Davenport, IA – The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has issued a Freeze Warning for parts of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois, effective from midnight until 9 a.m. Thursday, as temperatures are expected to drop to around 28 degrees overnight.
According to the NWS, the warning covers Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Benton, Linn, Jones, Jackson, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton Counties in Iowa, as well as Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Carroll Counties in Illinois. Cities included in the warning area are Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Iowa City, Clinton, and Galena.
The agency warns that frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation while also posing a risk to unprotected outdoor plumbing. Residents are encouraged to cover tender plants, disconnect hoses, and wrap exposed pipes before temperatures plunge after midnight.
This will likely be the first hard freeze of the season for the region, effectively marking the end of the growing season. Skies are expected to remain clear overnight, allowing for rapid cooling before temperatures gradually recover into the upper 40s to mid-50s Thursday afternoon.
Officials note that additional frost advisories may follow later in the week if calm and dry overnight conditions persist.
