Winter weather hacks

As old man winter sets into Michiana yet again, you might be facing more ice and frost on your windshield in the morning if you park outside. I know that I've had to spend several additional minutes cleaning off the car early in the morning during a deep freeze, but there are some things you can do to prevent the ice build-up.

• First, check the forecast to see what morning temperatures are like for the next morning. If they're around 28 degrees or colder, there's a good chance ice will form on your car. Get a spray bottle and add 1 part water and 2 parts rubbing alcohol and spray that solution on the windshield. That'll prevent ice from accumulating.
• Second, if your car doors frequently freeze up and get stuck, spray PAM or any cooking spray on the inside rubber seal to prevent water from beading up inside the door and freezing.
• Third, rub a cut potato on the windshield as another de-icing option. The sugar and starch in the potato keeps water from freezing.
• Lastly, rub a small amount of hand sanitizer on the metal portion of car key if your locks frequently freeze up. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer helps melt any ice in the lock, much like the rubbing alcohol and water solution.

Luckily, you shouldn't need these hacks for too much longer. Our temperatures will slow warm throughout the month, even though we heading towards a cooler snap for the next few days. We all know that March can be a roller coaster, as we transition from the harsh winter conditions to a more mild spring. But, the Climate Prediction Center does have all of Michiana under a 33-40% chance of seeing above average temperatures, overall, for the month of March. And, by the last week, our average highs climb into the 50s, so that warmer air should be coming in more consistently in the next few weeks.