Drivers from Monroe to Ruston, Shreveport to Baton Rouge, and Lafayette to Lake Charles are climbing in their frosty vehicles this morning only to discover there is a brand new warning light flashing at them from their car's dashboard.

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Staff Photo
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For many of us, at least in Louisiana, we call it the "gumbo light". After all, it does look like a giant gumbo put with an exclamation point right in the middle of it. And like gumbo pots tend to do, it usually shows up when the weather gets cold.

The warning light is actually a signal that, if your car is equipped with the warning system, your tire's air pressure has dropped below the suggested pressure for safe driving. No, it doesn't mean you have a flat tire. What it does mean is that the cold temperatures have reduced the air pressure in that tire.

If you climb into your vehicle and notice this warning light tire manufacturers suggest you get out of your car and give your vehicle's tires a physical inspection. If they look inflated and close to normal then the prognosis is that the air pressure drop was indeed caused by temperature.

The Wrench.com a car repair website says it's not uncommon for pressures to drop by as much as 10 psi during major cold snaps such as the one we're experiencing. The good news is that if your tires are holding air, then driving the car will heat up the tires and raise the pressures to normal operating limits.

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If your tire pressure warning light does not go off after you've driven your vehicle then that could mean you have another more serious issue but for most motorists, the tire warning light issue will go away once the car has been driven for a few miles.

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