Potentially freezing temperatures could cause some stress in the fields and yards the next few days. A strong cold front is expected to put overnight temps Wednesday and Thursday near the freezing mark.
Madison County Extension Agent in Horticulture Amanda Sears said it’s certainly not that uncommon. In fact, Sears said the last frost-free day typically falls around May tenth. “So, it’s us that kind of gets worried because we start to enjoy these warm days, but for the most part, our plants are going to be ok if they’re perennials or trees. They might get burned, knocked back a little, but long term, I don’t think they’ll be any damage,” said Sears.
Still, Sears noted spring fruits like strawberry plants could benefit from some covering. She explained any overnight covering of plants needs to reach the ground and fabric is better than plastic. It needs to be removed before daytime temperatures heat up. Since blackberries haven’t bloomed yet, Sears said weather lore predicts one more cold snap.
University of Kentucky Agricultural Meteorologist Matt Dixon said winter wheat crops should avoid significant damage. But Dixon added he’s been working with crop specialists to better assess what impacts wheat. “Looking more into what kind of weather conditions really causes this damage. We really focused on temperatures, but we’re looking into parameters such as relative humidity, wind speed, soil temperatures now. So, we’ll see,” explained Dixon.
Dixon said a significant freeze event took place around May ninth a year ago. Prior to that, he noted the last May freeze in the Lexington area occurred in 2005. Some areas east of Lexington had not seen that much late season freezing in 20 years.
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