Update: Central North Carolina under a frost advisory Thursday

Published 1:33 pm Wednesday, October 16, 2024

An updated frost advisory was issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday at 1:29 p.m. valid for Thursday between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. The advisory is for Rutherford Mountains, Greater Rutherford, Polk Mountains, Eastern Polk, Oconee Mountains, Pickens Mountains, Greenville Mountains, Greater Oconee, Greater Pickens, Central Greenville, Southern Greenville, Northern Spartanburg and Southern Spartanburg as well as Habersham, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, Elbert, Alexander, Iredell, Davie, Catawba, Rowan, Cleveland, Lincoln, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Cherokee, York, Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Chester and Greenwood counties.

The NWS states, “Temperatures as low as 35 degrees will result in frost formation.”

“Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered,” states the NWS. “Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.”

What to do if there is a frost advisory

Frost advisories are issued from May to October (but can be extended if necessary) when temperatures, winds, and sky cover are favorable for frost development. This is most likely to happen when the temperature is 36 degrees or less. In some cases, the frost is severe enough to end the growing season and is then referred to as a ‘killing frost’.

According to the NWS, if a frost advisory is issued for your area, cover up sensitive plants before the sun sets so that it can help retain heat near the plants, or move the plants indoors for the night, if possible.

Source: The National Weather Service