We are preparing for the first frost of the season here in Michigan

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – A first day of weather alert has been issued for Thursday as we prepare for our first freeze of the season here in Michigan.

So what is the difference between Frost and Frost?

Frost can occur when the temperature is 36 to 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost, on the other hand, occurs when the temperature drops to 32 degrees and below.

A freeze can occur without a frost and is almost always more damaging to plants, pets and pipes.

But colder temperatures can also mean good things for some. Lower temperatures are considered the time of year when people get sick more easily, but St. Joseph County Health Officer Dr. Michelle Migliore says it’s not all bad news.

“It’s a blessing for people with allergies,” says Dr. Migliore. “When the first frost comes and the frost is hard enough, it will kill the ampelwort. The hay fever, if you will – the things that make you sneeze and your eyes swell and your eyes water and your nose water. And so allergy sufferers always look forward to the first frost.”

Unfortunately, this freeze means the end of the growing season for most of Michigan. But for the smaller plants you love, there is a way to extend it for a few more weeks.

With warmer temperatures expected to return this weekend, here’s how to keep them safe.

“As far as cooler boxes go, you can take and make plexiglass boxes that you put over your plants because if they’re covered with plastic or something on top, the frost doesn’t really touch the plant and the plant can survive longer. says Daniel Davis, assistant director of Unity Gardens in South Bend. “It’s an extension of your growing season. You can take plastic rings and put plastic over them and then just seal them along the bottom with some mulch on top of the plastic or some bricks on top and it gets to where everything gets frosted even on the plastic or the plant doesn’t actually get frosted though , and it can really extend the growing season.”

As temperatures get cooler, insects begin to die out. However, that doesn’t mean we’re in the clear.

Mosquitoes usually die out when there is a severe frost, i.e. when temperatures reach 28 degrees or lower for at least an hour. There is no severe frost for Thursday, but a frost warning.

“Even if the mosquitoes die off with the first hard frost, the ticks will be out when temperatures are above freezing. Especially if the temperature is 40 degrees or above, ticks will be outside,” says Brett Davis, vector coordinator for the St. Joseph County Health Department. “Ticks have a multi-year life cycle. Even when we get to that time of year when we don’t see many insects anymore, ticks can still be out and about.”

Before you head out on Thursday morning, don’t forget the ice scraper and defroster! They are required for most vehicles that are parked outside of a garage.

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