Manitoba

Gardeners beware: Southern Manitoba faces frost risk Tuesday night

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Winnipeg, Brandon face 4 C and 3 C lows, says Environment Canada

A coating of hoar frost clings to a sunflower. (Rodrick Reidsma/Salina Journal/The Associated Press)

Overnight temperatures well below normal for this time of year will bring a risk of frost to southern Manitoba that could threaten those newly planted flowers and veggies.

Most of the south will dip to about 4 C Tuesday night as clear skies and light winds bring a low pressure system in from the north.

That may not seem cold enough to freeze the garden, but Natalie Hasell with Environment and Climate Change Canada said that prediction is based on weather sensors that are at least a metre off the ground. Low-lying areas could get colder.

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"Everything that leads to temperatures falling at the surface [is] kind of lining up here," said Hasell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with the federal weather agency.

Average overnight lows for this time of year are usually closer to 10 C, Hasell said. Record lows for June 10 are below zero.

"So certainly below normal, for sure," she said. "But … it's definitely not going to be the coldest we've ever seen at this time of year — luckily that's not expected at this time."

The weather agency said there is a 30 per cent chance of rain Tuesday afternoon in Winnipeg, Brandon and other southern Manitoba communities. Conditions will likely clear in the evening.

Though she isn't a gardening expert, Hasell suggests people who have already planted cover or dampen their gardens to protect plants from frost damage.

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With files from Bryce Hoye