Forecasters Thursday issued the first freeze warning of the season for the Sacramento Valley, meaning those Thanksgiving leftovers won’t be the only thing chilling this weekend.
Most areas in the Sacramento Valley are under the advisory through 1 p.m. Friday and again from late Saturday through Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s office in Sacramento. The warning extends west to most of Lake County, too, forecasters said mid-day on Thanksgiving Day.
A wind advisory also remains in effect for the northern half of the Central Valley below 2,500 feet through 1 p.m. Friday.
The reason: Near or below-freezing temperatures dipping down to 30 degrees are expected during the overnight hours, forecasters said, conditions that are being buffeted by 15-to-25-mph winds from the north.
Gusts could reach 45 mph on Valley floor
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the weather service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
Meteorologists said wind gusts across the Valley from Sacramento to Marysville to Red Bluff and Redding could gust to as high as 45 mph, long after those Thanksgiving plates are wrapped up and stowed away in the refrigerator.
What else might need to be wrapped up? Those backyard plants, which could receive damage from the chilly temperatures and even hints of frost as California edges toward winter, less than a month away on Dec. 21.
Most experts recommend adding water and covering vulnerable fauna — citrus, hibiscus and bougainvillea to name a few — with bedsheets or frost clothes, as “frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation,” the weather service said.
According to the Old Farmers Almanac, plant owners should also protect the soil around plants by adding organic matter on the surface before covering to avoid erosion. Should you use all that excess turkey stuffing? Probably not yet. Instead, add some fertilizer or some week-old compost.
The cold will be most pronounced north of the Sacramento area, especially along the I-5 corridor where winds are expected to kick up.
More chilly temperatures this weekend
And you may want to shop for a new jacket on Black Friday, as more freeze watches are forecast for Valley locations between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Bottom line: “Strongest winds tonight and coldest temperatures Sunday morning,” forecasters noted.
As an aside, California Highway Patrol officers are on maximum enforcement across California through Sunday night for impaired drivers. So no matter how cold it may be (weather-wise, we’re not talking about the casserole), it’s never worth it to leave inebriated.
Meanwhile, areas south of the capital region and the Carquinez Strait — Merced, Modesto, Stockton and Lodi — are under a separate freeze watch, a lesser advisory warning given winds will be calmer there.
Warming centers open in Sacramento area
Given the cold and the many vulnerable and unhoused neighbors in the capital region, three overnight respite shelters will be open in the Sacramento area, including:
▪ The county of Sacramento warming center at the North A Emergency Shelter, 1400 N. A St., in the city’s River District. The center will open at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and stay open until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
▪ The city of Sacramento warming center at its Outreach and Engagement Center, 3615 Auburn Boulevard, near Watt Avenue and the Capital City Freeway. The center opens at 6 p.m. Friday and will remain open until 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Two other locations — the Union Gospel Mission on Bannon Street and the Department of Human Assistance Office at 28th and R streets in midtown — will be open for overnight intake, according to a map provided by city and county officials. Other locations throughout the city will be open during daytime hours only.
Those seeking shelter can save or screenshot a flyer posted by the government agencies to receive a ride on Sacramento Regional Transit to one of the facilities.
More information on the warming spaces is available at 211sacramento.org.