Frost possible in eastern Ohio this week, National Weather Service warns

Look out for some cold nights this week, and maybe even frost Thursday and Friday mornings, the National Weather Service is warning.

Eastern Ohio is expected to see dry conditions, with highs in the 60s and 70s through the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Nights will be cool, with temperatures dropping into the 30s tonight and Thursday night.

Because of the cool temperatures, the weather service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for east central Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia — including Tuscarawas, Carroll, Coshocton, Harrison, Muskingum, Guernsey and Noble counties in Ohio.

"Patchy frost is possible both Thursday and Friday mornings, especially away from rivers and urban areas," according to the weather service's website .

With the first frost looming, make sure to tend to whatever outdoor plants you have before the weather starts heading toward sub-zero temperatures.

Frost can affect plants, especially vegetable plants, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac . If you're looking to protect your garden, consider covering your plants.

The average first frost in Ohio occurs sometime in October. In most of eastern Ohio, the first-frost date is between Oct. 11-20 this year, according to the Plantmap website . Some regions, including southeastern Coshocton, should expect a frost before Oct. 10, according to the website.

What's the National Weather Service forecast for this week?

Here's the weather service's forecast for Zanesville:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph.

Wednesday night: Clear, with a low around 37. Calm wind.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday night: Clear, with a low around 34. Calm wind.

Friday: Patchy frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

What does the Farmer's Almanac say about the first frost?

The Almanac has a tool on its website that allows guests to type in their zip code to find out the time of their town's first frost.

The site predicted Dover/New Philadelphia would see its first frost Wednesday, with other cities in the region close behind — Cambridge on Oct. 11; Coshocton, Oct. 13; and Zanesville, Oct. 14.

The following is the Almanac's level of frost warnings:

• Light freeze: 29 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (-1.7 degrees to 0 degrees Celsius)—tender plants are killed.
• Moderate freeze: 25 degrees to 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-3.9 degrees to -2.2 degrees Celsius)—destructive to most vegetation.
• Severe freeze: 24 degrees Fahrenheit (-4.4 degrees Celsius) and colder—heavy damage to garden plants.

Jenna Prestininzi of the Detroit Free Press contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Frost possible in eastern Ohio this week, National Weather Service warns