Grab your frost cloths -- it's about to get cold

Put away the umbrella and dig out the frost cloths; we’re about to have another change in the weather.

Our pre-Thanksgiving atmospheric river gave Sacramento a nice, deep soaking. It also caught us up with our seasonal rainfall totals, getting our current Water Year off to a healthy start.

Could this be the third consecutive winter with “normal” or above-average precipitation? So far, so wet.

According to the National Weather Service, downtown Sacramento received 2.72 inches Wednesday through Monday, Nov. 20-25. That includes 1.96 inches on Friday, Nov. 22.

That brings November’s total to 3.38 inches – more than 2 inches above average for those 25 days. It also more than makes up for a mostly dry October, which starts our Water Year. So far, Sacramento rain has measured 3.63 inches since Oct. 1; normal for that period is 2.11 inches.

That deep soaking took care of our gardens’ immediate water needs. Turn off the sprinklers or other irrigation for at least a week, if not more. Check soil moisture before resuming watering.

After some scattered showers on Tuesday, Sacramento looks dry and clear through the rest of this month (which ends on Saturday). The next challenge: Frost.

The weather service says to expect patchy frost in the early morning hours on Thanksgiving Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday. Overnight lows will flirt with freezing; Sacramento will dip down to at least 35 degrees all three nights.

Damp soil will keep most sensitive plants just warm enough to prevent frost damage. But new transplants and tropicals will be susceptible. Take frost precautions. Cover tender plants in the late afternoon (before the sun goes down) and remember to remove covers in the morning.

With sunny skies, that chill will dissipate quickly during the day – which makes this coming long weekend good for planting and other garden jobs.