The last tomatoes on the vine on Sunday aren’t going to suddenly ripen before a predicted freeze arrives by Friday.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
Carson Valley’s long summer is predicted to end abruptly this week as a cold storm could result in lows dropping near 20 degrees and the snow level down to the Valley floor by Friday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a freeze watch for 2-9 a.m. Friday for most of Western Nevada, including Carson Valley, on Monday afternoon.
“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” according to the notice.
Temperatures are forecast to drop to 21 degrees on Friday morning and 23 degrees on Saturday morning.
The record lows in Minden for Oct. 18 was 17 degrees set in 1946 and 14 degrees set on Oct. 19, 1917.
“Currently, snow levels by Friday morning appear to be around
4000-5000 feet,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Hector Crespo said on Monday. “This could be problematic with the rain showers
expected on Thursday, and not enough time for the roads to dry
before the cold air settles in. So, keep an eye out for road
conditions Thursday night into Friday morning.”
Crespo said that if the storm arrives earlier than expected, snow could fall in the Valley.
“In other words, stay weather aware over the next few days as there
is still plenty of uncertainty about how this system will behave
towards the end of the week,” he said.
On the other side of the storm, temperatures are expected to warm up a bit with lighter winds, he said.
