Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Brrrr! Taking the plunge

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published February 16, 2007

The cold breath of winter will be coming to the area tonight, bringing temperatures in the low 20s in the northern counties and a freeze watch extending as far south as Charlotte County. With the coldest night of the year approaching, here's what's going on around the region.

GROWERS: The National Weather Service expects the freeze to last three to four hours Saturday morning. At Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, workers are checking the irrigation pumps. When the temperature drops, they'll start watering the strawberries, hoping to create a frozen shell of protection around them. "Any time you're about to freeze your whole livelihood," said salesman Ken Andrews, "it's a scary thing."

PLANTS: Bring them in if you can; if you can't, cover them. Make a tent to trap heat from the ground. Cloth is best, but plastic will work, as long as it doesn't touch the plant. If you're not a commercial grower, don't use sprinklers. "The worst possible thing is for water to come out in the early morning hours with temperatures below freezing and then for the irrigation to shut off," said Andy Wilson of Pinellas County Extension.

SHELTERS: They will be accepting people at risk from the cold. Shelters offer food and a warm place to spend the night.

PETS: Don't forget them, either. Freezing temperatures can kill cats, dogs and even the hamster you're keeping out on the lanai.

POWER COMPANIES: They're rearranging schedules to deal with problems. The high-demand time, they say, is about 7 a.m., as people are just getting up and the cold hasn't yet burned off.

[Last modified February 16, 2007, 01:33:10]