PORTLAND, Ore. — The start of winter is just six weeks away, and Portland is headed for its first seriously cold weather of the season over the coming few days.
Staff at Ace Hardware on Northeast Broadway said they're already seeing people come in to prepare for the what’s expected to be the coldest overnight temperatures the region has seen so far this fall.
"The vent covers sell pretty high, and quick people have exterior and interior vents they want to protect," said manager Josh Brown.
Vent covers at the Northeast Portland store are sold out for now, he said, but there's still plenty of other options on the shelves to help protect homes from any big freeze.
"Making sure they are utilizing things like outdoor faucet covers, make sure they are filling all of the gabs and cracks in their house so there is less drafts from coming in," Brown said.
The cold temperatures on the way could be just the beginning of a very cold winter. Gas supplier NW Natural has already announced plans to increase prices because of global supply issues. The average household can expect to pay $14 more per month.
Local governments and support agencies are getting prepared as well, including announcing plans for warming shelters. In Clark County, a handful of churches including Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Vancouver are preparing to help those in need.
"We have seen some additional capacity opening up, we got expanded space at our winter weather hospitality overflow at Saint Andrews shelter," said Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy Manager Laura Ellsworth.
It remains to be seen how much this week's cold weather will set the tone for Portland-area temperatures over the next couple of months, but hardware stores in Rose City will keep busy either way as residents make preparations.