Russ Steele
AccuWeather has the story ”
Temperatures are forecast to dip to frosty levels across much of Wisconsin and portions of Illinois and northeastern Missouri Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
If you live in open areas over the suburbs or the countryside from Chicago and Milwaukee to Madison, Wis., and St. Louis and you have tender flowers or vegetable plants, cover them Tuesday evening or risk damage from frost.
Record lows will be challenged Wednesday morning over a large part of the Upper Midwest as an air mass from Canada settles over the region
The average date of the first frost in Chicago occurs during the middle of October but has occurred as early as the middle of September.
Yes, this is just weather! However, it could also be a data point for a continuing trend. Stay Tuned.
The Next Grand Minimum 
I live near the southwest coast of Washington state. Last Tuesday (9/11/2012) I had ice on my car when I prepared to leave for work at 0730. Earliest freeze I can recall for roughly 20 years. Our normal first freeze/frost usually does occur in mid to late October. Of course we’re having record highs and extraordinary fire danger too. So if I analyze this correctly, the records highs are the result of AGW and the extremely early freeze is just normal weather variability.
Strange how record highs make the national news and the record lows go unreported.
Here in Phoenix it just cooled enough that I could put my garden in without it cooking. I will let you know more about covering plants in a few months.