"Marley and me came up to spend the day in the Q-C. It's too cold to do anything else," Otis Surratt said as Marley left the snow and headed to the open back of Surratt's mini-van. "We're from Roseville (Illinois), but I grew up in Iowa and we like to come to the Q-C for shopping and get out of the small town."

The 68-year-old Surratt said he was headed home when the 5-year-old white Lab demanded a walk.

"Marley likes to get out, too, when we're in town," Surratt said. He checked his watch.

"But she lasted just four minutes."

Crow Creek Park also is the home of three adjacent dog parks. The middle run was doing brisk business at 11:35 a.m. Friday, as five bundled-up humans stood like potential Popsicle sticks while six canines frolicked in the freeze.

Sam Bedow, a 17-year-old who attends Pleasant Valley High School braved the cold for a 10-month-old Springer Spaniel by the name of Oakley.

Bedow stood with 50-year-old James Preszler, who claimed the 15-month-old German Shepherd known as Adde.

"What are we doing out here?" asked Preszler, who wore three pairs of gloves and was starting to lose feelings in his toes. "Are you writing a story about the dumb people who come to the dog park in this weather?"

Bedow wore a Green Bay Packers knit cap with a green-and-yellow tassle at the top.

"We come out here every day," Bedow explained. "Oakley and Adde love running and playing together."

Preszler, who owns Chez Prez in Bettendorf, said their frigid conversation was the same they've had every time they cross paths at the dog park.

"Politics," Preszler said.

"We're both never-Trumpers," Bedow added.

-- Tom Loewy

The weather-related service calls started ticking upward as soon as this year's mild winter became much less than mild in late January.

"We had a slow start to winter with the mild temps, but we're busy now," Bull said. "Furnace no-heats are the main problem; those we get to right away.

"With frozen pipes, we get to those quickly too."

He had tips for homeowners to self-diagnose certain furnace malfunctions and advice on avoiding freezing pipes.

"We tell customers to first check their furnace filters, then to make sure the batteries in the thermostat are good, if they use them," he said. "You also went to check the outside vent pipes, because they're usually pretty far off the ground, but they can get covered by drifting snow.

"There's usually a safety switch in furnaces that cause them to shut off in the event of a vent blockage."

Most filters should be replaced every month, he said, even if advertised as being good for three or six months. Pet hair and other factors can contribute to dirty furnace filters.

Bull also suggests keeping thermostats at a steady temperature during bitter-cold snaps. That way, the furnace doesn't have to work as hard to raise the temperature in a home after it's been turned down during nighttime hours, for instance.

But there's another reason: "If you set it back at night, it's likely to stop running for a period and that's when you can have issues with pipes freezing and so on.

"It's a matter of personal preference, but I throw an average of 68 degrees out there. Some like it a little warmer, and that's fine. You should keep a steady temp, though."

-- Barb Ickes

"In extreme cold, the advice depends on a customer’s home efficiency and furnace reliability," the company said.

If you live in an efficient home with a reliable furnace, you can continue to program your thermostat to lower the temperature at night to save energy (and money). But if you live in a less efficient house, with an older, less reliable furnace, that could stress the furnace out. Instead, reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting and hold it there until the cold snap has ended.

MidAmerican Energy suggests the following as well:

• Check your furnace filter. If the filter is dirty, replace it according to the furnace manufacturer’s recommendations.
• If your home furnace has outdoor plastic intake and exhaust vent pipes, clear any snow and ice to ensure they’re not blocked.
• Check your interior supply and return air vents, baseboards and radiators to make sure warm air can circulate indoors.
• To help keep your utility bill down, limit the use of space heaters when possible. Instead, add a layer of clothing or an extra blanket. If you use a space heater, place it at least three feet away from other objects. Shut it off when you go to sleep or leave the area.
• If you have window curtains, keep them closed at night to help stop cold air that leaks in through your windows. During the day, open them when it’s sunny to help warm your home. Close curtains on windows that are not in direct sunlight.
• If you feel cold air drafting in through windows or doors, consider adding weather stripping.
• Do not use a gas stove to heat your home and do not run a generator indoors. This can result in carbon monoxide poisoning.
• A working carbon monoxide detector is just as important as a smoke alarm. Test both regularly. Carbon monoxide is odorless. CO poisoning can cause flu-like symptoms – even death. If you suspect CO poisoning, dial 911, seek fresh air and remain outside or elsewhere until help arrives.
• If you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately. From another location at a safe distance, call MidAmerican Energy at 800-595-5325, and then dial 911.
• Hire a professional to inspect and service your furnace once a year to make sure it’s working correctly, which will help keep you safe and warm during the next cold snap.

-- Staff

His advice to stay safe:

• Every space heater should have a switch that shuts it off if the unit tips over.
• Space heaters should only be used in rooms that have someone in them.
• Heaters should not be used within 3 feet of anything combustible.
• Whenever possible, heaters should only be used on hard surfaces. 
• Heaters should be kept out of areas where blankets or other combustibles could land on them or come in contact with them (so try not to cozy up too close to your heater with all your layers on).

-- Emily Andersen