<p>As the cold Arctic air reaches into California’s San Joaquin Valley this week, growers are beginning to takes measures against the impending weather. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Temperatures reached into the 28 to 32 degree range last night, as expected, and may have been colder in some isolated spots but all together there was no long duration in time. Growers began implementing measures to battle the cold with water, fans and other forms of frost protection. Growers in the region tell AndNowUKnow that they feel good about where they are currently in this stage of the game.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>These forms of protection allow them to create inversion layers that increase the temperature in the field. Sugar levels are higher than normal so this helps as a great form of natural protection in the fruit. There are chances to have more cold temps thru Friday this week so companies will be out in their fields working hard, we are told.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Jesse Silva, Sales for Kings River Packing, tells us, “We are always prepared and invested in our crops, even long before they produce any fruit. We invest in expensive frost protection machines and other measures in the fields as well as specialized optical sorting equipment in the shed. Mother Nature challenges us with cold temperatures almost every year and we work hard making sure we can ensure the highest quality for our customers.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Temperatures will dip to record low levels on one or more dates over the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast. According to AccuWeather.com Western Weather Expert Ken Clark, "It is not so much that it has never gotten this cold in the region before, but rather it rarely gets this cold this early in the winter season."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In some cases, AccuWeather notes, temperatures will challenge records in the books for more than 100 years with lows forecast to be in the upper 20s. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Tracy Jones, Vice President of Sales, Booth Ranches, tells AndNowUKnow, “We have navels up and down the valley stretching from Maricopa to Orange Cove and did run a portion of our wind machines last night in the colder hitting areas.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Jones continues, “Coming into this season we were aware this winter was forecasted to be a cold winter versus the more mild winters we have had in the years past. Beyond having a plan of action of using all the tools we can to fight against mother nature, the fruit itself is high in sugar this year which acts as a natural defense to the cold. Now we all have to get through the next couple of nights and assess the damage when this cold front passes.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.cacitrusmutual.com/weather-watch.html" target="_new"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_ca_freeze_dec_2013_chart.jpg" alt="images 120413" /></a>(Graph sourced from California Citrus Mutual)<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we report on the freeze in California.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/recordchallenging-cold-freeze/20609109" target="_new"> AccuWeather </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
