Tuesday, 12/28/10 Freeze Update

Rev. 10:30am

Pierson and Volusia County reported the coldest night of the season. A FAWN recording of 23degrees. Ice in fruit, cut foliage covered in ice.

David Griffis, UF IFAS

Low’s reaching 25 to 27 degrees, most fields ran water. Moderate frost but very little to no damage

Wauchula State Farmers' Market

Strawberries fared well, no wind so sprinklers did their job. Only damage reported where they experienced a few sporadic pump failures.

Ted Campbell, president FSGA

Temperatures in the citrus growing areas of the Indian River area dropped below freezing after 1:00 PM.  Further cooling followed, with some areas reporting temperatures below 28 degrees for 1-2 hours.  Lots of ground frost again.  Shouldn’t have any damage, not with durations below 28 for only a couple of hrs

Tim Gaver, UF/IFAS/St. Lucie County

This morning, Melbourne set a record low temperature, National Weather Service officials report. Today’s low of 28 degrees broke the record low of 32, which was set in 1972.

The Immokalee area was below freezing from 11:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. with a low of 25 degrees. It is solid white everywhere and ice is still forming.  What crops that made it through the last freeze probably will not make it through this one. I have not seen it this white for this long in a very long time.

Jerry Hubbart, Immokalee Farmers Market

Homestead/Florida City temperatures dropped to low 30’s (30°- 32°) for 6-8 hrs with no wind. There will be damage to all crops that did not use overhead irrigation.

It is too soon to determine overall crop damage. 8:00 a.m. overhead irrigation is in use in most all of the fields

Paul Cardwell, State farmers Market

The coldest temperatures as of 4 am EST this morning were over northeast Palm Beach County with readings around 30 degrees. Temperatures across the remainder of the areas were in the lower to mid 30s with freezing temperatures to occur in the next few hours prior to sunrise.

FL City State Farmers’ Market

The mercury at a blueberries and strawberries farm dropped to about 17 degrees overnight and stayed below freezing for several hours. said he saw some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter. Turned sprinklers on at 7:30 p.m. Monday to protect his crops, what it hurts now was any new blossoms. Won't know the damage to his strawberries for three to five days, blueberries won't be affected because they won't blossom for another couple months.

George Casey, grower small fruits southwest of Brooksville