It only got down to 3 so the forecast was spot on. Was 4 at 1.30 so it didn't cool off much overnight. I think there was a bit of cloud and the weather switched round to the east. Another cold change for saturday so sunday and monday mornings are the next worry. So many cold changes this spring, but the temperature just doesn't want to get down to zero.

Got down to 1deg at Orange AP. Between 18.50 and 19.50 it dropped by 4deg so it looked to be heading into frost territory...out on the mower it certainly felt like it. After that the cooling then slowed, but there might have been a few patches of mild frost in susceptible locations.

Opticast has Sunday's and Monday's minima at Orange AP dropping to zero.

Last night only went down to 5 at my place, clouds came over. Tonight is a real chance of frost but then a stretch of warm weather.

Down to 1C this morning. I got up at 1.30 and it was 3 so I turned the frost sprinklers on the vineyard just to be safe. It wasn't really necessary in the end but it saves worrying all night.

Very close though wasn't it!!

Good coverage of light frost on the grass this morning. I suspect Greg would have had the sprinklers on again. Might be the last of it for a while.

https://goo.gl/photos/yaF983TnwV2Ngyiw8

I hope this link works, it shows my vineyard after a frost 3 years ago on this date.

No frost here last night, only got down to 3, so I didn't need the sprinklers. Hopefully that is it for the frost season this year, though even in november there is a chance of frost.

Re your pic: this year has been most benign by comparison. That is one helluva frost! A pic like that could have been taken in WA earlier this spring.

All the ice is from the sprinklers. The vines survived unscathed. So long as the sprinklers are on, new water keeps freezing, and the "heat of fusion" releases enough heat to stop the buds freezing. If I turn off the sprinklers while there is still ice on the buds, the buds will freeze and goodbye that year's crop. I am drinking the wine from that year and it is excellent.

Interesting that you make white wines, looking at the green grapes in your pic. I've only been to a vineyard (geography field study) that produces red wines. I assume you don't have any red grapes in your vineyard? Climate up there is probably too cold for them I'd imagine.

Those are shiraz grapes. They don't turn red until the stage called "veraison" in february. I grow shiraz, cab sav and sav blanc.

In fact there aren't any grapes or flowers in that picture, it is too early. All the green in the picture is leaves and buds.

Someone mentioned Cab Sav? I love a Cab Sav!!

Do you sell your wines greg.l?

Ah that's right, it's all coming back to me now, we did a whole topic on viticulture and winemaking earlier this year in geography. I think the vineyard I went to near Kiama mainly produced merlot from memory.

I thought it was green but just not grapes lol.

This year I made about 250L, not really a commercial quantity. My 2014 cab sav is really good but I am down to my last 2 dozen bottles,my wife would kill me if i gave any away, and I mean that literally.

Only just spotted that photo. I find the way those frost sprinklers work (as you explained) to be amazing!! Who knew that you protected from frost by "FREEZING" something!!

I always wondered why sprinklers helped - assumed the water must not freeze, maybe an additive - BUT I thought that doesn't sound logical, especially in a big frost where you could almost kinda make snow with a sprinkler. Now I know more

Now don't worry about your wife, we're your new best buddies!!!

I've used the sprinklers down to -2 and they still work well. It looks amazing to see so much ice, yet the new growth, which is so delicate and frost sensitive, comes out completely unscathed. The biggest mistake people make is turning off the sprinklers too early, you have to leave them going until all the ice melts away.

Complex business this horticulture!!

The prediction is for 1c on tuesday morning hopefully it will be the last frost of the season. It has been a good spring at my place, I have plenty of cherries, peaches,plums,figs, pears, and probably a couple of tons of apples for cider. Alas no apricots but that is normal.