The night had rarely been this cold this year. In the plains, the mercury fell largely below zero from Monday to Tuesday.
It was almost -6 degrees in St. Gallen, -5 in Kloten (ZH) and -4.5 in Bern, according to the SRF Meteo website. Only a few nights in December, January and February had reached such values. However, this is nothing exceptional for an early spring. In other years, it’s not uncommon for the thermometer to drop much lower.
Record in 1985
On March 21, 1985, meteorologists measured -8.3 at Kloten, March 30 -11.4 at Dänikon (TG) and March 29, 1901-12.3 at Bern, Ludwig Zgraggen told Keystone-ATS on Tuesday MeteoSwiss. This sudden frost is not safe for trees that have started to flower. But it is especially at the end of April that the damage can be considerable.
Early flowering trees like some kinds of apricot trees should be protected. On the other hand, aromatic herbs such as chives, oregano or thyme tolerate temperatures of up to -15 degrees. Others, like basil or coriander, do not withstand the cold at all and must be brought indoors.
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