<p> As the coldest time of the year approaches, citrus growers across the San Joaquin Valley are preparing to take the precautions necessary to protect their crops from the danger of the upcoming freeze. The National Weather Service in Hanford has recently issued a freeze warning for the central and southern San Joaquin Valley starting late Wednesday and continuing through Saturday.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> According to meteorologist Jim Andersen, temperatures are expected to fall into the high 20s and low 30s, whereas the normal high temperature in Fresno is 59 degrees. The Fresno Bee is reporting that a cold front, followed by an arctic front, will slowly bring temperatures from the 60s and 50s on Monday and Tuesday to a low of 29 degrees by Wednesday night, with daytime highs in the upper 40s and low 50s the remainder of the week.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Although citrus growers will continue to monitor the weather to determine whether they should begin taking defensive procedures, it’s still too early to tell what should be done, said Bob Blakely, director of industry relations for the California Citrus Mutual. “What they will be doing when we get closer is, they will be watering the fields and getting the ground moisture up,” continued Blakely. “That’s about the only thing they can do right now.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Growers tell AndNowUKnow that although oranges are expected to be fine, the freeze could be harder on specialty crops like mandarins because of their thinner skins. Nevertheless, we are ensured that growers are well prepared and invested for these times in order to provide the highest quality crops for the season. Jesse Silva, Sales at Kings River Packing, tells AndNowUKnow, "We feel Mother Nature has given us the best form of protection as we are seeing some of the highest sugar levels in years initially in the fruit. This will naturally help in the fight against frost damage from colder temps."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Despite the need for cold weather to help properly ripen the citrus, it remains to be seen how this freeze warning will affect citrus growers within the San Joaquin Valley.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more news on the upcoming freeze. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/12/01/3642700/cold-snap-on-its-way-to-the-valley.html" target="_new"> San Joaquin Valley Freeze Warning </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
