Upper South: Freeze Warning Tues. and Wed. nite

If you live in the following areas, remember to cover your sensitive plants tonight and tomorrow night.

I'm so glad I haven't set my tomatoes out yet!

Pattipan

---------------------------------

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
934 AM EDT TUE APR 27 2010


EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-HIGHLAND-
PENDLETON-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-
EASTERN MINERAL

...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING...

A FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

THE ANOMALOUSLY WARM CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED ACROSS THE REGION FOR
MUCH OF APRIL HAS LED TO AN EARLY START TO THE GROWING SEASON
ACROSS THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND WESTERN MARYLAND.

A MUCH COLDER AND DRIER AIR MASS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TODAY AND
TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TO
LOW 30S ACROSS THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND WESTERN MARYLAND.

Here in southern Missouri 6b we don't have a freeze warning but the temps are supposed to drop to around 40 degrees. I think the tomatoes will be okay, but I worry about the soil temperature. We planted some dent corn two weeks ago which still hasn't germinated. Corn is up in surrounding ag fields, so we thought it was time to plant, but apparently not.

I don't remember cool spring weather lasting this long for a while, and yet we planted wheat around our pond last fall for erosion control and it's already heading out. The wild blackberries are also blooming early.

I'm holding back on planting the tender crops at least another week. Maybe the weather will have made up its mind by then whether it wants to be winter, spring, or summer.

On the plus side, my cool weather crops are loving it. We're getting some of the best spinach we've ever raised.

After two nights of mid 30s here in Virginia, my cherry tomatoes are in rough shape. One appears dead and the other is yellowing. My ground cherries appear fine, though, which is surprising.