Frost Advisory Mar 10-12 2024
in collaboration with AWIS Weather Services
Dear all,
As we all know strawberry season is about 2 weeks early this year. I visited togehter with a group of extension agents strawberry farms in Eastern NC just two days ago, and especially in South-Eastern NC is about 1-2 weeks from picking their first fruit.
Until now, we were mostly spared from frost nights in NC. However, we need to watch the nights from Sunday (Mar 10) to Monday (Mar 11), and the nght from Monday (Mar 11) to Tuesday (Mar 12).
After a Rain front comes through this weekend, we will have two days of perfect frost conditinons across most of the region.
It is advisable to use row-cover or overhead frost protection especially in Western NC, the Piedmont, Sandhills, as well as most of Virginia, North and Central SC and GA. Make sure to check your local weather forecast.General Weather Discussion:
*** Spring Means Changing / Variable Weather Ahead
*** Critical Time Next Several Weeks
*** El Nino Winter, To Neutral Spring, To La Nina Summer Anticipated
This past winter so far has shown some of the usual variability,
but given the El Nino conditions, overall it has been wetter than
normal many areas, and mostly near to a little above normal for
temperatures.
There were still a couple hard freeze events, but these were mostly
during times of dormant or minimal crop growth.
Periods of warmth have already invaded many areas since the last
arctic blast around Mid-February, with warm spells quickly followed
cool downs, but not overly cold for most locations since mid-late
February.
Expect the rather "usual" up/down temperature swings to continue
the remainder of this March into April.
Expect Growing degree days to continue to accumulate more rapidly
and crop growth to push forward.
El Nino Winter is expected to transition into a "Neutral" phase this
spring, and then into a weak La Nina pattern this summer.
Despite this transition, growers still need to be prepared for the
potential of late winter / early spring cold snap(s) that could cause
crop damage.
There remains plenty of opportunity for cold air masses that remain
anchored over the arctic and Canada to push deeper into the USA, as it
only takes "brief" minor changes in the upper air pattern to cause
significant "downstream" impacts.
Growers are advised to stay alert to daily weather forecasts for potential
freeze/frost events, as cold protection will vary based on crop status and
available resources.
