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Snow in Roseville? Sacramento area about to feel big chill

Be prepared; forecast calls for freezing temperatures and strong winds

So much for our sunny skies! Grey clouds and gusty winds have returned. Near-freezing temperatures, too.

So much for our sunny skies! Grey clouds and gusty winds have returned. Near-freezing temperatures, too. Kathy Morrison

Sacramento is about to get a double-dose of wintry weather: Intense cold and strong wind.

According to the National Weather Service, a storm front will create hazardous conditions Wednesday through Friday – including rare snowfall in the Sacramento Valley.

“Heavy low elevation snow with dangerous travel impacts expected tomorrow through Friday,” the Sacramento NWS tweeted Tuesday morning (Feb. 21). “Snow levels will fall to 1,000-2,000 feet tomorrow, with snow levels down to about 500 feet to the northern Sacramento Valley floor early Thursday morning and Thursday night to early Friday.”

Yes, snow is possible on the floor of the northern Sacramento Valley – and closer to home. Auburn, at 1,227 feet elevation and Placerville (elevation 1,867), definitely fall within the potential snow zone. But there’s a slight possibility flakes will fall as low as Roseville (elevation 164).

It’s not just the cold but the wind.

“Gusty winds will increase this afternoon over interior Northern California, slowly decreasing overnight,” the Sacramento NWS tweeted Tuesday. “Expect gusts 30 to 45 mph in the Valley and foothills and 40 to 70 mph over the mountains. Downed trees and branches, local power outages and difficult driving conditions are possible.”

In addition, overnight frost warnings are in the forecast Tuesday through Friday. Daytime highs will drop 20 degrees; the expected high on Thursday and Friday in Sacramento is only 48 degrees.

After several days of sunny, springlike weather, this downturn will be a shock to our plants, most of which already are in high-growth mode. Blooming fruit trees likely will lose their blossoms and may not set fruit. Expect to see some dieback on sprouting shrubs (such as roses). Newly transplanted vegetables or sprouting seeds are in danger of damping off.

What’s a gardener to do? Hold off on planting anything more until after this cold spree. Protect tender seedlings with row covers, milk cartons, water jugs or other shelter. Deep-water shrubs, trees and perennials; moist soil radiates heat and can raise the soil temperature (and surrounding space) just enough to prevent frost damage.

For more on freezing and frost, check out these recommendations from the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/frostdamage.html.

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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 9

Be careful walking or working in wet soil; it compacts easily.

* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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