MISSOULA — Plants across Montana are beginning to show signs of spring activity in January due to unusually warm weather, raising concerns about potential damage if temperatures drop significantly.
"The trees are in the t-shirt phase right now. And they need to be in the down coat phase if we go below 0," said Sandy Perrin, plant diagnostic clinic coordinator at the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension.
The warm weather has caused plants to accumulate growing degree days, triggering early biological responses that could leave them vulnerable to sudden temperature drops.
"Just because our weather has been so warm, they accumulate growing degree days. And so when they reach a certain amount like apples, they think are around 400 growing degree days, then they can bloom and produce fruit. But it also makes their buds very vulnerable at this point," Perrin said.
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Crocuses are starting to push through dirt, and south-facing plants receiving the most sun and warmth could begin emerging. Bill Caras of Caras Nursery says people are taking notice of the unusual January activity.
"People are calling and so there is curiosity about it. There's not a lot you can do, and I don't think it's a lot to worry about. It's still been a winter and it's been below freezing basically every night, especially the last couple of weeks. We've got some hard frost, so the trees, I think, are going to be just fine," Caras said.
Caras noted that Montana had a gradual autumn that allowed trees to properly enter dormancy, unlike fall 2009 when an Arctic front hit in October, freezing leaves on trees before they could turn and drop.
The main concern now is whether temperatures will drop low enough to damage vulnerable buds and blossoms that are already showing up on certain plants.
"We're wondering, is Mother Nature going to be good to us, or are they going to go dip below that and freeze those blossoms which would then really impact the fruit crops," Perrin said.
For plants that have emerged from the ground with fresh leaves, mulching can provide protection, though Caras explains the current situation isn't entirely unusual given that nighttime temperatures continue to drop below freezing.
