With the warmer weather over the past several days you may have been itching to get out and do a little spring planting. But talk to any avid gardener or planter and they'll tell you to wait just a little longer. That's because temperatures, even at the end of April and beginning of May, can still drop below 32 degrees. And with this spring off to such a late start, I wouldn't be surprised if we do have a few more colder nights ahead. Tonight temperatures could fall into the low 30's.
Looking over the past 30 years, 1981-2010, the median time frame of when the last 32 degrees typically occurs in Northern Illinois is within the last week of the month: April 21st - April 30th. However, the latest freeze did occur on May 27th one year! A hard freeze is when the temperature drops to 28 degrees or below, also known as a 'killing freeze', and that's usually experienced about a week or two earlier. But again, colder nights can still be found in May when a cold night May 7th one year dropped the temperature below 28 degrees.
While many flowers have already sprung up in your yard or garden, you will want to wait just a bit longer before heading to the store to buy those annuals.
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