NORFOLK, Va. — Through Wednesday night, much of Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina is expected to experience frost or freezing temperatures.
The National Weather Service has temperatures slightly warmer along the coastline, where people can generally expect a frost, and colder as you go inland. There are advisories in place for both conditions.
Over in Suffolk and in the northern parts of the Peninsula, temperatures will be especially cold overnight.
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Should I bring my plants inside for a frost?
Every type of plant has different needs and limitations, but generally, if you're trying to figure out how your plant will fare during a frost, you can check its hardiness zone.
These zones determine what areas a plant will thrive in, and they're organized by average yearly low temperatures. For example, Zone 8 plants thrive in areas where the temperatures never go below about 15°F.
If you have a Zone 10 plant, their most dramatic survivable low temperature is 30°F, so you should bring those into your home or garage on freezing nights. It's not a bad idea to bring your Zone 9 plants in either, or at least cover them up overnight with old sheets, cardboard or a tarp.
Plants in pots are more susceptible to cold damage because they're not benefitting from the thermal heat of the ground.
Even if you have a hardy plant, and you're not worried about thermal heat, if it's in a terracotta pot, you might want to bring it inside.
The popular red-orange clay pots absorb and slowly release water, which is helpful for plants in the summertime. However, when that water freezes and expands in the winter, your pots could crack or chip, leading you to a costly replacement.