In Ontario now, some days are 20 and warm and sunny, some nights fall to 5. My potted figs (which have been in the garage all winter) all have leaf buds, some even have little round nodules of figs starting, a number of new shoots from the soil. I don't want to leave them in there anymore as there's hardly any light. We lined them up outside along the garage wall yesterday as it was a glorious sunny warm day, and left them overnight. What is the coldest that they can stand in case we still get a frosty evening? We have 13 pots, so it's gruelling to move them back and forth. I'd appreciate any suggestions. 

Well, it depend on micro climate,  Like windchill, If you put them at wind clam area, They can handle 1-2 nights down to 3-4C, If trees with bigger leaves, be prepare of Sunburn now.

I put out my potted fig trees at April 11, Day = 10C while night was 1-3C, Now it is April 29  day = 14C while night is 6-7C inside my car
 
 

As long as you don't get a frost the figs will be OK.  A hard frost will kill any new green growth.
Figs won't grow very much when night temps are 1C-5C.

The problem is that many times the forecast is 5C for night and I have seen patchy frost on those same mornings.  So either the forecast are off or the forecast is for downtown T.O. or some other location not necessarily your exact location. 

So you need to be prepared to bring them in at night if forecast is <5C.  You can create a GH/micro climate around them also. 

Thanks. Forecast calls for low of 5 tonight, 'feel like 1". So, does it feel like 1 to a fig? I hate that. Any way to cover them or shelter them outdoors at this stage? It's a big job to keep moving this large group in and out, but we want them to be where there's light because they've got leaves coming out. 

Copy from Internet.
>> They calculate a ‘feels like temperature by taking into account the expected air temperature, relative humidity and the strength of the wind at around 5 feet (the typical height of an human face) combined with our understanding of how heat is lost from the >> human body during cold and windy days.

Micro climate is a problem, you need to know your area, You may cover up your expensive trees with plastic bags/tarps at night but may sure remove them at day.

fig trees will grow at 14C, If your day time temperature is 20C, it will grow bigger.

I live at Zone 8B, New tall house is builded beside me, It creates a big high wind Tunnel at winter time, 4 in ground fig trees are killed to base,  " Feel like temperature" kill them.

The problem with here in Ontario is that we can have frost right up until the end of May. So you just have to be prepared for when those nights occur.

Tyler

I know....Ontario....boil, freeze, boil, freeze....we were frustrated last year because it felt so late before it was warm enough, and a few of our plants took till the end of summer to even leaf out. It's like they were in shock from winter. We thought they were dead and then voila! little shoots appeared late summer. No figs but we were relieved to have them back on board.

I will be bringing my potted figs in for the weekend as night time temps are forecasted to be 0 and -1 saturday and sunday

Environment Canada calling for -2C partly cloudy Monday night for St. Thomas area. My back is going to be sore after this weekend lol.
Tyler

CBC weather forecasts a low of -1C with a chance of slushy snow here in Ottawa!  Couple of my figs had their buds damaged severely last May during one of these cold snaps.

Many of my fig plants are by the south facing windows, waiting for the last frost day to pass before moving them outside.

I know...we had damage last year too....frustration for us is that all our trees (13 in pots) are sitting in our garage, all with lovely buds bursting out, and it's dark in there. So best we can do is haul them out for a few warm sunny days and watch the night temps. 

I have kind of given up bringing my 2+ year-old figs in when there's a frost-risk warning in the Toronto area for nighttime temperatures at or above 0.  They always turn out fine.  We're within a few kilometres of Lake Ontario, so I'm sure that makes a difference, and there's the heat island effect, too. 

What I absolutely do when I bring them out of their winter hideaway is put them somewhere out of the wind until we're past the risk of frost.  In my experience it's wind + cold that really zaps the new growth, and the older the plant, the better they handle the elements.

I have the pots outside and when I see they are forecasting 5-6 for the night and it will feel  like 1-2. I take no chances with temps.
I have them covered with garbage bags large enough not to force or brake the new growth  and they are fine. It cuts the wind off. And if it by any chance gets to -1 -2 they are still being protected.
These 15 galloon pots are heavy to move around. Here is an insight of the method  I use . The bags are a lot faster and easy to put on and take off then moving the pots. And you dont force.Hope it helps.      .

Garbage bags makes sense. We now have ours lined up along the garage, temps looked safe. And then ..... yesterday.... a freak hailstorm like we've never seen.....crossing my fingers, all of them, that the new growth was not traumatized.....ARGHH!!!  They look okay today, but time will tell I guess. Ontario. 

Ya this weather is nuts 37 for two days now today barely in the teens lol.

Your not kidding about the hail storm I was stuck on the 400 north when the storm hit, right after I passed under the hwy 9 bridge then bam it hit almost like someone was hosing my truck with a fire hose. Thank god we didn't get the size of hail we got last year. I called my wife at home in bradford and she said it was sunny and clear go figure.