A Community Frost/Freeze Susceptibility Operational Guidance Tool

Widespread frost or freeze events can cause extreme economic losses to the agriculture, horticulture, and nursery industries. Coordinated advance notice of an imminent freeze event can help minimize these losses. Forecasters can issue headlines ahead of these events if damage to susceptible vegetation is possible. Combining expertise among the forecasters and the vegetation specialists can provide a community collaborative opportunity that will inform the risks, susceptibility, and environmental conditions associated with frost and freeze impacts. The Midwestern Regional Climate Center has become the facilitator of this community collaboration effort through the development of the online Vegetation Impact Program and Frost/Freeze Guidance Project. This paper presents the development of these initiatives along with early results and findings.