FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – We woke up Monday morning with temperatures around freezing across northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. For locations that dropped down to the freezing mark or lower, the growing season has now officially come to an end. This comes near the typical end to the growing season, which is on October 20th.

All counties in our area saw the growing season end Monday morning except for Kosciusko, Wabash, and Grant counties. Frost/freeze alerts will continue in these three counties until approximately November 1st, depending on the temperatures we experience between now and then.

The growing season has ended except for our far western counties.

As the growing season ends, you will want to take some steps to prepare for the winter that lies ahead. Meteorologist Amos Dodson with the National Weather Service Northern Indiana office says this is a good time to prepare your home. Check on any areas that are vulnerable to the cold weather, such as insulation and exposed pipes. Make sure your gutters are clean and if you do happen to have any plants that are still outside, make sure to bring them indoors if you can. You should also ensure you have an emergency kit ready for the winter weather.

Another frost/freeze will not be a concern this week, as we’re set to see more warm air surge its way northward into northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio!

What is remarkable though is our temperature change within approximately 36 hours. We went from the freezing mark Monday morning to 80 degrees in Fort Wayne Tuesday afternoon, which is a difference of 48 degrees! This is ultimately one of the largest 36-hour temperature rises in Fort Wayne during October.

We just experienced one of the largest October 36 hour temperature swings in Fort Wayne’s history!

The period of warm air this week can be informally called a “second summer.” There is no formal definition, but this term can be used to describe a warm stretch that comes after the first freeze of the fall.

The warmth this week after a freeze can be informally called a “second summer.”

You can track the warm air by visiting our WANE 15 Weather Page. If any additional frost/freeze headlines are issued prior to November 1st, we will keep you posted. Enjoy the days we reach the 70s while they last!