Be prepared; forecast calls for freezing temperatures and strong winds
So much for our sunny skies! Grey clouds and gusty winds have returned. Near-freezing temperatures, too. Kathy Morrison
Sacramento is about to get a double-dose of wintry weather: Intense cold and strong wind.
According to the National Weather Service, a storm front will create hazardous conditions Wednesday through Friday – including rare snowfall in the Sacramento Valley.
“Heavy low elevation snow with dangerous travel impacts expected tomorrow through Friday,” the Sacramento NWS tweeted Tuesday morning (Feb. 21). “Snow levels will fall to 1,000-2,000 feet tomorrow, with snow levels down to about 500 feet to the northern Sacramento Valley floor early Thursday morning and Thursday night to early Friday.”
Yes, snow is possible on the floor of the northern Sacramento Valley – and closer to home. Auburn, at 1,227 feet elevation and Placerville (elevation 1,867), definitely fall within the potential snow zone. But there’s a slight possibility flakes will fall as low as Roseville (elevation 164).
It’s not just the cold but the wind.
“Gusty winds will increase this afternoon over interior Northern California, slowly decreasing overnight,” the Sacramento NWS tweeted Tuesday. “Expect gusts 30 to 45 mph in the Valley and foothills and 40 to 70 mph over the mountains. Downed trees and branches, local power outages and difficult driving conditions are possible.”
In addition, overnight frost warnings are in the forecast Tuesday through Friday. Daytime highs will drop 20 degrees; the expected high on Thursday and Friday in Sacramento is only 48 degrees.
After several days of sunny, springlike weather, this downturn will be a shock to our plants, most of which already are in high-growth mode. Blooming fruit trees likely will lose their blossoms and may not set fruit. Expect to see some dieback on sprouting shrubs (such as roses). Newly transplanted vegetables or sprouting seeds are in danger of damping off.
What’s a gardener to do? Hold off on planting anything more until after this cold spree. Protect tender seedlings with row covers, milk cartons, water jugs or other shelter. Deep-water shrubs, trees and perennials; moist soil radiates heat and can raise the soil temperature (and surrounding space) just enough to prevent frost damage.
For more on freezing and frost, check out these recommendations from the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/frostdamage.html.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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