| Late this evening, it will feel as though fall has officially arrived in
Scottsbluff and other parts of the Nebraska Panhandle, as overnight lows
are expected to dip into the upper 20s.
Dan Deal with the National Weather Service in Cheyenne said if people
with flower or vegetable gardens want them to survive, he would suggest
covering them.
Deal said that tonight and into Friday morning, the mercury could drop
to 26 degrees or lower in some areas. The colder temperatures are expected
to continue Friday evening as frost warnings have been posted in the
Panhandle.
The reason for the drop in temperatures can be attributed to a Canadian
cold front easing its way into the region.
Ray Kautz, owner of the Garden Center in Gering, said residents
interested in preserving their flowers or gardens will need to cover their
plants tonight, through the early morning hours. He also suggested the use
of common sense.
Kautz said spare blankets can be used to preserve plants from the frost
but said the use of plastic coverings actually draws in more frost and can
increase the damage to the plant.
For those unable to cover their plants, Kautz suggests that once the
sun is up, frost can be sprayed off plants with water. But he advises that
water should only be used once the sun is up because spraying too early
can cause additional frost build-up.
During frost periods, potted plants should be covered or brought
indoors. He added that unless the temperature increases drastically during
the day, plants can remain covered, day and night, without harming them.
Sugar beet farmers have taken advantage of the good weather to deliver
their crop this past week, and dont expect the cooler days forecasted
will cause any problems.
According to Jerry Darnell, senior agriculturist for Western Sugar in
Scottbluff, temperatures will have to dip to 25 degrees or below to hurt
the crop.
"At that temperature, the sugar sets in the beets," Darnell
said. "The sugar content will not increase after that. It can also
damage the leaves and cause them to fall off. That will expose the beet to
more freezing conditions."
Darnell said farmers are actually looking forward to some help from
Mother Nature to assist in the beet harvest.
"We could use half an inch of rain now so we can get the whole
beet out of the ground," Darnell said. "Some producers in Box
Butte County have turned on their pivots to soften the ground for
harvest."
Well over 50 percent of the dry bean crop has been harvested to date.
The process was slowed a few weeks ago when rain soaked the crop, just as
harvest began.
Most of the alfalfa has been put up, but growers will be racing to bale
and stack any that remains on the ground before it gets wet.
Corn producers are waiting for a good freeze to dry down their crops
for combining.
In addition to colder temperatures, there is also a 30 percent chance
of rain tonight but Deal said the clouds will decrease over the night-time
hours, which will add to the colder temperatures.
Daytime highs on Friday are expected to be in the 50s.
However, Deal said the temperatures will rebound on Saturday with highs
of 55-60 degrees and overnight lows will be in the 30s.
Long range, Deal said that temperatures should make a gradual increase
as daytime highs are expected in the mid to upper 60s with overnight lows
in the mid-30s. |