- The NWS has issued a freeze warning in over a dozen counties as nighttime temperatures are expected to fall into the 20s and 30s this week
- One expert said gardeners should be prepared to bring cold-sensitive plants inside to protect them from freezing
- The freeze warning comes just over a month before the first snowfall of the season is expected
A freeze warning is in effect until Tuesday morning for over a dozen counties in Michigan, meaning gardeners should be prepared to store cold-sensitive plants indoors.
The National Weather Services issued a freeze warning for Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Muskegon, Montcalm, Gratiot, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Jackson counties.
Nighttime low temperatures are expected to fall to the upper 20s and lower 30s this week, according to the NWS.
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“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” according to the NWS report.
Bring inside tonight any vegetation you don’t want to freeze. Temperatures will fall into the mid 20s to mid 30s tonight. Low lying areas will see the coldest temperatures. #wmiwx pic.twitter.com/GEovD4rBrt
— NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) October 14, 2024
Lows for Monday night range from 27-34 degrees making a hard freeze possible, the NWS Grand Rapids office posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. Nighttime lows will range from 31-37 degrees Tuesday, with frost possible, and 28-24 degrees on Wednesday when a hard freeze is possible.
The early freeze is a clear sign to gardeners and agricultural workers that it’s time to bring the plants indoors.
“When temperatures get … below freezing, typically that’s when we start to see damage, either to the plants themselves or fruits or vegetables that are out,” said Emily Lavely, tree fruit educator for Michigan State University’s agriculture extension.
Colder temperatures aren’t always a sign to pack it up. For perennial crops like strawberries and blueberries, colder temperatures are a sign that it’s time for them to go “dormant” for the winter.
However, gardeners who still want to get the last of their crops before it gets too cold should take some extra precautions at night to keep them covered.
“If you’ve got the annual plants that are still producing, like tomatoes or peppers and you think that you can get a little more production from them, then you can cover those plants and keep them protected from colder temperatures,” she said.
Lavely recommends bringing plants in the garage or inside the house, or covering them at night with a tarp or a trash bag.
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