ALBANY — A large swath of the greater Capital Region and Hudson Valley will be under a frost advisory starting Saturday evening.
The advisory, issued Saturday by the National Weather Service in Albany, takes effect 11 p.m. Saturday and continues through 9 a.m. Sunday. It includes parts of Schenectady, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Greene, Columbia, Ulster and Dutchess counties.
Temperatures may drop as low as 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. If frost forms, it could endanger sensitive outdoor plants.
“Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold,” the advisory reads.
The frost this weekend would come well within the typical timeframe for the region — the last frost usually occurs between late April and mid-May, based on climate normals data from 1991 to 2020.
Though a number of garden vegetables can be planted before the last frost date, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County recommends that gardeners wait until after the last frost before planting things like potatoes, beans and tomatoes.
“The growing season is often considered to start after the last frost, then runs from the last spring frost to the first fall frost,” Jessica Spaccio, a climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center, told the Times Union last month.
The first fall frost typically arrives in early October, according to climate normals data.
The National Weather Service also warned of an elevated fire risk in the region on Sunday.
“The combination of drying fine fuels, northwest wind gusts between 25 and 30 mph, and relative humidity values between 25 and 35% will contribute to an elevated risk of fire spread Sunday afternoon for portions of the mid and upper Hudson Valley, eastern Catskills, and the Greater Capital District regions,” the warning reads.
The statewide burn ban is in effect until May 14.