Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for the Pickering, Oshawa, and Southern Durham Region, including Port Whitby, as temperatures drop to freezing levels across the area. Residents are being encouraged to take precautions to protect gardens and crops as the advisory remains in effect for this morning and into the night on May 1, 2026.
The advisory warns of patchy frost during the early morning hours, with a high likelihood that frost will return tonight in areas where skies remain clear. Damage to sensitive plants, trees, and crops is possible during these cold conditions, and officials recommend covering up any plants that are particularly vulnerable to the cold.
Current conditions recorded at the Oshawa Executive Airport show mainly clear skies and a temperature of 2.3 C. This cold snap is affecting a wide stretch of southern Ontario, spanning from the Niagara Region through the Greater Toronto Area and into the Durham Region.
While the cold may feel disruptive to those already starting their spring gardens, such frost events are not entirely unexpected this time of year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the average date for the final spring frost in Oshawa is May 5. Furthermore, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs notes that the region falls within climate zones where the risk of spring frost typically persists into early May.
