Houston isn’t built for ice, so this weekend might be one to stay put. From movie marathons to comfort food and at-home distractions, here’s how to make the most of a cold, possibly icy weekend indoors.

If you’re scrambling to find a quick solution to insulating your pipes, all you need are three household items: a thick towel, duct tape, and a plastic bag.

Freezing temperatures expected Wednesday morning

Frost cloth, blankets, even incandescent Christmas lights can help cover plants and keep them warm during the freezing temps.

Many stores like Bering’s Hardware and The Home Depot say now is the time to protect your home and plants from cold weather.

HOUSTON – A Copperfield resident, who is tough as nails, has some cold weather “hacks.” These hacks are perfect if you find the shelves empty when you visit the big box stores this weekend. Tom Fleming, the owner of Triple T Tree Service, has been working outside for 50 years. Along the way, he has picked up a few inexpensive tricks to protect homes from cold weather. Severe weather hack for water meter on the curbHack to cover an outdoor faucet before severe weather

With cold weather even freezing temperatures on the way to Greater Houston, electronics specialists are reminding the public to prepare for the possibility of power outages and electrical surges. Invest in good surge protector power stripsOne electronic recommend buying a surge protector for appliances to protect from being damaged in the event of an electrical surge. Falling ice and falling branches could fall on power lines making this hazard possible, especially in cold temperatures. Surge protection power strips are your standard home surge protection here... You can put them in and around your house. Ad”Over time in Houston as your surge protector protects your appliances blast, after the blast, it eventually gets tired,” said.

HOUSTON – An arctic blast is expected to hit the Houston area in just a few days and it might be time to have your HVAC systems checked. Dmitry Ershoe, the owner of H-Town Services, recommends having your system inspected twice a year. Ershoe said if you don’t have your furnace inspected before turning up the heat it could cause a fire or result in Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Lastly, Ershoe said homeowners should change out their air filters once a month. They recommend installing Carbon Monoxide alarms, changing the batteries to your smoke detectors and being extra cautious with space heaters.

HOUSTON – With cold temperatures headed to the Greater Houston area, a local medical professional asked people to continue to exercise precautions indoors. She noted viruses thrive in colder temperatures. She said the cold weather contributes to a recipe for concern when it comes to spreading viruses. “Most respiratory viruses are able to infect you better at lower temperatures,” Yancey said. We do not want to see another surge in the spring because of these variants,” Yancey said.