Dear all,
We are looking at some turbulent weather ahead in the coming day, starting on Thursday this week (Mar 12) and lasting into late next week.
We can expect wind, rain on Thursday, followed by a frost-night Thursday to Friday night. It will be crucial for most growers in NC to protect their blossoms from frost damage during that night. This is especially true for Central NC, Piedmont and Western NC.
Rain should slow down on Thursday afternoon in most areas, there will be enough time to bring out dry row covers.
More concerning is the cold front that will come in early next week, again preceded by rain. This front has much colder air behind it, with surface high pressure originating from arctic regions, thus creating a potential for sub-freezing temperatures as early as Monday morning in Western areas, spreading to Eastern and Southern areas Tuesday and perhaps even Wednesday mornings.
We will give you a more detailed update later this week.
The recent spell of record warmth across large areas of the USA will continue for Eastern and Southern parts of the USA through the middle of this week.
Then a brief cooldown late this week behind the next cold front that moves through.
Numerous showers and storms, some locally strong to severe, will precede this next cold front, spreading from Western areas later Wednesday to areas further East/South Wednesday night into Thursday. Rain totals of an inch, locally more are expected to be rather widespread.
Behind this frontal passage, temperatures in the Northern ares--mainly Missouri to Maryland, Southward to Northern areas of Tennesse and North Carolina--may reach freezing at ground level, with frost expected late this week as early as Thursday morning in Western areas and Friday morning in Eastern areas.
Then another warmup begins later Friday lasting through this weekend into the beginning of next week, but it won't be as warm as the current spell.
A stronger cold front moves through late this weekend through early Monday with associated showers, mostly light in terms of rain totals.
This front has much colder air behind it, with surface high pressure originating from arctic regions, thus creating a potential for sub-freezing temperatures as early as Monday morning in Western areas, spreading to Eastern and Southern areas Tuesday and perhaps even Wednesday mornings.
This surge of much colder air will likely require many growers to replace crop covers.
Then the pendulum switches back to warmer temperatures starting by the end of next week.
