Freeze Alerts In Effect Wednesday Night

A Freeze Warning is in effect for the moutains and foothills Wednesday night. Freezing and subfreezing temperatures are expected across the higher elevations. Shelters have opened across the high country and foothills for those recovering from damage due to Tropical Storm Helene, or those still without power. Here is a list of open shelters by county.

A Frost Advisory is in effect for much of the Piedmont Wednesday night as temperatures fall into the mid 30s across the region. It would take just a minute or two to defrost a light frost from a car windshield. But, temperatures this cool could kill sensitive plants. Make sure to bring them inside, or cover them to protect against frost this evening.

The average first freeze of the season usually occurs within the first week or two of October for the mountains, while the southern Piedmont will see their first freeze of the season near the start of November. Based on the 30 year average (1991-2020) for Charlotte, the first freeze occurs near November 1. The earliest freeze on record occurred in 2000 on October 9. The latest freeze was December 10 in 1978.

Bring your pets indoors and run your faucet on a slow drip to protect your pipes if you have running water in the mountains. Temps below freezing for 6 hours could lead to frozen pipes that could cause damage. Don’t forget to bring in or cover sensitive plants. A light freeze is when temperatures fall between 29-32F and will kill tender plants. A hard freeze is when temperatures fall between 25-28F and is widely destructive. Temperatures below 24F are considered a killing freeze and will kill most garden plants.

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