The National Weather Service kicks off its “Winter Weather Awareness Week” today (Monday). Meteorologist Brenda Brock says the weather service uses the week to highlight the dangers of winter weather. She says each day they’ll focus on a different topic from high winds to freezing rain. You might think that Iowans would know all they need to know about winter weather, but Brock says there are always new people coming into the state. She says there are a lot of weather-wise people, but she says storms do come through quickly and can still catch people off guard. Brock says you should be ready for poor winter weather to hit at any time. She says you should always be prepared if you’re driving to survive. If you get stranded, if you’re out in the country you should have food and blankets stored in your car. She says if you live in town, you should keep a flashlight and battery-powered radio handy in case the power would go out. Brock says technology has made it easier to predict when storms might hit. She says they have a lot more data and better communication with people and storm spotters. She says the technology has also allowed them to go back and study past data to make better predictions. Brock says the weather service will be releasing winter weather information throughout this week.