WIDESPREAD HARD AND KILLING FREEZE LIKELY TUESDAY NIGHT (4/15) ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND TENNESSEE VALLEY... (Loudon County).

BRISK NORTHERLY WINDS TUESDAY EVENING WILL PUSH A MUCH COLDER AIR MASS INTO THE REGION. THIS UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR MASS ALONG WITH THE CLEARING CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP RAPIDLY AFTER SUNSET...AND BELOW THE FREEZING MARK BY THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION.

A PARTICULAR...HARD AND KILLING FREEZE IS POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...NORTHEAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...MUCH OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY...AND LOCALIZED PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN VALLEY...WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BOTTOM OUT BETWEEN 20 TO 28 DEGREES BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...

* EVENT...A WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZE...WITH LOW TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE 20S OVER MUCH OF THE REGION. A WIDESPREAD FROST IS ALSO LIKELY.

 

* TIMING...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MID WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...AREA FRUIT TREES ARE BLOOMING...MAKING THEM HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FREEZE DAMAGE. ADDITIONAL SPRING TIME FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS...SUCH AS STRAWBERRIES...ONIONS AND SPINACH ARE ALSO EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO THESE SUBFREEZING CONDITIONS.

AREA GROWERS WILL NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THEIR CROPS. ADDITIONALLY...A WIDESPREAD FROST COULD DAMAGE OR KILL ANY FLOWERING PLANTS OR OTHER TENDER VEGETATION...IF THEY ARE NOT COVERED OR TAKEN INDOORS