VegNet Vol. 14,
No. 4.
On the WEB at: http://vegnet.osu.edu
If experiencing problems receiving this
fax, Call 614-292-3857
Special Issue
COLD WEATHER ALERT!
A major outbreak of very cold air will arrive by the end of the
week with the coldest air arriving on Friday and Saturday. The cool down will
start on Wednesday. The National Weather Service’s predictive GFS model is
calling for 850 millibar temperatures (5,000 ft) to
drop down to -11 to – 13 ºC by Wednesday night and down to -17 ºC by Saturday. morning. At the surface, this relates to air temperatures
from 28 to 23 ºF. Dewpoints could be as low as 21ºF
by Saturday morning. Vegetable and strawberry growers should be prepared for
this cold event. Strawberry growers should probably have protective coverings
in place before low temperatures arrive. Greenhouse operators should be ready
to protect young transplants with supplemental heat. If temperatures go as low
as predicted today, sprinkler irrigation for frost protection may not be
effective for plants already in the field, because it is so cold. Watch the dewpoint temperatures in your area to get an idea of how
low temperatures may fall. Let’s hope this forecast turns out to be wrong. Be
sure to tune in your local National Weather Service forecast for the latest
updates on this situation as we get closer to the weekend.