First frost could come tonight

It wasn't the answer I wanted to hear from Kaj O'Mara.

The KCRG-TV9 meteorologist said chances of a frost tonight are “pretty decent,” even for Cedar Rapids.

A frost advisory is in effect from 3-8 a.m. Wednesday from Highway 30 to the north.

“It's not a hard freeze, by any means,” O'Mara said. “It's probably not going to bring an end to the growing season yet.”

But with temperatures dipping to 32 degrees, any tender plants that you want to keep growing should be covered tonight. Linn County Master Gardener, Wil Carew, recommends using light blankets, sheets or canvas tarps. Don't use plastic, which conducts the cold.

O'Mara noted that valleys and open areas are most susceptible to frost.

Frost tonight, depending on where you are in Eastern Iowa, would be 10 to 14 days earlier than normal.

If you have tomato or pepper plants in patio containers, it might be best to take them into an enclosed porch or garage. To be on the safe side, you could pick your tomatoes, even if they're green, and keep them in flats indoors. They'll eventually ripen.