February Weather Damages Some Tree Buds

Warm weather earlier this month had a lot of growers concerned about early bud expansion and damage. BJ Thurlby is President of the Washington Fruit Commission who says cold weather followed those warm days the valley experienced and as a result there's been some bud loss throughout the region. "But I don't think it's at a level we'd call devastating or significant. Basically I think we just seen mother nature do a little thinning on the trees which is going to happen anyway."
Thurlby says the biggest concern right now is for apricots. He says the state usually sees about 5,000 tons.  This year he expects the apricot harvest to be smaller because of the weather.
Thurlby says many growers are now experiencing a very long frost season. The season usually starts in the first or second week of march.