You may assume that a Chinook would have only positive affects on plants and your lawn, but the truth is, dramatic fluctuations in temperature, paired with drying winds, can be disastrous for certain plants – and the effects can be more pronounced in outlying new communities.

According to Vicki Robinson, a horticulturalist who works at the GreenGate Garden Centre on Macleod Trail, the trees, lawns and gardens of homes on the edges of the city are more susceptible to drying by Chinook winds, because they don’t have the protection of surrounding neighbourhoods.

Luckily, there are precautions you can take to prevent or at least minimize weather damage to your yard.

First, take care in choosing your plants. Robinson points out that here in Calgary, we can plant anything suitable for Zone 4 or lower. Plants meant for higher zones will need extra care and protection with mulch covering for the winter. When deciding on plants for your lawn and garden, be sure to research which ones are best equipped to handle the fluctuations in temperature and moisture caused by Chinooks.

You can also protect your plants by situating them carefully. Robinson specifically points to cedars as a vulnerable shrub, explaining that they dry out easily. To protect them from the wind, Calgary homeowners should be sure to plant cedars on the east side of their home, where they will be protected from afternoon sunshine and winds out of the west.

In the fall, before the first deep frost, protect your trees, plants and grass by watering excessively and covering the root area with mulch. As Henry Barwich, president of Sungreen Landscaping Ltd., explains, the wind wicks moisture from plants.

Information from the Calgary Horticultural Society also outlines what plants go through when a Chinook blows through town in the late winter. Because spring is so close, trees take the increase in temperature to mean it is time to bud, which requires moisture from the ground. The ground, however, is still frozen and as the moisture is depleted, it cannot be replaced. At that point, the new buds or needles either dry up and fall off or are killed by returning cold temperatures.

Another threat to plants during a Chinook are frost heaves, which pop up when the ground thaws. They are more likely to show up in sunny, windy spots, as shady areas are less likely to thaw. Proper planting and that protective covering of mulch (preferably of compost, says Robinson) will help to prevent the exposed roots that can show through when frost heaves create an opening.

The experts agree that during a prolonged Chinook, if you have not previously prepared your plants, it is not a bad idea to water them while the ground is relatively warm. It also can’t hurt to place mulch over root areas during a Chinook if you hadn’t previously.