The National Weather Service for Kane County, IL, has called a Freeze Watch, in effect for Friday, Oct. 16, through Saturday morning.

In addition to making it just plain cold for fans at the local football game, the big impact is that sensitive vegetation can be damaged or killed by that first frost.

According to the NWS, freezing temperatures are possible Friday night because a large area of high pressure is sliding south from Canada. That high pressure will bring clear skies and calm winds but also a whole lot of cold.

Temperatures will quickly fall into the 30s Friday night and likely will bottom out in the mid-20s in our area. Closer to Lake Michigan, temps will be around 30 or higher. These temperatures can wreak havoc on construction companies as their expensive materials can have a negative reaction to cold temperatures, making them weaker or unusable. Luckily, they can use a Power Blanket to keep the material or equipment at ideal temperatures

The Freeze Watch includes most of Northern Illinois.

For information on how to protect plants from a freeze, visit this link on the Gardening KnowHow website, which offers the following:

“If you are only expecting a light freeze, you may be able to protect plants in a freeze simply by covering them with a sheet or a blanket. This acts like insulation, keeping warm air from the ground around the plant. The warmth may be enough to keep a plant from freezing during a short cold snap.

“For added protection when you protect plants in a freeze, you can place plastic over the sheets or blankets to help keep warmth in. Never cover a plant with just plastic, however, as the plastic will damage the plant. Make sure that a cloth barrier is between the plastic and the plant.”

SOURCE: National Weather Service