EAST HAVEN — East Haven gardeners, cover up the flower beds tonight. The National Weather Service office in Upton, N.Y., has issued a Frost Advisory for Southern New Haven County, including East Haven, from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, to 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, with lows as cold as 33 degrees.
Forecasters say temperatures that low will allow frost to form, and frost could harm or kill sensitive outdoor plants left uncovered. Shoreline streets near Cosey Beach and Momauguin usually get a little help from the warmer water, but yards farther north, from Foxon and the Farm River valley to the neighborhoods around Lake Saltonstall, sit lower and farther from the Sound and are more likely to see frost by early Saturday.
How to protect your plants tonight
- Bring potted plants inside before bed. A garage, shed or enclosed porch works for one night.
- Cover garden beds with old sheets, light blankets, burlap or frost cloth, letting the fabric reach the ground to hold in soil warmth. Remove the covers Saturday morning once it warms up.
- Skip the plastic unless it is propped up off the leaves; plastic touching foliage can freeze right onto it.
- Water the soil this evening. Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil.
- Pick ripe vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and squash before dark.
If you still have hanging baskets on the porch or herbs in pots by the back door, bring them inside tonight; a garage or enclosed porch is warm enough to protect them for one night.
The advisory also covers southern Fairfield, Middlesex and New London counties. For the latest, check the National Weather Service forecast page for Southern New Haven County.
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