Wind chill forecasted in the low 20s

Bundles of frost cloth were the big seller for at least one area nursery as property owners, municipalities and businesses blanketed the Heartland to save their decorative plants from predicted freezing temperatures.

Frost cloth is a permeable special light-weight fabric made to protect gardens, flowering annuals, plant beds and tropical plants from severe temperatures and freezing cold.

Workers at Robbins Nursery said they sold hundreds of feet of the cloth over the weekend.

"Saturday we went through 500-or-so-feet before lunch time," said Debbie Armstrong, sales clerk, as she stood in the cold and hugged herself to keep warm.

"We just got more of it," said Ryan Hill, landscaper / salesman for Robbins, who had just measured and cut some frost cloth for a customer. "We ran out until about, what, 30 minutes ago?"

"I've got some more coming in tomorrow," said Armstrong.

That supply was going fast as Wes Tanner of Lake Placid ordered 60 feet of it. The cloth is 15 feet wide and costs $2 per "running foot" off the roll.

"I've got two hedges I want to cover," said Tanner. "That will work out good. The width of (the hedges) are seven feet. It's a lot cheaper to spend 100 bucks on this than replace the hedges."

The hedges, planted in double rows, are still small, and cost him more than $1,000.

"They haven't had a chance to take hold yet," he said.

Don't use plastic bags to cover plants, said Armstrong. That's the worst thing to use, Hill agreed.

If the plastic touches the leaves the sun can burn them the next day, said Hill.

"If this stuff touches the leaves it's OK," he said.

Commercial concerns

Citrus growers will keep a watchful eye on thermometers for the next few nights as a freeze warning is in effect for Highlands County and bordering counties to the north and west.

The area will also experience critical humidity levels, raising the fire danger today through Wednesday.

Ray Royce is the executive director the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association Inc. that often receives questions as well as input from area growers.

"There were no problems last night," Royce said Monday morning. "If there were it was in an isolated pocket. It looks like Wednesday morning is setting up to be potentially a problem. There'll be a reinforcing shot of cold on Tuesday."

The forecast for today (Tuesday, Jan. 5) calls for a sunny day with a high in the mid-50s, according to the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

But early morning 30s along with wind-chill values could make it feel like its 22 degrees. Winds will be from the northwest between 8 mph and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph in some areas.

They were watching for Wednesday morning, but updated predictions showed it may even drop below the 30s on Tuesday morning, Royce said.

If fruit is ripe, this may be a good time for residents with fruit trees to harvest a lot of it, said Royce. If they have a way to freeze it, the juice can be saved, he added.

As long as the temperatures are about 30 degrees to 25 degrees for an hour or so there isn't much chance for fruit damage. The real problems arise for growers when temperatures remain there for five or six hours or more.

"The coldest time is about an hour after sun-up," Royce said.

What growers don't want to see is ice crystals forming inside the fruit. Growers will slice sections of orange samples to see what's going on inside.

This practice is called "cutting ice," said Royce.

They'll slice the end of a fruit; then slice a little further in. If it's ice a quarter of the way through, that's bad.

Ice inside the fruit may cause it to drop prematurely or cause parts of the fruit to dry up on the inside.

For tonight into Wednesday morning NOAH predicted areas of frost after 3 a.m. Otherwise, it should be mostly clear overnight with a possible low in the upper 20s as growers continue to monitor temperatures.

It is expected to warm up during the day Wednesday with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s. The wind will blow from the northwest between 5 mph and 7 mph.

But Wednesday night should be mostly clear with patchy frost after midnight. Lows are expected to drop into the lower 30s.

Thursday will be mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. The warm temperatures will be welcomed as highs get into the mid-60s.

As radiant heat tries to leave the Earth's surface, cloud cover can hold it in, said Royce.

Thursday evening will be partly cloudy then becoming mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows will be about 40 degrees.

Friday is predicted to be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs may reach into the upper 50s. Then the cold will return Friday night with partly cloudy skies and lows in the lower 30s.

Saturday through Sunday, the weather service predicts mostly clear skies with highs in the upper 50s and lows approaching the lower 30s.

Shelters

The Highlands County Emergency Operations Center has an agreement with emergency workers to contact dispatch if they find anyone in need of shelter from the cold.

They would be taken to the New Testament Mission, said Bill Nichols, emergency management director.

The mission is located at Lemon Avenue and the Sebring Parkway, in Sebring.

If the mission reaches capacity Rev. Mike Karl and his wife Pat will contact the EOC and a shelter would be set up at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agricultural Center.

That facility is located at George Boulevard and U.S. 27, in Sebring.

"They have everything they need over there," said Nichols. "If Reverend Karl's capacity goes over we will open the Agri-Civic Center. We have county, Red Cross and EOC people on standby."