One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Cold Snap Could Damage California Citrus Crops
The Orange stands alone. Photo by ccharmon via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
This cold snap is doing more than cramping your style. (BTW Angelenos, cold weather does not mean it's time to wear sweat pants in public. Buy a peacoat, for Pete's sake.) This beyond-chilly weather could potentially have an impact on California's citrus crop.
Farmers are preventing damage from the six consecutive nights of freezing temps by running warm water through the soil and using wind machines that mix high warm air with lower cold air.
They are attempting to protect the produce that amounts to a $2-billion industry here in California.
“While damage is expected, it is certainly not at levels close to damage in the last significant freeze events in 1998 and 1990,” Alyssa Houtby told the L.A. Times, a spokeswoman for California Citrus Mutual, a trade association representing more than two-thirds of the state’s citrus farmers.
The majority of the damage will likely be to the highly-sensistive mandarin crop, with less damage anticipated for the navel orange crop. The extent of the damage won't be seen for another few weeks.
Hopefully the ramifications will be minimal, because our fancy Old Fashioneds are already pricey enough without high-priced citrus peel garnishes.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
