The Parade of Cold Fronts Continues
It’s been a scorching summer but another cold front is finally going to bring in that fall feeling. We’ve already dropped 5 to 10 degrees Wednesday from our high on Tuesday, but that’s nothing compared to our upcoming arctic air.
How cold is that arctic air? Fargo, North Dakota set a record high of 97 on Sunday…they were just 34 Tuesday morning.
Our temperature drop-off will not be quite that steep, but the transition day will be Friday into Saturday. Friday night may have a few showers, but likely the first major sign of the cool down you’ll notice is a brisk wind on Saturday when temperatures will not get out of the 50s during the day.
Where’d I Put my Gloves?
Did you know the last time we had a morning low below 35 in Philadelphia was April Fool’s Day? Well, 200 days later we’re going to hit a stretch of three nights that will see us dip near the freezing mark in Philadelphia.
Frost is likely in and around Philadelphia and a freeze warning is likely in the Lehigh Valley and northern and western suburbs. The Poconos may see a hard freeze as temperatures get down to around 28 degrees. Monday morning at the bus stop will be cold. We’re looking at 34 in Philadelphia and 30 in the Lehigh Valley.
What Should I Do for my Plants?
If you can, bring them inside at the end of the day. If you can’t, there are two easy things you can do: water the plants before dark, and cover them with some sort of tarp or plastic. Why water them? Wet soil can hold four times as much heat as dry soil, and studies have shown air temperature right above wet soil can be raised by up to 5 degrees overnight. In locations where there will be a hard freeze, not much can be done, so it’s best to harvest while you can.
What Does It Mean for the Trees?
The cold should really start to bring out the fall colors. Right now, some of the best color is visible in northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey, along with the Catskills and Green Mountains of New York and Vermont. Cold nights and sunny days are the perfect recipe for leaves to change color, so Sunday and Monday in the Poconos will be a great chance to see the colors really pop.
