Pickering gardeners and growers should be ready to cover up their plants tonight. Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for the Pickering, Oshawa and southern Durham Region area.
According to the federal weather agency, temperatures are expected to fall to near the freezing mark tonight and stay there into early Saturday morning. That's cold enough to cause damage to plants, trees and crops.
The advisory urges residents to take preventative measures to protect cold-sensitive plants, trees and crops. Covering up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas, is the recommended step.
Frost-prone spots include low-lying yards and open gardens where cold air settles overnight. Anyone with late-season vegetables, annual flowers or newly planted trees and shrubs may want to act before the temperature drops this evening.
Frost advisories are issued when near-freezing temperatures are expected to threaten plants and crops during the growing season. This one comes as the region sits in early October, when overnight lows can dip sharply under clear skies.
Environment Canada said residents should continue to monitor alerts and forecasts as conditions develop.
Anyone who spots severe weather in their area can report it to the agency by email at ONstorm@ec.gc.ca, or by posting on social media using the hashtag #ONStorm. Those reports help meteorologists track conditions as they unfold.
Warmer daytime temperatures are expected to return after the cold night, but sensitive plants left uncovered could see lasting damage from the frost.
