Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Home › News › Local News

Snow, freezing temperatures tonight, Tuesday

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 12, 2008 at 8:10 a.m.
Updated May 12, 2008 at 8:10 p.m.

Text size  

More Local News

More stories »

Gardeners all over the Front Range were hauling out buckets, sheets and blankets Monday to cover fragile plants and flowers to stop the freezing rain-and-snow showers that blew in late in the day from killing them.

"If you haven't planted them yet, don't," Camille Burkard, master gardener with the Colorado State University cooperative extensive service in Douglas County said this afternoon.

"If you can, bring them inside."

A strong cold front move across northern Colorado Monday afternoon, bringing gusty winds, rain and, yes, snow, to the Front Range.

By midnight, the chances for rain and snow shift from possible to likely for a broad stretch of plains and foothills from Larimer County to Douglas County.

Front Range accumulations are expected to be an inch or less, but areas of the foothills and mountains to the west could get 4 to 7 inches from this very-late-season storm.

If you've already planted your garden, cover plants with a sheet or with plastic. If they're very small, mulch over them with bark or peat and bark."

Tomato plants shouldn't be planted until the end of the month, but if they've already been planted, there are a couple things to do to save them, Burkard said. They can dig the plants back up and put them inside, or they can purchase products such as Wall-of-Water, "like an air mattress with water," to put around the plants, Burkard said.

Another troubleshooting measure for the small plants: cover each one with a bucket or with a plastic gallon milk container that has had its top cut off, she said.

"It creates a little micro-climate," keeping the moisture and warming soil trapped, keeping out the worst of the cold and the wind, she said.

"For Tuesday, use sheets and plastic or blankets," Burkard said. "Put rocks in the corner. Cold, icy winds won't get into it. The snow will come over the top like in a little igloo."

Many backyard gardeners paid attention to the canard "not until Mother's Day" this year, when they should have paid attention to another axiom, "Not until May 15," horticulturists say.

Most perennials are heartier, but annuals are quite fragile at least until they have time to adjust to Colorado's climate, Burkard said.

"We don't recommend planting annuals or warm-weather plants until May 15 at the earliest," or to be safer, May 31st, Burkard said. "When you try to jump the system, it can be fatal. They haven't had time to harden off, to get used to the variations of climate. We have a pretty demanding climate here."

The storm is fairly typical for this time of year, when a Pacific storm from the southwest brings moisture with it and collides with a Pacific storm from the northwest that brings cold temperatures, Burroughs said.

“The moisture falls through the colder air,” he said.

Things dry up Tuesday night into Wednesday, when the high is expected to be about 60.

Thursday brings another decent chance of showers and a high of only 55.

The weekend looks nice so far, with sunny skies and a high Friday of 65, shooting up to 74 on Saturday and then back down to 70 on Sunday.

Comments

  • May 12, 2008

    8:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Fireball writes:

    The Horticulturists always say to plant after Mother's Day so I waited and waited this year and planted a bunch of stuff all day yesterday. Am I going to have to dig it all up and store them in the garage now. I guess I should have listened to the "after" and not planted "on" Mother's Day.

  • May 12, 2008

    12:38 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    sunshinestate writes:

    It's better in northern Florida!

  • May 12, 2008

    12:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MissSio writes:

    Fireball, don't go digging it all up, that's just another waste of time. It's not going to get that cold, but if you're really worried you can cover them with some heavy black plastic or a good tarp, or even (like we used) old sleeping bags. Just lightly cover them and weigh the edges down, you'll be fine.

  • May 12, 2008

    1:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    whitecat writes:

    <b>Don't</b> cover your plants with plastic. Use an old sheet or newspapers. You can stick a stake in the middle of the bed and drape the sheet over it to prevent flattening the plants. Weight the edges to keep it in place. You can also pile mulch around the tender plants for one night and remove it in the morning.

    Water well in the afternoon; the soil will release the moisture around your plants overnight and keep the air slightly warmer.

    For individual plants, use glass jars,bowls or drinking glasses as temporary "greenhouses." Be sure to put them in place in the late afternoon before the air and soil cool off. They will trap warm air around the plant. Take them off first thing in the morning or the sun will steam your plants under glass the next day.

  • May 12, 2008

    1:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MissSio writes:

    haha htmfail! so the hundreds of times I've used plastic overnight with no effect were flukes then.

  • May 12, 2008

    2:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    whitecat writes:

    <sigh> Yes, you got lucky. Plastic is not a good insulator. If any part of the plant is touching the plastic, it will freeze. Also, plastic prevents air from circulating - just what you DON'T want. And if you forget to remove it in the morning, you'll have steamed plants.

    Look it up if you don't believe me.

    I should also mention that you can put clay pots over plants too.

  • May 12, 2008

    2:53 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    A perfect use for the print version of the RMN :-)

    Scott

  • May 12, 2008

    2:58 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Lorraine writes:

    It's always been "wait until the week AFTER Mother's Day. I have many neighbors who seem to think spring begins in March. They must not be from here.

  • May 12, 2008

    3:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Kinetic1 writes:

    When should you turn on your sprinkler system?

  • May 12, 2008

    3:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MsValeriah writes:

    Hey, sunshinestate,

    It's rude as all heck to knock someone else's state. If you're living here, and like it so much better there, then go home to where you're happy! I wouldn't dream of going to Florida and proclaiming Colorado's superiority. Even though I'm very proud to be a Colorado Native. It's just completely ill-mannered.

    Cover 'em up with whatever works for you or move 'em in for the night, folks. This is Springtime in the Rockies...we'll more than likely all be griping about the heat in another month.

  • May 12, 2008

    3:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Francesca writes:

    sunshinestate: "It's better in northern Florida!"

    Depends on your point of view. It's just starting hurricane season for you, right?

    ;-)

  • May 12, 2008

    3:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Seabreezes writes:

    Sunshinestate, speaking from experience, Florida weather MAY be better, but at least we don't have mosquitoes the size of children, lovebugs to eat our car paint, or hurricanes to come see us every so often. Been there, done that, thank God every day I don't live in FL anymore.

  • May 12, 2008

    4:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    nanbede writes:

    Sabreezes - I agree with you 100%. I have lived in almost every state and Florida gets my award for scorpions in your mailbox, spiders handing in the trees, snakes along side the roads, hurricanes and enough water falling from the sky every day between 5-8pm that I can go down the road in my canoe. Been there - done that as well. Thank goodness I now live in Colorado. :)

  • May 12, 2008

    5:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    forwhatitis writes:

    Damn that global warming........

  • May 12, 2008

    5:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    reddog writes:

    I too agree with seabreezes. Florida sucks unless you like to live with roaches the size of small cars. Florida is nothing but a "waiting room" for the old age.

  • May 12, 2008

    7:07 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wang_lang writes:

    <<<Sunshinestate>>> Funny thing about Colorado that most people don't realize is that on average we get more days of sunshine than Florida or California. Both Florida and California get about 309 to 312 days of sunshine and Colorado gets about 315 to 318 days.

  • May 12, 2008

    9:59 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    gethoht writes:

    Sunshinestate,

    I lived in florida for years and it sucks. No mountains, loads of bugs, ridiculously hot and steamy, and there's hardly what anyone would call "seasons", just hot and not so hot. I left florida and didn't look back, and for good reason. Florida is just like the rest of the Southern US... the armpit of the United States.

  • May 13, 2008

    11:42 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jay writes:

    so did it officially freeze in downtown last night?

    florida sucks. my brother lives there and we visit a lot. boring. there's only so much fishing/diving/sunbathing you can do before you need a little variety. only a few months out of the year are truly good weather and they just don't get as much purely sunny days as we do.