Freeze tonight? - Page 2

Labradors2 · May 13, 2015

Hank,

We'll probably get edible tomatoes from the veggie garden some time in late July. However, I cheated and started some compact tomatoes in mid-Feb. They go into three gallon pots that can be brought inside on cold nights or inclement weather. Last year I had ripe tomatoes from them in mid-June

.

Linda

JRinPA · May 13, 2015

I heard 40f here...I brought the pallets in the kitchen to be sure and put the lids on the aquarium and milk jugs outside. Not much effort to put forth here. We rarely plant this early and this year was no exception.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

You could go out real early and if frost is threatening, make several very smoky smoldering fires. Not roaring fires for heat, rather smoldering fires for smoke. Wet leaves, used motor oil, whatever it takes. If its typical frost, it will be dead still air and the temps will be inverted, good conditions for heavy smoke to hug the ground and prevent IR from radiating out toward space. You could even bring a lawn chair and a thermos of Martinis with you.

I saw that movie...the girl was breathtakingly beautiful...and keanu reeves was almost believable as a human being.

joseph · May 14, 2015

One time I thought I would cover some tomatoes in the fall. I spent $50 to cover 2000 square feet. And there are around 44,000 square feet in an acre. After that I stopped trying to cover tomatoes.

beefsteak · May 14, 2015

Hank, just a bit nippy here, 20° F at 5:00 AM. Glad I had not planted any maters yet.

Gardeneer: It was actually predicted to be a low of 33° F here, but it's always cooler here at night than what they predict.

jmsieglaff · May 14, 2015

Low temperature forecasting is difficult especially given on cold late spring nights when we care about frost, the conditions in general are, calm or very light winds, clear skies, and relatively dry air (dewpoints in the mid 30s at the highest). When a weather forecast is given, it is often for a point in a county or an average over the county. Even the point and click forecasts are at most ~5 km (3.1mi) boxes so really 25 km^2 (9.6 mi^2) and there can be tremendous variability over an area that large on nights like that. Low areas in these setups will have cold air 'drain' into them, while a hilltop will not and may additionally experience a slight bit more wind, increasing the temperature further. If you have a car with a thermometer drive around an hour or two before sunrise on a night like that and you may be amazed at the variability on such small scales. Now if there a breeze, even a relative light one, everything gets mixed and the variability is much less.

How'd your maters end up Hank?

20F in NW PA?! That has to be rather rare for May 14th I'd guess?

beefsteak · May 14, 2015

"20F in NW PA?! That has to be rather rare for May 14th I'd guess?"

Yes it is, but we had record cold temps this winter, (-30's and -20's), and it seems to want to carry into spring. Normally we will have a few low 30's or 40 or so this time of year. I would add that when we lived closer to Lake Erie the temps were not as low.

**carolyn137** · May 14, 2015

Frost advisories were out for my area and lots of concern since apple blossoms are out and this is a huge apple growing area, but here where I am it was 37F as a low, yes, I have an indoor/outdoor thermometer, but when Martha came, she fixes meals for me she said frost on the grass and windshield of her car.

I live several hundred feet oof the valley floor where Salem is and usually the higher up you go, the warmer it is. Martha and family are down at valley level.

When my paper gets delivered the AM I do expect to see articles about frost and apple blossoms, and it all depends, for them, not JUST on elevation, but also if on the level or on a slope, or whatever.

If there's lots of frost damage on the apples it is a huge concern for the loal economy since apples are used not just for fresh eating but also apple slices sold to bakeries, apples sold to those commercial places that make cider but don't have their own orchards, and folks like me who would buy grade three apples to feed the deer, until that became illegal,

Carolyn

Dutch · May 14, 2015

I lost some blossoms on my apple tree because of the last couple of cold mornings, but enough of the blossoms are hanging tough and hopefully I will still get a good crop here.
Apple Tree May 14 2015.jpg
Dutch

Worth1 · May 14, 2015

This thread has reminded me my cabinet is empty of antifreeze.

Worth

hank · May 14, 2015

Mid 40s here last night. So far so good. Hank

May 14, 2015	#21
beefsteak Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NW PA zone 5 Posts: 121	"20F in NW PA?! That has to be rather rare for May 14th I'd guess?" Yes it is, but we had record cold temps this winter, (-30's and -20's), and it seems to want to carry into spring. Normally we will have a few low 30's or 40 or so this time of year. I would add that when we lived closer to Lake Erie the temps were not as low. Last edited by beefsteak; May 14, 2015 at 09:56 AM.

May 14, 2015	#22
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Frost advisories were out for my area and lots of concern since apple blossoms are out and this is a huge apple growing area, but here where I am it was 37F as a low, yes, I have an indoor/outdoor thermometer, but when Martha came, she fixes meals for me she said frost on the grass and windshield of her car. I live several hundred feet oof the valley floor where Salem is and usually the higher up you go, the warmer it is. Martha and family are down at valley level. When my paper gets delivered the AM I do expect to see articles about frost and apple blossoms, and it all depends, for them, not JUST on elevation, but also if on the level or on a slope, or whatever. If there's lots of frost damage on the apples it is a huge concern for the loal economy since apples are used not just for fresh eating but also apple slices sold to bakeries, apples sold to those commercial places that make cider but don't have their own orchards, and folks like me who would buy grade three apples to feed the deer, until that became illegal, Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

May 14, 2015	#23
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	I lost some blossoms on my apple tree because of the last couple of cold mornings, but enough of the blossoms are hanging tough and hopefully I will still get a good crop here. Apple Tree May 14 2015.jpg Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries.

May 13, 2015	#16
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,889	Hank, We'll probably get edible tomatoes from the veggie garden some time in late July. However, I cheated and started some compact tomatoes in mid-Feb. They go into three gallon pots that can be brought inside on cold nights or inclement weather. Last year I had ripe tomatoes from them in mid-June . Linda

May 14, 2015	#18
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	One time I thought I would cover some tomatoes in the fall. I spent $50 to cover 2000 square feet. And there are around 44,000 square feet in an acre. After that I stopped trying to cover tomatoes.

May 14, 2015	#20
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Low temperature forecasting is difficult especially given on cold late spring nights when we care about frost, the conditions in general are, calm or very light winds, clear skies, and relatively dry air (dewpoints in the mid 30s at the highest). When a weather forecast is given, it is often for a point in a county or an average over the county. Even the point and click forecasts are at most ~5 km (3.1mi) boxes so really 25 km^2 (9.6 mi^2) and there can be tremendous variability over an area that large on nights like that. Low areas in these setups will have cold air 'drain' into them, while a hilltop will not and may additionally experience a slight bit more wind, increasing the temperature further. If you have a car with a thermometer drive around an hour or two before sunrise on a night like that and you may be amazed at the variability on such small scales. Now if there a breeze, even a relative light one, everything gets mixed and the variability is much less. How'd your maters end up Hank? 20F in NW PA?! That has to be rather rare for May 14th I'd guess?

May 14, 2015	#24
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	This thread has reminded me my cabinet is empty of antifreeze. Worth

May 14, 2015	#25
hank Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: winchester va usa Posts: 106	Mid 40s here last night. So far so good. Hank