After coldest night of 2024, prepare for more frost

Brrrrrr! Feel the chill?

It may not feel like it right now, but this has been a very warm year. For most of 2024, Sacramento has been spared from freezing temperatures with only a handful of frosty nights.

But this long weekend, our gardens are definitely getting a cold check.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento dipped down to a low of 32 degrees on Thanksgiving and was slow to warm up. The average temperature for all 24 hours on Thursday was only 45.5 degrees – 4.4 degrees below normal for that date. Although we eventually reached a high of 59 degrees, it felt chilly all day.

That 32-degree low was the coldest night in Sacramento in all of 2024. (Normal for late November: 43 degrees.)

And we’re not done; the weather service says to expect more patchy areas of frost and morning fog. 

In Sacramento, overnight lows will be dipping to 35 degrees or lower on Friday and Saturday – cold enough to damage sensitive plants. They’re not used to the cold.

* Most at risk are those pretty (and tender) poinsettias. Temperatures below 40 degrees will burn the leaves and bracts of poinsettias, which are native to Mexico. They definitely won’t last until Christmas outdoors.

* These chilly nights also can speed the decay of decorative pumpkins. To avoid damage to poinsettias, pumpkins or other holiday decorations, bring them indoors.

* Also provide frost protection for tender new seedlings such as newly transplanted cabbage or lettuce. Slip a plastic milk jug over the whole plant; it becomes an instant mini greenhouse.

* Provide protection for succulents or any remaining pepper or tomato plants. They’ll definitely feel the chill.

* Bring container plants indoors or put them under cover. Use cloth sheets (not plastic) for temporary protection. Make sure to remove these sheets during the day so plants don’t overheat and smother.

* Except for succulents, water frost-tender plants in the late afternoon before a chilly night is predicted. That extra moisture raises the soil temperature just enough to avoid frost burn.

For more tips on freezing and frost: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/frostdamage.html.