Winter Storm Surprises Utah Fruit Growers
April 20, 2015 Utah fruit growers were on edge last week when a winter storm rolled through the Payson, UT, area, threatening trees in bloom.
“All the fruit trees knew that winter was over and spring was here,” Rey Allred of Allred Orchards in Payson, UT, tells WKSL of Salt Lake. “We have just held our breath all spring.”
Allred says his tart cherries are very early, thanks to a warm spring.
“We all are anxious about it, and anxious to know how cold it really was. Then, the next day [we were anxious to know] whether there was any damage from it,” Debbie Allred said.
The Payson area only experienced temperatures as low as 29°F with 2 inches of snow.
“If it drops to 25°F, it’s disastrous,” Debbie Allred said.
“This fruit at this stage would have frozen, all of it,” Rey Allred said. “We, at this point, still feel pretty good about it.
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