Coastal County Avocado Growers At Risk
The
National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Special Weather Statement for San
Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. A cold low-pressure
system from an Arctic air mass over Canada will bring an extended cold snap to
Southwest California from Wednesday through Friday, December 4-6, 2013. They
also warn of strong winds in advance of the cold front on Tuesday December 3,
2013. The front will be mostly dry with only scattered, isolated showers.
Wind
Winds from the west to north are expected to increase Tuesday afternoon into
early Wednesday for much of the advisory area. Forecasts call for gusts up to
40 mph along the Central Coast and Santa Monica Mountains. Interior valleys
could see gusts up to 50 mph. The winds are expected to diminish late
Tuesday/early Wednesday and be followed by much colder air.
Freezing Temperatures
The cold air is expected to arrive Wednesday and last through Friday. There is
the potential for hard freeze conditions (temperatures at or below 28 °F for
several hours) in the interior valleys of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
Counties Wednesday night into Thursday morning and Thursday night into Friday
morning. The lowest temperatures in the interior valleys are expected to be in
the low to mid 20s, with temperatures remaining below freezing for several
hours.
Along the coast and through Ventura and Los
Angeles County valleys temperatures are expected to drop to right around
freezing both Wednesday and Thursday nights. A gradual warming trend is
expected for the weekend, but temperatures will remain well below average.
Freeze Protection
Most avocado growers rely on irrigation and/or wind machines for freeze
protection. Growers in the area affected by the Special Weather Statement
should use Monday and Tuesday to inspect their irrigation systems, checking for
clogged nozzles, broken lines or other problems that would limit their ability
to protect their groves.
Wind machines should have already been serviced for
the season, but if this hasn’t been done growers should try to get this task
accomplished before Wednesday. Wind machine fuel tanks should be topped off and
the machines should be started to make sure there would be no surprises when
they are needed.
Labels: Coastal County Avocado Growers at Risk, Weather alert avocado freeze advisory, wind machines to protect avocados