YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A hard freeze will settle across northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania overnight tonight, from 1AM until 9AM Friday, bringing the season’s coldest air and likely ending the growing season for the region.
According to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, a Freeze Warning has been issued for Ashtabula Inland, Trumbull, and Mahoning counties in Ohio, and Crawford County in Pennsylvania. Temperatures are expected to drop as low as 28 degrees, with widespread frost forming before sunrise.
Forecasters warn that frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, damage sensitive plants, and freeze unprotected outdoor plumbing. Homeowners should cover or bring in plants, drain garden hoses, and wrap pipes to prevent damage. Pet owners and farmers should ensure animals are sheltered from the overnight chill.
Clear skies and light winds will allow temperatures to drop quickly after midnight. Drivers along I-80, Route 11, and I-79 may encounter patchy frost and frosted windshields early Friday, especially in low-lying rural areas.
According to forecasters, this freeze will mark the first widespread hard freeze of the fall across the Youngstown region. Temperatures will rebound into the upper 50s this weekend, but another cold front could bring renewed frost potential early next week.
