Freeze Watch issued for Thursday night

The following bulletin was just issued by the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN WITH A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD CANADIAN AIR THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO DROP TO OR BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. IF THE HIGH BUILDS IN STRONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE SKIES TO CLEAR AND WINDS TO DIMINISH SUFFICIENTLY...A WIDESPREAD FROST WILL ACCOMPANY THE FREEZE.

IMPACTS: PLANT LIFE WILL EXPERIENCE FREEZING TEMPERATURES FOR SEVERAL HOURS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. PROVIDED SKIES CLEAR AND WINDS DIMINISH...A WIDESPREAD FROST WILL ALSO OCCUR. THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY HALT ANY MINOR LATE FALL PLANT GROWTH AND COULD PERHAPS BE A KILLING FREEZE FOR SOME LOCALES IF TEMPERATURES DROP LOW ENOUGH OR LAST LONG ENOUGH.

THURSDAY NIGHT LOWS ARE FORECAST IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE 20S ACROSS THE NORTH...ESPECIALLY FROM THE HIGHLANDS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...TOWARD THE INTERSTATE 64 CORRIDOR OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. LOWS AROUND 30 ARE ANTICIPATED FROM ALONG THE LOWER OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND INTO AND ACROSS NEIGHBORING ADJACENT AREAS OF SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY...FAR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND THE SOUTHEAST MISSOURI FLATLANDS.

FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH ANOTHER POTENTIAL NIGHT OF FROST OVER PARTS OF THE REGION...ESPECIALLY WESTERN KENTUCKY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.