Frost returns to parts of Benguet town as cold weather lingers

Frost is a common weather phenomenon in Atok town, Benguet province. Last year, frost hit farms in this upland agriculture town due to the dipping temperature. | FILE PHOTO BY NEIL CLARK ONGCHANGCO

BAGUIO CITY––Frost covered some parts of Barangay Paoay in Atok town, Benguet province on Wednesday, Dec. 8, as it continues to experience cold weather due to the northeast monsoon, locally known as “amihan.”

The temperature in Atok, some 50 kilometers from this city, lingered around 10 degrees Celsius at 5 a.m. Wednesday after dropping to freezing 6 °C the previous day, the coldest in this town so far this amihan season.

Farmers said the breezy winds and dipping temperature normally prevail in the town between December and January.

Although the frost had damaged crops in the past years, vegetable farmers said they adapted to the cold weather and developed strategies to cope with the cooler temperature that could even drop to 3 °C during this period.

Atok Mayor Raymundo Sarac said only a few gardens are affected by the frost.

In the capital town of La Trinidad, the temperature was at 10 °C as of 5 a.m Wednesday. Baguio registered a temperature of 12.2 °C at 5 a.m. on the same day.

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