Good afternoon everybody. I just got a message from my Weather Bug desktop application that indicated a Freeze Warning is in effect across Central Jersey including Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, and portions of Western Monmouth county for tonight.

As indicated in an article from earlier today, high pressure is moving in from the west, and with it has come clear skies and light winds. For those, who aren’t aware, these are perfect conditions for radiational cooling, which is when the infrared radiation that builds up during the course of the day, escapes into the atmosphere at night. However, for this phenomenon to occur, you must have clear skies and light winds. Cloudy skies will only trap the infrared radiation, and return it back to the ground, and thus keeping the surface temperatures at night warmer. Meanwhile, windy conditions tends to mix the air at the surface, and the upper levels, and thus keeps the mercury in the thermometer from getting colder.

So far towns across the region such as Flemington, Somerville, New Brunswick, Freehold, and Trenton, it is going to be a rather auspicious start to the growing season. If you have plants that are susceptible to the cold, you may want to bring them in, or take the proper precautions in order to prevent their damage. On the plus side though, the clear skies and light winds will also provide optimal conditions for a beautiful day throughout the region. Expect temperatures to climb well into the 60s as there will be a great range in diurnal temperature between the morning low, and afternoon high.