass are OK. But offense on a frozen field is supposed to be Bart Starr following Jerry Kramer off guard, and stuff like that.Don't, however, try to shove this theory down the throats of the Buffalo Bills.If anyone knows about playing football on ice, it's the Bills, the unofficial kings of the cold in the NFL. And they insist snow and slush are no reason to bundle up and cloak your offense in conservatism.

"The snow is gone, but we're going to have chilly weather. This is extremely dangerous, cold weather. The snow is one hazard, and this is another."JOSE MARRERONational Weather Service"The kids were driving us nuts to get out and use the sleds. They didn't give us a choice. They were up at 7 a.m."STEVE SMALLMANWest Baltimore resident"There's no comparison. By this time last year, we had 10 storms."ANDREW DANEKERHoward roads chief"They buy snacks, anything to warm up. Beer, sodas, a little brandy.