The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, as still-strong winds bring an unseasonable chill to the region.

Issued around noon, the warning will take effect at 2 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) and last until 9 a.m. According to the forecast for Reston, tonight will bring west wind speeds of seven to 13 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 22 miles per hour.

Here is the full alert from the NWS:

…FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY…

* WHAT…Sub-freezing temperatures around 30 degrees.

* WHERE…Portions of northern Maryland and northern and central Virginia near and west of Interstate 95, and portions of the eastern West Virginia panhandle.

* WHEN…From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday.

* IMPACTS…Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

For precautionary measures, the NWS advises taking steps to protect plants and outdoor pipes from the cold.

“To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly,” the NWS said. “Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.”

Image via NWS

Speeding Up Silver Line Extension Work — “Stay-home orders, and progress on software safety concerns, could help speed up work on the Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport, since Metro now appears to be open to a complete multiweek shutdown of the Wiehle-Reston East station.” [WTOP]

Freeze Warning This Morning — A freeze warning is in effect until 9 a.m. today for much of the reason. We’re hoping you’ve taken steps to protect plants from the cold and prevent pipes from bursting. [National Weather Service]

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Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

November is kicking off with a chilly start. A freeze warning has been issued for Fairfax County for tomorrow (Nov. 2).

Temperatures as low as 30 degrees are expected between 2 and 9 a.m.

Here’s more from the alert:

* IMPACTS…FROST AND FREEZE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS, OTHER 

SENSITIVE VEGETATION AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED OUTDOOR  PLUMBING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TAKE STEPS NOW TO PROTECT TENDER PLANTS FROM THE COLD. TO PREVENT FREEZING AND POSSIBLE BURSTING OF OUTDOOR WATER PIPES THEY SHOULD BE WRAPPED, DRAINED, OR ALLOWED TO DRIP SLOWLY. THOSE THAT HAVE IN-GROUND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS SHOULD DRAIN THEM AND COVER ABOVE GROUND PIPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM FREEZING

NWS recommends that people prevent pipe bursts by wrapping, draining or slowly letting water drip from them. Above-ground pipes should also be covered.

Freeze Warning has been issued for portions of our forecast area where the growing season remains active. Most areas outside the urban centers and away from the tidal waters will see a freeze. pic.twitter.com/KWEC79sJNI

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) November 1, 2019

Photo via Shaun Holloway/Unsplash

The National Weather Service issued a freeze watch today for Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In Reston, the freeze watch is in effect from Friday evening through Saturday morning.

Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing after sunset Friday night and through Saturday morning at around 10 a.m.

Freezing temperatures may kill or damage sensitive vegetation like outdoor plants, according to NWS.

Freeze Watches are in effect for those portions of our region which are still considered to have an active growing season. Northern Maryland may see a freeze tonight, while they and the rest of the region will definitely see a freeze Friday night! pic.twitter.com/vGQXkRAu2W

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) November 9, 2017

The Farmers Almanac provides the following tips to protect your plants from frost:

If a frost is predicted, cover your plants, both to retain as much soil heat and moisture as possible and to protect them against strong winds, which can hasten drying and cooling. You can use newspapers, baskets, tarps, straw, and other materials to cover your plants. Cover the whole plant before sunset to trap any remaining heat. Be sure to anchor lightweight coverings to prevent them from blowing away.

Keep the soil moist by watering your plants the day a frost is predicted.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for Fairfax County and surrounding areas for late Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Overnight temperatures are expected to dip to about 30 degrees, which will kill your cold-sensitive plants if you have already (optimistically?) planted them. Traditionally, the area’s last frost is between April 21-30, according to gardening zone maps.

If you have garden containers, bring them inside where it is warmer. If plants are in the ground, follow these tips from The Garden Helper:

• Water the garden thoroughly before nightfall. The soil will release moisture into the air around your plants during the night, keeping the air somewhat warmer.
• Cover up. By the time it gets dark much of the stored heat in the garden has already been lost. If you have time, build a simple frame around the plant, or row of plants. (Even a single stake can be used in many cases.) Then drape a cover of newspaper, cardboard, plastic tarps, bed sheeting or any other lightweight material over the frame to create a tent. If you don’t have time to create a frame, lay the protective cover directly onto the plant. This will help to slow the loss of heat rising from the foliage and the ground. Remove the covers in the morning, once the frost has thawed, to let the light and fresh air back in, and to prevent overheating by the sun.
• For smaller individual plants you can use glass jars, milk jugs with the bottom removed, paper cups upside down flower pots as heat traps. Don’t forget to remove these covers in the morning.
• You can collect heat during the day by painting plastic milk jugs black and filling them with water. Place them around your plants where they will collect heat during the day. Water loses heat more slowly than either soil or air. This collected heat will radiate out throughout the night.