My greenhouse low read 40 last night. It didn't have much sun to warm it, so I think that must have been close to outside temps. But when I removed the frost covers from the beans and onions, it seemed like the cover was frozen to the wood plank I used to hold it down. There was A LOT of dew, so I couldn't tell if the covers were wet from yesterday's rain or dew. Everything underneath looked ok. The funny thing is they raised the low up a degree and then issued the frost advisory. I will cover again tonight.

We've had frost 3 mornings this week. The lowest temp I've seen on my thermometer or at the NWS site 3/4 a Mike from the house has been 34. They are saying 31-34 tonight. I don't have anything out yet but may in a week.

Amy, Frost is a funny thing. Under the right (or maybe I should say the wrong?) conditions, it can form at temperatures in the upper 30s. I know we have had it here on nights when our Min-Max thermometer showed 37 or 38 degrees at 5' above ground. I don't know what the temperature was at the ground level. Usually if you are in the upper 30s, it will be patchy and not necessarily widespread. It usually seems most likely to happen when the skies are clear (clouds hold in heat), the wind is low (because higher wind can keep frost from settling down on the plants) and when RH is low (I believe drier air cools off more quickly or more efficiently or something).

Maybe you already had a bit of patchy frost last night? It sort of sounds like it.

Jay, I hope this is last big blast of cold for y'all so that you can get plants in the ground soon.

We were slightly colder last night that we're expected to be tonight, but then the temperatures warmed up really, really fast this morning. I went outside in a jacket but didn't have to wear it for long at all.

This was an almost perfect day weatherwise. We had very low wind. Higher humidity early in the day but low by afternoon, and an afternoon high of 74 degrees. It was incredible and it came the day after our coldest night/early morning this week, so maybe the rest of y'all get a perfect day tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then maybe on Saturday.

I think our last freezing night was in mid-March, so we're pretty spoiled already, and that 42 degrees felt cold this morning, but only briefly. I'm glad. We have hummingbirds all over the place and I was worried about them getting too cold but they seemed fine today.

Dawn

I have milk jug cloches over my babiest plants, and moved a lot of things up close to the house, but the big plants are just going to have to suck it up and deal. My gut says we will be ok here. Tomorrow we will find out if I need to stop listening to my gut, lol. Most of my wintersown plants are still in their jugs or cloches, so I think those will be fine.

Dawn, hummingbirds survive cold nights by going into torpor. They slow their metabolism down like hibernation. Torpor. In early spring and late fall some people leave lights on that offer warmth, but I don't know how effective that is, the bird would have to find it and have a way to perch safely near it.

Mesonet amended overnight lows to 36. I'm in no rush to get them outdoors. Daytime has been stunning, tho.

Fun to hear about hummingbird arrival, Dawn. Last year they were here on April 10. I am guessing they'll be a bit later here this year. . . we'll see.

Rebecca, I believe in listening to one's gut instincts. They are rarely wrong.

Amy, I know they do. It can be hard on them though. We always leave the front porch light on for them. I don't know how much it helps, but sometimes I see them perched near it early in the morning. They were eating yesterday like there was no tomorrow, and already are engaged in feeder wars to see who owns which feeder for this year. I have five feeders up and we have lots of hummers, so there is a constant feeder war between territorial males. I might need to put up a few more feeders.

Bon, Yuck, that is too cold. I thought I was dying from the cold yesterday morning when I went outdoors in 43 degrees. My body has gotten too used to morning temperatures in the 50s and 60s, so the low 40s felt especially unpleasant.

Nancy, They've been here since about mid-March. They usually arrive here at the end of March, so they were a bit early this year. I would think they'd be close to arriving up there, unless the cold nights have caused them to hold back and stay further south.

Normally we have ruby-throated, rufous and black-chinned hummingbirds. This year so far, I've only seen the ruby-throated. They are particularly happy with the coral honeysuckle, "Pink Lemonade", which they prefer to the feeders, because it is in full bloom. They keep buzzing around the mimosa tree, trying to find an open flower, but it isn't blooming yet and it doesn't normally bloom this early. I guess they are just being impatient.

Every day when I am out in the garden, listening to the hummingbirds and the bees, the purple martins, the frogs and the mockingbirds, I am reminded how many lovely sounds Mother Nature surrounds us with on a daily basis. Well, that is, when the roar of the wind through the trees isn't drowning out all the other sounds.

Dawn

Here's the map that shows the lowest recorded temperature at each Mesonet station since midnight:

Minimum Temperature Map

This map shows the current air temperature:

Current Air Temperatures

I believe I dodged frost here in KC this morning. It was 34 when I left the house at 4:30 am but It might have dipped a bit lower after I left. No sign of frost as of the time I left. Last night I went out and harvested any asparagus over about 5" and then put a couple wheel barrows full of chopped leaves over the remaining spears followed by AG19. I also hilled up some potatoes that were about 5" tall and then put mulch over the remaining foliage. The rest of the potato sprouts were under an inch tall so I just lightly covered them with soil. Everything else (lettuce, onions, leeks, brassicas, peas, carrots) were on their own!!

Now I have to go back out and remove the mulch tonight. Nothing in the forecast below 42 and after next Wednesday nothing below 50 here.

The low in my greenhouse was 41. Closest Mesonet station was 38. Everything in the garden looked ok this morning. I covered beans and onions. Time will tell, but there was only dew on the car when we left this morning. The driveway is the coldest spot in the yard, shaded most of the day.

Airport official was 39. Here in central Tulsa, I think it was 43 or 44. Anyway, everything looks perfect. I think we're in the clear.

The few potatoes I have left are loving these temps! I told my onions to get over it and do whatever they're gonna do because I have other babies that need my attention, too. Spoiled bratty onions.

Seeding more future food, today. Don't know 'bout ya'll, but I'm hungry.
bon

It sounds like everyone, even including Jack as far north as he is, escaped damage. That's terrific news.

Y'all have fun planting now that better weather has arrived. It's about time. Too bad the rain comes swooping right back in on Sunday again. At least we have a couple of dry days to work outdoors between now and then.