Farmers and growers from Texas to Florida face a narrow window to harvest cold-sensitive crops before temperatures tumble!
Farmers and growers across parts of the South may be running out of time to harvest cold-sensitive crops as frost and freezing temperatures threaten to bring the growing season to an abrupt end this weekend.
According to information provided by AccuWeather, colder air sweeping south behind a departing Northeast storm is expected to send temperatures falling across a broad area stretching from eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Florida.
The cold is expected to arrive in stages.
Saturday morning could bring the coolest temperatures of the season so far from eastern Texas through the western Carolinas. By Sunday morning, the frost and freeze threat is expected to push farther into the Southeast, including southern Georgia, the eastern Carolinas and portions of northern Florida.
For farmers still harvesting vegetables or other frost-sensitive crops, that leaves a limited window to protect or gather what remains in the field.
“The next few days could be the last opportunity to harvest sensitive crops before freezing temperatures arrive,” Dan Pydynowski, an expert meteorologist with AccuWeather, said in information supplied to Farms.com. “For gardens still producing across parts of the South, several hours below freezing could bring an abrupt end to the season.”
Temperatures in the 20s could be particularly damaging
The severity of crop damage will depend on just how low temperatures fall and how long freezing conditions persist.
AccuWeather cautioned that flowers and vegetable plants could sustain damage throughout the affected region. In locations where temperatures drop into the 20s and remain below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours, the cold could effectively end the season for sensitive plants.
That makes the duration of the freeze important. A brief dip near freezing may have significantly different consequences than several hours of temperatures well into the 20s.
Producers with crops still in the field may want to prioritize market-ready produce ahead of the coldest temperatures rather than risk losses from freeze damage.
Smaller growers and market gardeners may have additional options for protecting vulnerable plants, particularly where temperatures only briefly approach freezing. However, AccuWeather warned that prolonged freezing conditions can damage outdoor gardens even when plants are covered.
Container plants that can be moved should be brought into protected areas before temperatures fall.
A reminder that winter weather is beginning to take hold
The freeze threat arrives as the southern United States heads toward what could be an active winter weather pattern.
AccuWeather’s 2026-27 U.S. winter outlook calls for a stronger southern storm track under the influence of El Niño, potentially resulting in more precipitation across parts of the southern United States. Its forecast says the pattern could bring more frequent heavy rain, flooding and severe weather to the South.
The forecaster also notes that even during an overall warmer pattern, individual cold outbreaks can still occur.
For Southern farmers this weekend, however, the immediate concern is much simpler: get vulnerable crops harvested or protected before the cold settles in.