MISSOULA - Mother Nature got the memo that today (Sept. 22nd) was the first official day of fall!
With that, we have our first Frost Advisory issued by the National Weather Service for portions of Western Montana early Tuesday morning.
In Missoula, we typically see our average first frost around Sept. 9.
A frost happens when ice crystals form on surfaces when air temperatures range from 33° to 36°. At these temperatures, frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
A freeze happens when the temp drops to 32° or lower and will result in significant damage to unprotected plants, especially if the temperature remains at or below freezing for several hours.
A hard freeze typically occurs when the temperature reaches 28° or colder for at least an hour (usually more). This means that most seasonal vegetation will be destroyed. There’s also the chance for possible damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing/un-drained sprinkler systems, etc.
