NEW YORK (AP) -- Temperatures have plummeted across upstate New York as the winds pick up, driving the wind chill to as low as 25 below in parts of the North Country.
The cold front swept into the region Tuesday night, sending temperatures falling from the mid to high 30s earlier in the day to single digits or below zero by early Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service says it's 8 below in Massena, on the St. Lawrence River in northern New York, with the wind chill making it feel like minus 25 degrees.
Forecasters say the high temperatures will remain in the single digits into the weekend for much of the upstate region, with windy conditions making it feel like 20 to 30 below in some areas of the Adirondacks.
With the arrival of the frigid weather, service providers are bracing for an onslaught of calls for car trouble and frozen pipes.
Shaun Seufert of AAA says dead batteries, frozen fuel lines and lockouts are the biggest cold-weather problems the auto service sees.
He recommends making sure your gas tank is at least half-full to reduce the chance of frozen fuel lines. Also, warm up the engine for five or ten minutes so the oil and battery can warm up. But be careful not to lock your keys in the car. If the engine doesn't start at first, Seufert says to try turning on the headlights for five minutes to warm up the battery, then turn them off and try starting it again.
Plumbers offer some ideas to keep your home's pipes from freezing. Leave under-sink cabinets open; wrap pipes with heat tape; leave faucets trickling overnight; and leave your thermostat above 55 degrees.
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