Citrus growers keep an eye on crops as temperatures fall

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As of early Friday night, growers don't think the freeze will cause any problems. This patch of cold weather is actually welcome news for the citrus.

Cold nights with freezing temperatures can be trouble for citrus. Friday night the lows could hit 27 degrees, but growers say it won't stay that cold long enough to do any major damage.

Bob Blakely with the California Citrus Mutual says the chilly temps are actually welcomed. "We've been very warm for this time of year the trees are still actively growing so we're really looking forward to some of these colder nights to start shutting thing down."

Cold weather helps give citrus the bright orange color you'd expect, it also will make the harvest season last longer. "It's been so warm in December that the fruit is actually more a late January piece of fruit right now. It's actually been maturing that fast and we'd like to see things slow down a little bit," said Blakely.

If the temperatures get too cold growers will start turning on wind machines to try to keep crops warm.

The Tulare Agricultural Commissioner's Office will also get involved. "Once we've had a significant freeze then we send our inspectors out to inspect incoming fruit to make sure its not damaged," said Dennis Haines, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner's Office.

On Friday night, everyone is watching these temperatures - -and welcoming any rain the winter season brings.