THE ARBOR DOCTOR

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
353 AM EDT WED SEP 30 2009

INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>065-070>074-
077>082-088-301600-
/O.NEW.KILN.FR.Y.0007.091001T0600Z-091001T1300Z/
WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-
DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-
PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-
CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…RICHMOND…CONNERSVILLE…LIBERTY…
BROOKVILLE…KENTON…CELINA…WAPAKONETA…GREENVILLE…SIDNEY…
BELLEFONTAINE…MARYSVILLE…DELAWARE…PIQUA…URBANA…
SPRINGFIELD…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK…EATON…DAYTON…
XENIA…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…CIRCLEVILLE…LANCASTER…
HAMILTON…LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CHILLICOTHE…LOGAN…
CINCINNATI…MILFORD…GEORGETOWN…HILLSBORO…WEST UNION…
PIKETON…PORTSMOUTH
353 AM EDT WED SEP 30 2009

…FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A FROST
ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES AND OHIO
VALLEY REGION TONIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW SKIES TO CLEAR AND WINDS TO
BECOME CALM. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE MID 30S
BY SUNRISE THURSDAY MORNING…WITH SOME ISOLATED LOCATIONS DIPPING
NEAR THE FREEZING MARK. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN
AREAS OF FROST OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FROST ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN AREAS OF FROST ARE LIKELY. THOSE
WITH AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS IN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE ADVISED TO
HARVEST OR PROTECT TENDER VEGETATION. ALSO…POTTED PLANTS
NORMALLY LEFT OUTDOORS SHOULD BE COVERED OR BROUGHT INSIDE AWAY
FROM THE COLD.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
506 AM EDT SUN SEP 27 2009

INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ077>082-088-280915-
RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-
CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HAMILTON-
CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO-
506 AM EDT SUN SEP 27 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST INDIANA…NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY…NORTHERN KENTUCKY…SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST
OHIO.

.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS. THE PRIMARY
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS.

WIND GUST TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

As I write this, rain continues to fall outside.  This despite the fact that it was forecast to stay mainly southwest of here today.  While the 6 weeks before this were quite dry, September rainfall at my Cheviot 0.9 SSE location now stands at 3.70 inches and counting.  This is actually above the September normal to date!

August and the first half of September were very dry this year.  However, July was wet, so deep moisture was good and I suspect established plants may not have been too stressed, especially if they recieved supplemental watering.  Still, the late summer drought this year was enough to further stress trees and shrubs. 

Trees and shrubs can be damaged if they dry out in the fall or winter, so it is good that we are getting these rains.  Remember that there will be warm and dry days to come, so keep an eye on soil moisture as we move through the fall and into winter.  As temperatures cool, soil moisture evaporation rates will also slow. 

There is an old rule of thumb that trees and shrubs should be watered deeply one last time around Thanksgiving, IF soils are dry and in need of water.  Don’t forget about plants near houses or under overhangs as they will dry out even during winter and may die.  Water in January?  In this case, yes!

Conditions remain very dry and substantial rain is not in the forecast in the near future .  Visible drought stress is beginning to show up on trees, shrubs, perennials, and lawns.  Rainfall since August 1 is about half of normal, with half of that total falling on August 4.   It is best to water one to two inches at a time, once every seven to ten days in the absence of rainfall.

We had a good rain Labor Day weekend, but it’s still dry with only 2.89 inches of rain since August 1 at my location and about the same at CVG.

On August 4, 2009, 1.27 inches of rain fell in my Cheviot 0.9 SSE rain gauge, culminating a five week period with nearly seven inches of rain.  In the 30 days since August 4, only 0.39 inches has fallen in the same rain gauge.  This compares to 0.35 inches during August of 2007.  While these 30 day rainfall totals are nearly identical, August 2007 fell in the middle of a seven month drought so soils were parched at the beginning of that period.  Also, August 2007 was the hottest August on record while August 2009 was cool.  Still, conditions are quite dry right now, and little rain is forecast until next week.  It is very important to water correctly right now, especially new trees, shrubs, and transplants, but older trees need a drink too.  Many older trees are quite stressed with the cumulative effects of the past few years and this will not help.