BAKERSFIELD, CA - Winter weather decided to make a quick appearance along the Golden State this past weekend, most notably bringing snow to mountain regions as close to growers as some Kern County communities, according to a Bakersfield Californian report.
While snow didn’t appear to sneak below 4,000 feet, a significant amount of hail fell in ag-heavy Bakersfield, California, though product appears to remain safe and on track per a handful of producers ANUK reached out to.
“We actually had a full ten minutes of hail yesterday afternoon, south of Bakersfield near our farming operations. Thankfully it won’t impact the last days of sweet potato harvest nor do we see any damage to our organic cabbage fields. It was wild weather though, and it brought us a beautiful Monday,” Mike Valpredo, President of Country Sweet Produce, shared this morning.
Scattered showers continued across the southern half of the state, while snow was seen in the higher elevations of Tehachapi, most notably on Saturday into Sunday.
The National Weather Service reported snow accumulating at less than half an inch, however, and this morning is clear and cold.
“We definitely saw some rain and wind, but nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year,” Randy Giumarra, Vice President of Sales for Giumarra Vineyards, assured. “From a growing standpoint, the below freezing temperatures in some areas are going to be the concern for tonight.”
Earlier this year, Bakersfield Now celebrated the 21st anniversary of the last measurable snowfall in Bakersfield, when the south valley received 4–6 inches of snow in January of 1999. 2020 has certainly served up more than a couple of extraordinary circumstances, so we will continue to be on the lookout.
