May 18--SHELBY --considered the start to the summer season --is fast approaching.

Recent sunshine and warm temperatures might have locals thinking summer arrived early. But for some farmers in the region, Monday was spent ensuring their crops could last the night.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook before dawn Monday that warned of cold weather. Frost advisories were even is-sued for portions of the Midwest into New England.

While forecasts confirmed Cleveland County would be spared from freezing temperatures --lows were anticipated to be in the low 40s --it was enough to put local farmers on alert.

At Quail Hollow Farms in Cesar, Charles Camp spent the day picking strawberries planted in October. His farm currently includes 2,000 tomatoes, 12,000 cantaloupes and 4,000 watermelons.

"Hopefully they will be tough enough to withstand that," he said of the coming weather. "At this point, there's not a whole lot you can do. The green-house stuff we'll try to protect."

Though he will have to leave much of the crops up to chance, Camp said there is a technique to ensure survival of the strawberries. It's called thermal fusion and he said not a lot of farmers are aware of exactly how it works.

When the temperature reaches 32 degrees, Camp waters the strawberries. Heat is created when the water turns into ice and the crops are kept alive.

He probably won't have to go that route this week.

"Unless it's going to get to 32, there's really no reason to frost strawberries," he said.

For Agricultural Extension Agent Daniel Shires, the rain has been more cause for concern than cold.

"There's been too much water and that's caused some damage," he said. "It cuts down on the shelf life of the fruit."

More of the same is expected as, according to the NWS, rains are predicted to return to the county later this week and into the weekend.

Do you have outside plants? Bring them inside when freezing weather hits or cover with fleece or a thin cloth. Covering with plastic will cause the plant to draw moisture, according to Cesar farmer Charles Camp.

For more information, call the Cleveland County Co-Op Extension at 704-482-4365.

Weather forecast for this week:

Tuesday should reach a low of 48 but temperatures will pick back up from there, peaking Saturday with a high of 80. Rain is expected to pick back up as early as Wednesday night and there is a chance of rain through Sunday.

Credit: National Weather Service

From the National Weather Service:

The region is under a hazardous weather outlook this evening:

LOW TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO THE MIDDLE 30S TONIGHT ACROSS THE

NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. THIS WILL CREATE CONDITIONS

FAVORABLE FOR PATCHY FROST DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SUNRISE.

Shelby's forecast

Today: Sunny, with a high near 68. Northeast wind between 10 and 16 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 41. Northeast wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 73. North wind between 7 and 14 mph.

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