First freeze watch of season just days after record high

Sioux Falls may have broken heat records last weekend, but the pendulum is swinging back as the city and other surrounding southeastern South Dakota communities will be under their first freeze watch of the season as the weekend nears.

Sioux Falls broke a record Monday with a record high temperature of 93 degrees (the previous record was 92 degrees in 1953). Now, four days later, the area could see temperatures as low as 30 degrees, the National Weather Service of Sioux Falls warned. The area will be under a freeze watch Friday night through Saturday morning.

Frost and freezing conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation, and such conditions could possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing, the watch states.

“Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly,” the watch states. “Those that have inground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.”

From there, the pendulum starts to swing back to the middle as temperatures climb back above 60 degrees by Sunday. Here’s a more detailed look at the forecast, according to NWS:

Forecast for the week

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Friday night: Widespread frost, mainly after 5 a.m. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 31. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Saturday: Widespread frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 58.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

“Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.”

National Weather Service of Sioux Falls