More Clearing Means More Cold Tonight - Frost and Freeze Alerts Issued

Update: As of 1:48pm The National Weather Service has issued Frost and Freeze alerts for the viewing area. Fond du Lac and Sheboygan county are under a Freeze Warning from midnight to 7am Saturday morning for temperatures possibly dipping as low as the upper 20s. That could lead to a hard freeze in isolated spots. Likewise, the rest of the area is under a Frost Advisory during that same timeframe for temperatures potentially dropping to near 31 degrees. Areas of frost and or freeze and now looking likely for the area overnight.

It's nice to see that bright sky today! A lovely scene is with us on this Friday featuring a brilliant blue sky with puffy white passing clouds. And we've reached a milestone in our daylight today too. Tonight's sunset is at exactly 8pm. Sunsets for the next ninety-five days will be in the 8 o' clock hour, lasting through August 10th. But a clear sky at night can often lead to a cold night, depending on the season, and a few other weather features like wind and dew point. Even though we've passed our average last occurrence for a freezing night in Milwaukee, frosty nights can still happen.

 Here's recent history for the city. Per the records, we've had temps drop to freezing as late as May 27th, that was back in 1961. Tonight in the wake of a passing cold front, a northerly wind will be ushering in cooler than normal conditions. Check out these lows from our in house Readycast model:  Here you can see many areas flirting with the freezing mark. That means areas of frost will be likely. It's still that time of year when you'll want to use caution with planting. Tonight it's advised to protect any cold sensitive vegetation you have. Beyond tonight, there's still some cooler weather we'll have to navigate through. Lakeside locations may be just fine, but inland spots may face frosty conditions a few more night ahead. Have a look:  

Average low temperatures are now in the middle 40s, so in theory, frost risks should be behind us. Data from records as mentioned before shows freezing weather has happened as late as May 27th, and again as early in fall as September 20th. On that day back in 1956 the city fell to thirty degrees.

For planting purposes I always use the Memorial Day holiday weekend as a good benchmark to start my outdoor gardening and planting. I'm no farmer but in addition to my weather studies I have a Bachelor's degree in Plant biology. I love to garden and would be happy to answer any questions you have on the topic, just send me a note on my facebook or Twitter. You can find me by searching my name! You can also email me with any weather questions at [email protected].

Have a great weekend!

-Meteorologist Rebecca Schuld