WEATHER: COLD SNAP A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME

Slightly early, record-low temperatures could sock Southeast Missouri this weekend, dropping thermometers to freezing within the next three nights.

The prediction means residents must think about how to protect their plants, cars and outdoor-dwelling pets during the cold spell and the winter ahead.

The current cold snap is expected to end by the middle of next week.

"This is a little earlier than normal for this magnitude of cold air," National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Boyette said Friday. "Normally, we only have about a 10 percent chance of seeing freezing by the 7th of October, so this is a little bit unusual."

Tom Warren, general manager of Garden Hill Nursery in Cape Girardeau, said tropical plants are particularly susceptible to the weather if temperatures drop below 40 degrees.

"Tender ferns and ficus trees can tolerate a small amount of cold temperatures," he said. "But to be on the safe side, bring them in, at least temporarily."

Warren said most annuals will not handle the frost. Mums can survive cooler temperatures but should be covered in case of frost. The most important thing to remember is that plants need to be well watered during cooler weather.

"If you have it well watered, it's going to withstand cooler temperatures," he said. "A healthy plant is more able to withstand stress."

Although this cold snap won't bother cars, it is important for car owners to make sure their vehicles have the proper fluids when the weather turns cold.

Norman Colyott, owner of Norman's Radiator and AC Service in Cape Girardeau, said it isn't too early for cars to be winterized.

He recommends drivers have their cooling systems inspected for seepage and, if the car is three or more years old, the cooling system should be completely flushed and antifreeze added. Colyott also said it is important for car owners to make sure their tires are inflated properly and checked for uneven wearing.

Pets, too, need to be protected against cold weather, although veterinarians say dogs and cats do fine during cold snaps like the one blanketing Cape Girardeau this weekend.

John Koch, a veterinarian at the Cape Small Animal Clinic, said most outdoor pets can adjust when temperatures get down to 30 degrees.

"I don't worry when it gets down to 30. I do worry when it gets down below 20," he said.

Koch said it is important for outdoor pets to have adequate shelter to protect them from cold weather.

"As long as they have shelter, a good, warm dog house or comparable, they'll be OK in 30-degree weather," he said. "Also, when the weather gets cold, they may need access to a little more food because that's essentially where they're going to get their body heat. They burn the food for heat and energy."

Boyette, who works at the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky., said many people consider this weekend's early cold snap an extreme or abnormal weather event, but that's inaccurate.

"There never really is such a thing as normal. Normal is that mysterious value that is made up of all the highs and lows and extreme events," he said. "Going into the 80s one day and the 50s or 60s the next day is not unusual.

"It's just the way weather works."

THE FIRST FREEZE

The first recorded freezing temperatures in Cape Girardeau for the last decade:

1999 -- Oct. 5

1998 -- Oct. 23

1996 -- Nov. 2

1995 -- Nov. 3

1994 -- Oct. 26

1993 -- Oct. 28

1992 -- Oct. 4

1991 -- Oct. 16

1990 -- Oct. 26

(Missourian graphic by Gabe Hartwig)