Are you prepared for the cold on B.C. roads and at home?

This week’s arctic outflow is toppling low temperature records across the province, with wind chill expected to remain between -15 C and -25 C until the end of the week.

The cold snap brought ice and snow to many parts of the Lower Mainland, and BCAA says all of its drivers are active and in a state they call “Code Red.” On Thursday night, call volumes for roadside help were up by 50 per cent compared to normal, and on Friday morning, they were up by 100 per cent.

The automotive association is encouraging drivers to be prepared before they head out. They say drivers should have the right tires on their vehicles and keep an emergency blanket and some snacks in case they get stuck for a while.

Josh Smyth, BCAA customer care and automotive manager, says during the colder months, they tend to see a spike in calls for battery jumps.

“In order to be prepared for that, prior to the cold, go to your favourite technician, your trusted technician, your favourite mechanic, and have them do a load test and a proper AVR test on your battery, which will give you a good line of sight on life expectancy,” he said.

Alexander Milani, commercial division manager at Milani Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, has advice to make sure your pipes at home don’t freeze.

“For homeowners that have houses that are a little bit older, or maybe don’t have the best type of insulation, or even with homes that have had issues in the past with freezing pipes, one of the things homeowners can do is keep the faucet running, and allow for a small trickle of water to come out,” he said. “Moving water is a lot more difficult to freeze than standing water in a pipe.”

The temperature is expected to stay below zero into the start of next week, but when things start to heat up again, Milani says to pay attention to your plumbing, which might begin to thaw.

“And if you do notice an issue, you can shut off your home water right away if you notice a leak or flood,” he said. “Or call a professional to come out and take a look at it.”