December 31st, 2017 by WCBC Radio
It will be one of the coldest, if not the coldest, nights for a New Years Ball Drop since the event started on the Downtown Cumberland Mall. Temperatures will drop to around 10 above tonight, but that won't stop WCBC from broadcasting the festivities beginning at 10 PM. We'll review the top stories and local issues as we count down to 2018.
Even our daytime high temperatures have remained below freezing for several days, while our overnight lows have dropped into the single digits and wind chills have plummeted below zero. That pattern is going to continue several days into the New Year, meaning you should bundle up, covering exposed as much as possible, if you need to venture out.
The below freezing temperatures mean you should be pro active in trying to prevent frozen pipes. One of the easiest ways it to let your water run a trickle to keep the water flowing and less likely to freeze. Older homes also have some pipes that run in open areas in crawl ways under homes, and that means exposure to elements if they are not insulated.
Scattered snow showers will be more likely in the mountains into New Year's Day, but travel is not expected to be a major headache through the period. Many people will be traveling New Year's Day if they have to be back to work on Tuesday, so expect higher traffic volume on Interstate 68 through Allegany County and on Corridor H in West Virginia.
