Goodbye winter – well, not quite

If you were surprised to see snow Tuesday, wait until Wednesday.

Will County saw some snow showers on Tuesday, with an inch of accumulation in Romeoville, said Lee Carlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Although the snow melted fairly quickly Tuesday morning, Wednesday “doesn’t look great,” he said.

Carlaw advised residents to expect freezing rain Tuesday night with isolated slick spots, which can happen when temperatures drop and the pavement is wet, he said.

Rain and snow showers may continue in the night, mostly west of Joliet, he said.

“Tomorrow [Wednesday], temperatures will be back in the mid-40s, but we are expecting some additional showers to develop during the day,” Carlaw said.

Those showers might come with graupel, which is a type of soft hail, he said.

And that’s not all.

“You might actually see some lightning with the showers,” Carlaw said.

After Wednesday, temperatures will rise into the 50s and then into the 60s by the weekend, he said.

“We’re seeing an 80-degree forecast on Tuesday,” Carlaw said.

In the meantime, what should people do about their gardens?

Tips for keeping plants safe

Nancy Kuhajda, master gardener and program coordinator at the University of Illinois Extension Will County, said that if you planted too early this year, some plants “might be in trouble,” although most plants should survive this brief return to winter weather, Kuhajda said.

The petals, however, might not be so lucky, she said.

Pansies, violas and spring bulbs should be OK, she said. But extra care is needed with the blossoms on apple and cherry trees.

“The blossoms are critical to pollination and the formation of fruit,” Kuhajda said.

Kuhajda advised protecting the blossoms with a breathable covering, such as a bedsheet. Or gardeners can lightly water the plants.

“The water will actually freeze on the blossoms instead of causing the blooms to freeze,” Kuhajda said.

Gardeners also can cover any plant that was “put in” too early or that cannot tolerate severe dips in temperatures, she said.

Just remember to remove the covering when the temperature rises and the sun comes out, she said.

But plants, overall, will benefit from this brief return to winter weather, Kuhajda said.

“Even though many people rejoice when it’s not a rainy day, too many nonrainy days strung together aren’t good. We are in a moisture deficit,” Kuhajda said. “Whether it’s rain, a little sleet or even mushy snow, the plants will appreciate the moisture.”