<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%">Yakima Valley, WA</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Jordan Okumura<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">04.18.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>With the round of freezing temperatures that hit Washington State this week, growers are beginning to assess any possible damages. The hard freeze warning which affected the Yakima Valley, southern Columbia Basin, Walla Walla areas in Washington state and Boardman, Hermiston and Pendleton areas in northeast Oregon, has not been as severe as it possibly might have been.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_crop_damage_assessment_apr_2013_BODY.jpg" alt="Images041713" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Growers tell AndNowUKnow, the frost alert in the Yakima Valley has not resulted in any widespread crop damage to pears or apples. The cherry crop in some localized areas has had some frost damage but not to a significant amount and it has been localized to smaller growing areas. The upper valley had some cherry damage the last several nights but again not devastating.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>There is a more significant factor that is affecting the crops at this point. Poor pollenization for cherries and in some cases pears has been reported. Cool windy days have resulted in less bee activity and in some cases some poor quality bee hives have been observed. For now pears and apples have potential for good volume crops and cherries have had some reduction but may result in just having better size and quality, growers note.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more updates on weather.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
