<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Yuma, AZ -</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">02.22.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The recent storm that rolled through California and much of the Southwest during the middle of the week had growers anticipating possible freezing conditions in the storm’s wake Thursday and today in the Yuma Valley and desert areas. Growers in the region are taking a deep breath and reporting that the cold conditions haven't been as strong as expected though it did freeze enough in Yuma that growers are experiencing slight blister damage on lettuce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/yuma_freeze_BODY.jpg" alt="Cropped Images Friday 0222013 2" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">As of today, Yuma temperatures had ranged between 34-36 degrees and East in the Dome-Welton areas the temps were a bit cooler ranging around the high 20's.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Temperatures barely touched freezing in the Brawley area where one grower is cutting a little over 950 cartons an acre of iceberg lettuce for this particular block they are in right now.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The fear for growers was not so much the light to moderate ice, but the challenges the cold would add to complications already felt this season. One thing that will come up in the next week are smaller sizes on the lettuce, with high percentages of 30s.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">It may warm up slightly this weekend, growers note, but they still expect lettuce ice into next week with Monday dipping back into the low thirties.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on the weather in Yuma.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
