LINGLE – The National Weather Service has issued a Frost Advisory for Tuesday morning for portions of Goshen County.
Forecasters predict clearing skies late Monday could lead to decreasing temperatures Tuesday, possibly ranging from just below the freezing mark at 31 degrees to overnight highs of 37 degrees, beginning about 1 a.m. and lasting until sunrise, around 7 a.m. While that’s somewhat borderline on an actual frost, University of Wyoming Extension Horticulture Education Jeff Edwards with the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Lingle said taking a few precautions couldn’t hurt.
“If folks have the capability of covering things, it would be a good idea,” Edwards said Monday. “Either a plastic cover or something made out of fabric.”
Frost covers can be a simple as an old bed sheet to commercial made plant covers. Commercial frost covers can provide as much as five to seven degrees of thermal protection to plants, protecting them from temperatures ranging in the mid- to upper-20s, Edwards said.
“But, if people don’t have them, it won’t matter,” he said. “Also, if they use plastic or a tarp or something like that, they’ll want to prop it up so it doesn’t touch the plant. Anywhere the plastic touches, the frost will get through and burn the leaves.”
Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and similar vegetables are probably the most susceptible to frost damage, Edwards said. Most flowers, with the exception of roses and similar ornamentals, can also be damaged by frost.
Fruit trees, raspberry bushes in the like can also fall victim to the chill of the evening. With fruit trees, though, property owners can take a page from the Florida orange growers and turn a light mist sprinkler on during the evening. The water will form an ice barrier that will insulate the delicate fruit from the chill temperatures.
“Also, we never know if the wind is going to blow at night,” Edwards said. “You might want to anchor stuff down.”
