Poll: Baby, It's Cold Outside

A week ago I thought it possible that we had successfully escaped a cold winter. Frigid temps this weekend proved me wrong.

And, hang on, more's coming tonight. While today's temps will reach in the high 40s, with sunny skies to help, a light wintry mix is making its way to our parts and should start hitting North Fulton around midnight, according to the Weather Channel. High temps overnight will hover around 32 degrees. No significant accumulation is expected, so no Snowmageddon this time around!

Tuesday, Valentine's Day, will be a cold and rainy one as the mix turns all wet, and the highs will only reach the mid-40s.

It goes without saying to bring your furry friends indoors tonight, and the folks at Pike Nurseries sent us some tips to help protect your plants (the plants were tricked by the warm weather, too, and have started blooming early, thereby requiring some extra TLC):

• Cover plants and flowers with frost cloth or a sheet. (Garden frost cloths can be found at Pike Nurseries locations on and ).
• Remove the frost cloth first in the morning; otherwise, the sun will trap in heat and cause more damage.
• Water, water, water! Water the garden and containers before a hard freeze and again after the freeze. The added moisture will allow the plants to tolerate the cold and bounce back to life.
• Don’t worry if plants are droopy the day after a deep freeze. Give them time and they’ll usually spring back.
• Adding a layer of mulch to gardens helps regulate the temperature and keep plants moist. Cover gardens with a 1-2 inch layer of mulch.
• Plants in containers can be grouped closely together on a porch or patio, or moved to a protected area.