THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 5, 1995 TAG: 9504050476
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Low temperatures tonight, as well as Thursday evening, could nip your newly planted flowers in the bud.
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. But, starting tonight, you may want to break out the electric blanket - and buy something to protect the shrubs: Temperatures will dip to the mid-30s. Highs are expected to reach 50 to 55 degrees, but brisk winds will make it seem colder.
What's behind this?
A Canadian cold front has raced its way south, said Lyle Wilson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's office at Norfolk International Airport.
A typical low for this time of year is 44 degrees, he said. But a spring cold snap is not unusual. Winter often takes us for a few final twirls before it leaves the dance floor for good.
Weather officials said freezing temperatures are unlikely this late in the year. In Norfolk, the latest date on record for a spring freeze was April 21, 1888, they said.
The wintry spell should ease Thursday and Friday, when the forecast calls for lows in the upper 30s to 40s and highs in the 60s.
Those with anxious green thumbs who have begun spring planting would be wise to cover small plants before temperatures drop, said Bonnie Appleton, an extension specialist at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, which is part of Virginia Tech University.
Covers should be anchored to the ground so wind can't blow beneath them, Appleton said.
Some garden centers also sell spray-on products that reduce plant damage when temperatures drop. by CNB