It’s going to be literally freezing cold this weekend
Cover up your pipes and plants, and don’t overwater.
Las Vegas is about to freeze.
So says a meteorologist — who also forecasts high winds that will make today, Sunday and the week beyond colder than the thermometer shows — and a local landscaper, who knows his plants well.
Friday was expected to reach a below-normal high of about 49 degrees with wind speeds from 10 to 20 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Harrison said. He predicted gusts of 20 to 30 mph.
He also expected the temperature to drop to the low 30s overnight with winds of 9 mph.
At six days into winter, he said the valley’s average high is 56 degrees.
“Cover up your plants and pipes,” he said, referring to pipes around homes and plants such as the saguaro cactus, which is sensitive to the cold.
Greg Struhl, the owner of Las Vegas landscaping company Chip-N-Dale’s, said his business uses burlap or other breathable fabrics to cover plants because plastic creates condensation, which causes freeze problems. He said many nurseries carry “plankets,” plant blankets that make sure plants are still getting oxygen.
“The most important thing to do when these temperatures drop is to make sure you’re not overwatering,” Struhl said. “If the roots and soil are wet, then it could actually cause those plants to die.”
Struhl said the first thing he recommends to customers when there’s potential for a freeze is to turn off their irrigation clocks. If the tips of cold-sensitive plants such agave cactus and sago palms freeze, they’ll grow back, Struhl said. But if the roots don’t stay warm, the plants likely will die.
Mark Larkin, general manager of Larkin Plumbing, said outside pipes as well as drip system and sprinkler control valves should be covered with insulation to keep them from freezing.
He recommended pipes be protected when temperatures start reaching 20 to 30 degrees and that they stay covered throughout the winter.
This protection can be provided by a blanket, a towel or even an old sleeping bag that can be taped around the pipes. Homeowners might even consider buying special covers for sprinkler lines at hardware stores, with a price of about $20 to $30, Larkin said.
He said areas higher in elevation will be hit harder by the temperature drop and be about 10 degrees cooler than the weather service’s official monitoring site at McCarran International Airport.
“It isn’t that they might freeze; they will freeze,” Larkin warned.
A Nevada animal rights activist urges pet owners to protect their animals with the same, if not greater, fervor.
“At the very least, bring your pets indoors,” said Gina Greisen, president of Nevada Voters for Animals. “Please do not throw them outside, especially if they’re young puppies.”
Puppies are not able to regulate their body temperatures, Greisen said. She recommends using cedar shavings and straw and thick, cotton blankets for outdoor bedding, and an insulated, draft-free shelter made of wood, not plastic.
Greisen advised new pet owners or neighbors who see dogs being left outside in the cold to reach out to the local humane society or animal groups for help. She also said cats climb under the hoods of cars during the winter to stay warm, and that pounding on the hood before starting the car could prevent those animals from being injured.
Several areas near Clark County have been placed under a hard freeze watch from tonight to Sunday morning, including western Clark County, Nye County and parts of Mohave County in Arizona.
Harrison said hard freeze warnings occur when low temperatures stagger around 20 degrees, but the significant factor is how long temperatures stay that low.
He predicted the rest of the weekend will follow the same cooling pattern but with calmer winds. It will be another set of sunny and chilly days. He expects wind speeds to drop to about 5 to 10 mph
Today will have a high of 47 degrees with calmer wind and lows in the 30s. Sunday will be a little warmer and the day’s high will go up a few notches to 50 degrees, with light winds and a low of about 32 degrees.
The days closer to New Year’s Eve will continue with high temperatures in the middle to high 40s and lows in the low 30s.
The weather service is also calling for a 20 percent chance of rain on New Year’s Eve and a small possibility of snow, depending on how much moisture the storm carries, according to meteorologist Chris Stachelski.
Snow is more likely in Kingman, Ariz., and west of Las Vegas, Stachelski said.
But even if there’s no snow, New Year’s Eve — and firework shows — could be affected by wind. The drier the storm, the greater chance there is for gusty weather, Stachelski said. If there’s not a lot of moisture, the valley could see gusts between 20 and 30 mph.
Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber. Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381.
Like the RJ on Facebook:
