Bay Area Braces For Big Freeze

With overnight lows predicted to drop as far as the upper 20s Wednesday evening, Bay Area residents are preparing to combat the current cold snap by bundling up and taking precautions to protect their homes, pets and plants.

While many areas enjoyed a significant warm up thanks to clear skies during the day Wednesday, temperatures are expected to take a precipitous drop once the sun goes down. Earlier Wednesday morning, locals faced temperatures that were 5-to-10 degrees cooler than normal for November averages.

Bay Area residents are advised bring their plants and pets indoors overnight as the National Weather Service predicts widespread frost and freezing temperatures.

Forecasters predict that freezing temperatures could hit the interior valleys and mountain areas by midnight and last for two hours or more. The coldest temperatures are expected in southern Santa Clara Valley, where overnight lows could reach the upper 20s. The National Weather Service expects to lift the freeze warning by 9 a.m. Thursday.

Residents living near the San Francisco Bay shoreline or the Santa Clara Valley, including San Jose, should watch out for frost between 2 a.m. until 9 a.m. Thursday.

Freezing temperatures are predicted in the Central Valley where citrus farmers are mobilizing to protect their crops. Growers with trees in typically cold spots have crews rushing to pick fruit.

Farm advisers say forecasts don't indicate that temperatures will fall to extreme lows long enough to hurt the crop.