ASHLAND — It’s official, a winter storm is coming to Ashland this week.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Cleveland issued a winter storm warning for a large area that includes Ashland, Richland, and Knox counties.
The service has “high confidence” that the Thursday-Saturday storm will bring bitter cold temperatures with wind chills as low as -30 degrees along with strong winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour.
The NWS is also confident the storm will bring some snow accumulation, but are unsure of the amount.
Ashland residents should have foods that do not need to be heated on hand in case power goes out during the storm, Ashland County Emergency Management Agency Assistant Cindy Linehan said.
“What is it the moms always used to have? Bread, milk, and cheese. Anything that you don’t need to heat to cook like cheeses, yogurts, peanut butter and jelly, things like that,” she said.
Linehan also recommends keeping doors and windows closed and staying indoors during the storm. Everyone in a household should stick together and possibly stay in only one room to contain heat, she added.
Additionally, the EMA will have five warming shelters set up around the county. They are:
- Ashland County Sheriff’s Office at 1205 East Main Street in Ashland
- Hayesville Fire Department at 8 High Street in Hayesville
- Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center at 527 East Liberty Street in Ashland, 5:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday
- Savannah Fire Department at 6 Haney Street in Savannah
- Trinity Lutheran Church at 508 Center Street in Ashland
