Forecast says families will spend more to heat their homes this winter

It's probably going to cost more to heat your home this winter. Forecasters say heating bills are likely to climb faster than overall inflation, despite what's expected to be a relatively mild winter.

Winter weather makes roads dangerous, increases the risk of power loss, and can cause cold-related injury during outages. Stranded vehicles are a common hazard.

This report is based on information from NPR National, monitored by Alert USA's verified emergency feed.

Expect a high chance of travel disruptions, elevated power-outage risk, and heating stress during any extended loss of service.

Recommended steps: avoid non-essential travel; keep heat sources clear and ventilated; have blankets and a way to charge a phone; check on family and neighbors.

Alert USA is tracking this winter storm and will update this report as verified information becomes available.

Verified by Alert USA • NPR NATIONAL