Oregon Public Broadcasting

The first day of spring is later this week. But snow and record cold temperatures have many Northwest farmers feeling like it’s the dead of winter.

Around the region growers are trying to save their wheat, cherries and apples from the chilly temperatures. Correspondent Anna King reports.

Last week many parts of the Northwest had record cold temperatures. That, combined with a harsh winter overall, has cost wheat ranchers some 15 percent of their yields.

There’s not much they can do to protect their crops from cold weather. Snow that has piled up on the north slopes of their fields for prolonged periods this winter, has also caused a condition called snow mold.

Northwest fruit farmers have started warming up their orchards with heaters, large wind machines and water sprinklers to protect the tender buds on their fruit trees.

For the next month, farmers will stay up late into the night fighting the cold.

Apricots are perhaps the most sensitive to freezing temperatures, but cherries, peaches, pears and apples also don’t like the cold.

Fruit tree experts say last week’s cold snap might have caused about 10 percent damage in certain micro climates around the Northwest.