Southwest Florida residents advised to check tires, protect plants and prepare for cold snap

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

As freezing weather arrives in Lexington, local country clubs have covered their plants and landscaping, and residents are encouraged to take similar precautions to protect their greenery. Plant experts suggest bringing potted plants indoors, especially orchids, and using sheets to cover outdoor landscaping.

"You just want to remember that was one of the first things you want to do in the morning is to go over, remove that off your plants, because a lot of plants, once the sun comes up, it gets really hot under that fabric that you're using to cover your plants," said Jason Paszkiewicz from Sundance Orchids and Bromeliads.

With the cold weather, many drivers might notice their low tire pressure light coming on. Darren Litteral from Terry Wynter Service Center expects people will be heading to air pumps to fill up their tires.

"When it gets cold, the air gets thicker in the tires. So the pressure drops. It's inevitable. There's nothing you can do about it. It's just. We will. Especially tomorrow morning. Everybody's tire lights are going to come on," Litteral said.

For those relying on space heaters to stay warm, it's crucial to keep them away from furniture, curtains, or bedding and not leave them unattended.

"You want to have a plug-in to an area that's open up where it's not close to cloth curtains. Naturally, you want kids to stay away from it, and they're pretty much safe and secure. They have a safety switch on the bottom, so if they flip over, then they automatically shut off," said Greg Harper from Ace Hardware.

When adding air to tires, it's important to ensure that tire pressure does not exceed 45 PSI.

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