MISSOULA — Mother Nature got the memo that today (Sept. 22nd) was the first official day of fall!

With that, we have our first Frost Advisory issued by the NWS for portions of western Montana early Tuesday morning.

Erin Yost

In Missoula, we typically see our average first frost around Sept. 9th.

Erin Yost

A frost happens when ice crystals form on surfaces when air temps range from 33° to 36°. At these temps, frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

A freeze happens when the temp drops to 32° or lower and will result in significant damage to unprotected plants especially if the temp remains at or below freezing for several hours.

A hard freeze typically occurs when the temp reaches 28° or colder for at least an

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