On Wednesday at 2:59 a.m. a freeze warning was issued by the National Weather Service valid for Thursday between midnight and 8 a.m. for Upper Hood River Valley.
The weather service says, “Sub-freezing temperatures of 27 to 33 degrees expected, coldest in the Parkdale area.”
“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” explains the weather service. “To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly. Take steps now to protect tender outdoor plants from the cold. Consider temporarily moving outdoor potted plants indoors if they are sensitive to cold temperatures. Consider temporarily covering sensitive plants with a lightweight cotton fabric (i.e., bedsheets, thin blankets), as this will help retain heat and provide frost protection for your plants.”
Freeze watch or warning – this is what it means
Freeze warnings are issued from May to October (but can be extended if necessary), when low temperatures are expected to be 29-32 degrees. If there is a potential for temperatures to fall into these thresholds, a freeze watch may be issued a few days ahead of time.
According to the weather service, if a freeze warning or watch is issued for your area, there is little you can do to protect plants. If you can move your sensitive plants inside, do so because the freeze will likely kill them, depending on the severity of conditions.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
