Instead of “May flowers,” many regions of Vermont can expect a May freeze.
A freeze watch, which forecasters say might be upgraded to a warning by the end of the day, has been issued for regions of New England including central, northwest and southern Vermont, taking effect from late Wednesday night through early Thursday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, residents of those regions can expect sub-freezing temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s overnight, which could kill crops and other vegetation. Ahead of the freeze, officials are urging farmers and backyard gardeners to take precautions, taking plants indoors when possible and covering crops with row covers.
“This is one of these events that a number of producers, growers and gardeners are very nervous about,” said Anson Tebbetts, the secretary of agriculture, food and markets. “It’s not totally uncommon to have frost in May, but this one seems like it could be a hard frost (if it) gets down into the 20s.”
Some agriculture specialists recommend that backyard gardeners wait to plant their gardens until after Memorial Day to avoid late frosts. However, it’s a different story for those producing crops on a larger scale, who often start planting earlier to meet market demands, Tebbetts said.
“The important thing is to cover your gardens if you can,” Tebbetts said. “Grab that old bed sheet or quilt or cover. If you can, bring some plants inside.”
Earlier this week, Vernon Grubinger, vegetable and berry specialist at The University of Vermont Extension, sent an email to commercial growers in Vermont offering advice on keeping berries, vegetables and fruit trees alive through the freeze.
Grubinger shared resources on critical frost temperatures for blueberries and tree fruits at different bud stages, what types of crop covers are most appropriate for different plants, and advice on how sprinklers can be used to protect against spring frost.
“Row covers offer some frost protection for low growing crops,” Grubinger wrote in the email. “The type and weight of the row cover fabric affect how well (covers protect) against frost.”
Among those to receive Grubinger’s email was Lila Humphries-LePage, owner and operator at LePage Farm in Barre.
“It’s definitely stressful,” Humphries-LePage said. “We’re always looking at the long-range forecast and planning around that, so we’ve seen it coming. We’ve been holding off on planting things that are cold–sensitive, for the most part, but we definitely have some things that we’re concerned about.”
Humphries-LePage said farmers at LePage farm are planning to cover crops with row covers both inside and outside of greenhouses to protect sensitive plants against the cold temperatures.
“We will do our best, then we’ll have a stressful night and see where we’re at in the morning,” Humphries-LePage said.
While many Vermonters may be surprised to see a freeze occurring so late in the calendar year, temperatures have plummeted in May before, according to Rodney Chai, lead forecaster at the Burlington National Weather Service.
According to the Burlington Climate Record, which has documented weather in Burlington since 1892, the latest recorded freeze in Burlington occurred on May 31, 1961, Chai said.
“(This freeze is) definitely not record-breaking,” Chai said. “But especially since we had a nice stretch of weather not too long ago, this might come as a shock to people. In May, you can still get these occasional outbreaks of unseasonably cold air, but they don’t last too long.”
Weather service officials also say the freeze could cause damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing. To prevent the freezing or bursting of outdoor water pipes, officials recommend wrapping, draining or allowing pipes to drip slowly. Vermonters with in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to keep them from freezing.