Winter does not want to give up! This morning, Freeze Warnings are underway until 8 AM for Carroll, Frederick, and areas farther west. This is because temperatures could fall as low as 26-32°. Frost Advisories are in effect until 8 AM a tier eastward as temperatures could drop as low as 32°. Patchy frost could harm or even kill any sensitive vegetation/plants. Hopefully you took the steps to protected them!
This morning, we have the perfect setup for "radiational cooling". Typically, the coolest part of the day is around sunrise. It has to do with the air near the ground being cooled by Earth's surface due to the loss of heat. Radiational cooling is optimized when we have clear skies and light winds at nighttime-dawn. Cloudless skies will help the heat radiate into outer space from Earth's surface. Clouds will act like a blanket and will help reflect some of the radiation received from the sun back down to the surface-keeping temperatures a bit milder.
Also, wind speeds are important for the presence of radiational cooling. Light winds will keep the air near the surface cooler than the air above it-creating an inversion (since cold air is more dense). When winds are elevated, it allows the layers to mix-moderating the temperatures and limiting maximum cooling potential.
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