KENTUCKY — A wave of frigid temperatures and freezing rain is rolling through the Bluegrass, and these conditions can easily lead to frozen water pipes in your home.

Each year when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, water companies get thousands of calls from customers with frozen or burst pipes. Don't let that happen to you — here are four key tips to avoid that costly mess.

1. Wrap exposed pipes: Insulating material can be purchased from local hardware stores and used to wrap exposed pipes in your home. Pipes under kitchen sinks, near windows, or in unheated basements are most susceptible to freezing. Old towels and rags can be used as well.

2. Close the garage door: If your house has a slab foundation, some water pipes may be located under concrete floors in the garage — keep it closed!

3. Cover outside vents: If there's a crawl space under your home, cover any outside vents to prevent blistering winter winds from freezing the pipes.

4. Drip your faucets: During extreme cold weather situations, running a small, steady stream of cold water from a faucet or faucets can prevent the water from freezing. Opening cabinet doors to let heat flow to the pipes helps as well.

Also, regardless of the weather, Louisville Water Company recommends you locate the water shut-off valve. It’s usually located near the water heater, in the basement, or in a utility closet. Turning off the water in the event of a burst pipe can minimize the damage.

A range of .25"-50" of icing is expected with locally higher amounts possible. The system is expected to clear the area by Friday. Follow along with the latest weather and travel updates from the Spectrum News team.