🌤️ Sunny Mid-80s, Market Back Oct. 17 and Burn Permits Thursday — Your Valley Weather, Garden & Farm Week

Or: Fog This Morning, Garlic While the Ground Cooperates, and a Cool Jacket Saturday at the Pavilion

Good morning, neighbor. Pour the coffee and take your time. If you are reading this early, you may be looking out at fog in the low spots. It should burn off soon after sunrise.

Saturday’s wind and rain are behind us. The Flood Watch is over. National Weather Service Dunlap (updated about 6 a.m. Central today) shows a sunny, summer-warm stretch through Thursday, then the first real cool front of fall by the weekend.

It is also a fine chore week for the garden and the farm. Here is the short version: use Monday through Thursday’s mid-80s for garlic, soil samples and stacking storm limbs. Free burn permits begin Thursday, Oct. 15. The Dunlap Farmers Market returns Saturday, Oct. 17, with Young Entrepreneurs Day for youth vendors. And frost is still a few weeks out for most Valley gardens — but Saturday night’s low near 39 is a gentle reminder to watch the calendar.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Weather: Patchy fog this morning, then sunny. Highs near 84–88 Mon–Thu. Friday near 80. Saturday cools to the mid-60s; Saturday night near 39.
• Hazards: NWS Morristown says no hazardous weather expected today through Sunday.
• Market: Dunlap Farmers Market returns Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Harris Park — plus Young Entrepreneurs Day.
• Burns: Free TDF burn permit required starting Thu., Oct. 15. Stack limbs now; get the permit the day you burn.
• Garden: Late October is still garlic time in East Tennessee; fall soil tests let lime work before spring.

📝 Jot This Down

1. Sunny chore window: Mon.–Thu., highs near 84–88. Ideal for garlic, soil samples, fence walks and stacking storm limbs. Soft low pastures may still need another day or two before heavy traffic.
2. Burn permits: Thu., Oct. 15. Free at BurnSafeTN.org or 1-877-350-BURN (2876). Get one the day you burn. Local city rules can be stricter — call Dunlap City Hall at 423-949-2115 if you are inside city limits.
3. Farmers Market: Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Jeff Johnson Pavilion, Harris Park, 245 Cedar St. Bring a jacket — Saturday’s high is forecast near 64. Confirm before you go.

🌫️ Fog This Morning, Sunny Mid-80s Midweek, Jacket Weather by Saturday

As of early this morning, the National Weather Service Morristown Hazardous Weather Outlook for Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Marion and nearby counties shows no hazardous weather expected today through Sunday. Spotter activation is not needed.

The Dunlap point forecast (35.37°N, 85.38°W, updated about 6:06 a.m. Central) looks like this:

• Mon., Oct. 12 (Columbus Day): Patchy fog before 9 a.m., then sunny. High near 84. Calm becoming northwest around 5 mph.
• Tonight: Clear, then patchy fog after 1 a.m. Low around 58.
• Tue., Oct. 13: Patchy fog early, then sunny. High near 87. Low around 58.
• Wed., Oct. 14: Sunny. High near 88. Low around 61.
• Thu., Oct. 15: Sunny. High near 87. Low around 61.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Mostly sunny. High near 80. Friday night low around 44.
• Sat., Oct. 17: Sunny. High near 64. Saturday night low around 39.
• Sun., Oct. 18: Sunny. High near 69.

That is a drop of more than 20 degrees from Thursday’s high to Saturday’s. Forecasts this far out can shift a few degrees, so glance again Thursday before you plan outdoor work for the weekend.

Saturday’s rain left soft spots in bottoms and around hay rings. Higher ground and gravel lanes should be ready today. Low pastures may still cut deep ruts if you push them too soon — think of fresh biscuit dough: press early and the mark stays.

What it means for you: Use low beams and leave extra room in the fog this morning. Put heavy tractor and herd traffic on the firmer ground first. Use Monday through Thursday for garden cleanup, soil sampling, stacking limbs and any cover-crop seeding you held back for dry weather. By Friday, pull out the jackets. If you keep tender potted plants outside, plan to bring them in or cover them Saturday night.

👉 Read more (NWS Dunlap forecast) · Morristown Hazardous Weather Outlook

🧄 Garlic Season and Fall Soil Tests: Do Both While the Ground Cooperates

UT Extension’s garlic guide (D75) says Tennessee gardeners plant garlic in the late fall. In East Tennessee that often means Sept. 1 through Nov. 1. You want loose, well-drained soil with pH about 5.8–6.5. Raised beds help where winters stay wet. Plant individual cloves upright, about 1–2 inches deep and 6 inches apart, then mulch with straw to hold moisture and slow weeds. Hardneck and softneck both work here — try a couple of cultivars and see what your kitchen likes.

Fall is also soil-test season. UT’s vegetable-garden guidance says take 10–15 subsamples about 6 inches deep from a consistent area, mix them, air-dry (no oven or microwave), and drop the box at your county Extension office. Fall results give lime and fertilizer recommendations time to work before spring. Boxes and mailing info are available through UT Extension Sequatchie County, 170 Church Street, Dunlap, 423-949-2611. Office hours are 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch.

UT’s 2026 home garden calendar still lists October as a good cover-crop month. Mid-September through mid-October is the ideal cover-crop window in UT research; if bare beds remain, cereal rye or a rye-legume mix can still protect soil once the surface firms.

What it means for you: Think of garlic like setting biscuits out the night before Christmas morning — plant now, harvest next summer. Use a sunny afternoon this week to dig the soil sample, order seed garlic if you haven’t, and seed any thin spot that still needs winter cover. Don’t force a shovel through soup; wait until footprints don’t sink.

👉 Read more (UT: Garlic for the Tennessee Garden) · UT soil testing guide · UT Extension Sequatchie

❄️ Frost Timing: Still Weeks Away for Most Valley Gardens

Long-term climate normals (not a forecast) for the Whitwell–Sequatchie Valley station put the median first fall frost around Nov. 8, with about a 1-in-10 chance of frost as early as late October (around Oct. 25). Chattanooga airport normals sit in a similar range — median first frost early November, with an earlier risk window in late October.

Those are history averages, not a promise. Elevation, hollows and clear calm nights can make your backyard a few degrees colder than the official station. This weekend’s cool-down — Saturday night near 39 — is still above a hard frost for most spots, but it is a good practice run for covering or moving tender pots.

What it means for you: Keep harvesting tomatoes and peppers while the warm days last. Have row covers or old sheets ready by the last week of October. Watch the nightly low, not just the calendar. When in doubt, call UT Extension Sequatchie at 423-949-2611.

👉 Read more (Whitwell–Sequatchie Valley frost dates) · Tennessee frost dates by station

🛒 Market Returns Oct. 17 — Young Entrepreneurs Day Welcomes Youth Vendors

Last Saturday’s Dunlap Farmers Market canceled for hurricane-related high winds. The season still runs through Oct. 31, and the next date on the calendar is Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central at the Jeff Johnson Pavilion, Harris Park, 245 Cedar Street. Remaining Saturdays after that are Oct. 24 and 31, weather permitting. Vendors grow or make products within about 50 miles of Dunlap.

Oct. 17 is also Young Entrepreneurs Day. Dunlap.Today reported that the market is recruiting young vendors who sell their own handmade or homegrown goods — jewelry, art, baked items, produce, plants and similar youth-made products. Families apply online at dunlapfarmersmarket.com and should note they are applying for the kids market. The source does not list a hard application deadline or exact age range, so apply soon and confirm eligibility with organizers. Contact: dunlapfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

What it means for you: Mark Oct. 17 like a church supper you don’t want to miss — eggs, honey, late produce and a chance to cheer on a young neighbor learning to run a booth. Bring a jacket; Saturday’s high is forecast near 64. If you have a student maker or gardener at home (or a grandkid with a craft table dream), help them fill out the application this week. Always confirm on the market site or Facebook before you drive in.

👉 Read more (Young Entrepreneurs Day) · Dunlap Farmers Market

🔥 Three Days Out: Free Burn Permits Start Thursday, Oct. 15

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry reminds residents that beginning Thursday, Oct. 15, a free burn permit is required statewide through mid-May to burn leaves, natural debris or conduct prescribed burns. More than 90% of Tennessee wildfires are caused by human activity, including escaped debris burns, State Forester Heather Slayton said in the Oct. 7 release.

Permits are free at BurnSafeTN.org or the MyTN app, issued only when fire danger is acceptable, and must be obtained on the day you burn. Online permits run seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, per the TDA release. Residents with limited internet access may call 1-877-350-BURN (2876), Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central. Burning without a permit in season is a Class C misdemeanor. Local city or county rules can be stricter — if you live inside Dunlap city limits, check with City Hall (423-949-2115) first.

This week’s sunny, calmer stretch is perfect for stacking Saturday’s storm limbs into a safe, clear pile — not for lighting them early. Wait for permit season, pick a calm dry day, clear around the pile, keep water and tools handy, and stay with the fire until it’s out.

What it means for you: Circle Oct. 15 on the fridge. Treat early burning like skipping the seatbelt because the driveway is short — the risk isn’t worth the five minutes. Stack now, burn later, and check local rules before you light.

👉 Read more (TDA burn-permit reminder) · BurnSafeTN

🐄 Pasture and Hay: Soft Ground Firming, Inventory Still Matters

Statewide and regional reports this fall noted that a dry September stressed pastures and hay yields in parts of Tennessee. Up the road in the Upper Cumberland, Extension agents recently described first-cutting hay volumes well below normal and urged producers to count bales now, test hay quality and buy early if supplies look short — before late-winter demand pushes prices. That drought chapter was regional, not a Sequatchie-only bulletin, but the advice travels well: know what you have before February.

This weekend’s rain and the warm sunny week ahead give cool-season grasses a better shot at late growth where soil isn’t waterlogged. Still treat hay like a pantry before a long winter visit — count the jars on the shelf while the store is open.

What it means for you: Walk the hay barn this week. Note how many bales you have, keep them off the ground and under cover, and send a sample for testing if you feed mixed lots. If you’ll need to buy, shop while neighbors still have extras. Give soft low spots another day or two before heavy cattle or tractor traffic. UT Extension Sequatchie can help with sampling and local forage questions: 423-949-2611.

👉 Read more (Upper Cumberland forage update) · UT Extension Sequatchie

📅 Week-Ahead Weather & Farm Calendar

• Mon., Oct. 12: Columbus Day. Patchy fog, then sunny near 84. Soft-ground caution in low pastures.
• Tue.–Wed., Oct. 13–14: Sunny mid-80s. Garlic, soil samples, fence walks, cover-crop seeding.
• Thu., Oct. 15: Sunny near 87. Free burn permits required starting today.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Mostly sunny near 80; Friday night low near 44. Start thinking jackets.
• Sat., Oct. 17: Sunny near 64. Dunlap Farmers Market + Young Entrepreneurs Day, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Harris Park. Saturday night near 39 — cover tender pots.
• Sun., Oct. 18: Sunny near 69. Good day for a gentle garden walk after market Saturday.
• Looking further: Market Saturdays Oct. 24 and 31 (season ends Oct. 31). Median first frost for Whitwell–Sequatchie Valley normals ~Nov. 8; watch late October nights.

✅ Your Weather, Garden & Farm Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Drive carefully in morning fog; use low beams.
• ✅ Give soft low pastures another day or two before heavy cattle or tractor traffic.
• ✅ Use Mon–Thu’s sunny mid-80s for fence walks, garden cleanup and stacking storm limbs.
• ✅ Plant garlic cloves in well-drained soil; mulch with straw.
• ✅ Collect a fall soil sample (10–15 cores, 6 inches) and drop it at Extension, 170 Church St.
• ✅ Seed leftover bare beds with cereal rye or a rye-legume mix once ground firms.
• ✅ Circle Thu., Oct. 15 — free BurnSafeTN permit required that day and after.
• ✅ Mark Sat., Oct. 17 for the Dunlap Farmers Market; bring a jacket; confirm before you go.
• ✅ Help a young maker apply for Young Entrepreneurs Day at dunlapfarmersmarket.com.
• ✅ Count and protect hay inventory; test mixed lots if you’ll feed them all winter.
• ✅ Have covers ready for tender pots before Saturday night’s low near 39.

Practical rule: Use the sunny week to reset pastures and gardens, stack limbs for after Oct. 15, and get garlic and soil tests in the ground while the window is open.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Weather, Garden & Farm Glossary

• Point forecast: The National Weather Service forecast for one map pin — here, Dunlap — not the whole state.
• Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO): A daily NWS summary of whether any hazardous weather is expected in the next few days.
• Hardneck / softneck garlic: Two main garden types. Hardnecks often have bigger cloves and a flower stalk; softnecks usually store longer.
• Soil subsample: One small scoop from a spot in the garden. You mix many of them so the lab sees the whole bed, not one lucky corner.
• Cover crop: A plant grown mainly to protect and feed the soil between cash-crop seasons.
• Burn permit season: In Tennessee, roughly mid-October through mid-May, when a free TDF permit is required for debris and prescribed burns.
• Median first frost: The date by which half of years in the climate record have already seen the first fall frost. It is history, not a forecast.
• Water gap: Where a fence crosses a creek. High water often piles limbs and trash there.
• Young Entrepreneurs Day: A Dunlap Farmers Market session inviting youth to sell handmade or homegrown goods.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is any hazardous weather expected this week?

No. As of early Monday morning, NWS Morristown’s Hazardous Weather Outlook for Sequatchie and nearby counties shows no hazardous weather expected today through Sunday. Patchy morning fog is the main caution early in the week. Low spots can still hold water after Saturday’s rain — use ordinary care.

When does the Dunlap Farmers Market reopen?

Next session on the calendar is Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Harris Park (Jeff Johnson Pavilion, 245 Cedar Street). Season runs through Oct. 31. Always confirm on the market site or Facebook before you drive in.

How do youth sign up for Young Entrepreneurs Day?

Apply online at dunlapfarmersmarket.com and note that you are applying for the kids market. Products should be handmade or homegrown by the young vendor. Confirm age rules and any fees with organizers — the public announcement did not list a hard deadline or exact age range.

When do burn permits start?

Free Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permits are required beginning Oct. 15 for leaves, natural debris and prescribed burns. Get one the day you burn at BurnSafeTN.org (online 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. local, seven days) or by calling 1-877-350-BURN (2876), Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central. Local rules can be stricter.

Is it too late to plant garlic?

Not in East Tennessee. UT guidance commonly lists planting from about Sept. 1 through Nov. 1. You’re still in the window. Choose well-drained soil, plant individual cloves, and mulch.

Why soil-test in the fall?

Fall samples give you time to add lime or nutrients before spring planting. UT recommends 10–15 subsamples about 6 inches deep from a consistent area, mixed and air-dried. Boxes are available at UT Extension Sequatchie County, 170 Church Street, Dunlap, 423-949-2611.

When is the first frost usually here?

Climate normals for Whitwell–Sequatchie Valley put the median first fall frost around Nov. 8, with an earlier risk window in late October about one year in ten. Watch your own nightly lows — hollows and ridges differ.

🔗 Other Resources

• UT Extension Sequatchie County — 170 Church St., Dunlap · 423-949-2611
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• NWS Morristown Hazardous Weather Outlook
• Dunlap Farmers Market
• Dunlap.Today: Young Entrepreneurs Day
• Burn Safe TN
• UT: Garlic for the Tennessee Vegetable Garden (D75)
• UT Gardens: Garlic planting tips
• UT: Soil testing for the vegetable garden
• UT: Fall cover crop selection and planting dates
• UT: 2026 Home Fruit and Vegetable Garden calendar
• Dunlap.Today

🏡 Keep Learning, Stay Calm and Come Back to the Porch

A wet weekend sounds louder than it feels once the sun returns. Mostly it means doing the sensible things — stay off the softest ground a little longer, stack the limbs for after Thursday, plant the garlic, and show up at the pavilion on the 17th to buy eggs and cheer on a young vendor.

When you want the next calm, practical update for Sequatchie Valley readers, pull up a chair at Dunlap.Today.