- The coldest week of the season so far kicked off Sunday with single-digit temperatures and wind chills below zero
- Some Green Bay residents bundled up and enjoyed snowboarding and tubing at Triangle Sports Area
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) experts say frigid weather often results in an influx of service calls
- Heating experts recommend the following tips to maintain furnaces:
- Clean your furnace filter
- Clear snow from furnace vents outside
- Make sure nothing blocks drainage pipes
- Call a professional to check the furnace at least once annually
- Video shows families tubing and snowboarding
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
We're warm here in the studio, but outside, it's the beginning of the coldest week of the season so far. Some still braved the single-digit temperatures Sunday for winter recreation — but they certainly bundled up.
"I've got a pullover, I've got a wool underneath, and then a t-shirt," Ben Irving said.
"Thickest jacket I could [find], and the warmest pants — and I wore them today," Chase Robinette said.
"Almost three layers I have right now," Swapnil Hambi said.
Swapnil Hambi brought his family out to Triangle Sports Area in Green Bay — despite wind chills below zero.
"I have never seen such a beautiful winter and snow before," Hambi said. "The snow activities and winter activities — it's awesome."
He and his son Shlok went tubing for the first time.
"It went way faster than I thought," Shlok said. "And there were these bumps, and I went flying."
Ben Irving also brought his son outside — and they strapped on the snowboard boots.
"Kids play enough video games and stuff during the winter months," Irving said. "So, I think all parents should drag 'em out sledding, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding — because they love it."
When Irving and Hambi bring their families home from the chilly slopes, the natural thing to do is warm up by the heater — but heating experts say this is a dangerous time of year for furnaces.
"Our furnaces have kinda been just exercising, and now, with the cold coming in, they're really going to get a workout," Brain Sinkler said.
Sinkler says his company does get an influx of service calls when the frigid weather arrives.
He says many of those issues can be avoided by some simple maintenance.
"A clean furnace filter. You might want to go downstairs, pull your filter out, check it — if it's dirty, replace it," Sinkler said.
Sinkler also says to make sure furnace vents are clear of snow, and to check drainage pipes in basements.
NBC 26 meteorologists say it's only going to get colder from here, so try to stay warm.
