According to the National Weather Service, Grand Junction will go from a low temperature of 46 to a low of 22 in period of 72 hours. Have you shut down your swamp cooler?

The National Weather Service predicts a low of 46 on Friday night, October 23. Saturday brings a low of 44, and Sunday a low of 27. When we reach Monday, Grand Junction can expect snow showers and a low of 22.

The Weather Channel disagrees slightly. They predict a low of 45 on Friday, ultimately reaching a low of 20 on Monday. They expect low temperatures in Grand Junction to remain below freezing clear through Friday, October 30.

I tend to make a big about this for a reason. I'm one of those lucky few who has come home at the end of the day only to discover my ceiling has now become my floor. There's nothing like a frozen water line in your attic to totally obliterate your plans.

Have you closed down your swamp cooler for the season? Is it necessary to do so this early? Looking around my neighborhood, about a third of the houses have already shut down their swamp coolers. I shut mine down two weeks ago. My swamp is on a thermostat set at 72 degrees. It's been weeks since it kicked on, so I felt it wise to go ahead and close it up.

What about sprinkler lines? The nice thing about the lines themselves is the fact they are underground. The earth provides some insulation which buys you a little time. Unfortunately, there's this matter of the backflow and other portions of the line existing above ground. My plans are to shut down the sprinklers this weekend.

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When it comes to freezing temperatures, I'm one to play it safe and be a bit proactive. A collapsed ceiling and flooded house does not make for an enjoyable experience. You're looking at weeks, if not months of repairs. In my case, the bill came in around $15,000. This all due to a 1/8 inch break in a 1/4 inch copper line.

We aren't talking about an isolated evening of below-freezing temperatures. The valley will experience freezing temperatures for a period of five consecutive nights. Please bring the pets in, shut down your sprinklers, and close down the swamp cooler for the season. Stay warm.

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