Comments on: March (Weather) Madness http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html Comments on the weather in Lawrenceville Georgia Sat, 17 May 2008 06:40:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ------ http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2641 ------ Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:09:23 +0000 http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2641 As an update, our peach tree had only minor damage, so I guess it was not in full bloom yet. Pear tree is a little hardier than peach, so it did fine too. So we should have some fruit this summer and fall. As an update, our peach tree had only minor damage, so I guess it was not in full bloom yet. Pear tree is a little hardier than peach, so it did fine too. So we should have some fruit this summer and fall.

]]> By: Jon Richards http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2627 Jon Richards Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:53:12 +0000 http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2627 Indeed the temperature dropped below freezing for much of North Georgia. While the 'official' gauge in Atlanta showed 30 degrees, four above the record of 26, I got down to 26 here in Lawrenceville, Peachtree DeKalb dropped to 27, Athens was 28, and it appears the lowest temperatures were recorded in Rome (24) and Peachtree City (23). It looks like temperatures didn't drop below freezing until about 2:30 AM, and stayed below freezing for six hours or so. Looking around the yard this afternoon, it looks like there was some damage to new azalea leaves and some flowers that were fully formed. There was also some damage to the hydrangeas, although not a lot. Some plants that were damaged in last year's freeze escaped unscathed, including the grape hollies. As far as your question about damage to peach trees, I found some <a href="http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1057-B/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">research</a> from the Alabama cooperative extension service that said for flowers in full bloom, there is 10% damage if the temperature is between 27 and 28, while there is near 100% damage if the temperature drops to 26. If the flowers aren't in full bloom, the temperature can drop to 25 for 10% damage, and all the way down to 18 before there is 100% damage. Of course, they are talking about commercial trees for fruit production, not the ornamentals we see in the landscape, but I think this gives some idea of where the temperatures have to be to damage flowers at a given level of development. Taking a look at today's news, it appears that up at Jaemor Farms in Lula, temperatures dropped as low as 21, but the owners say it looks like there might be only 10% damage to the crop. I guess most of his trees were still in the budding stage. Worries about cold weather will likely fade into memory. After some cool but still above freezing temperatures tonight, we'll get back to normal (and even above normal) by the weekend, and I don't see another below freezing night at least for the next two weeks. Indeed the temperature dropped below freezing for much of North Georgia. While the ‘official’ gauge in Atlanta showed 30 degrees, four above the record of 26, I got down to 26 here in Lawrenceville, Peachtree DeKalb dropped to 27, Athens was 28, and it appears the lowest temperatures were recorded in Rome (24) and Peachtree City (23).

It looks like temperatures didn’t drop below freezing until about 2:30 AM, and stayed below freezing for six hours or so. Looking around the yard this afternoon, it looks like there was some damage to new azalea leaves and some flowers that were fully formed. There was also some damage to the hydrangeas, although not a lot. Some plants that were damaged in last year’s freeze escaped unscathed, including the grape hollies.

As far as your question about damage to peach trees, I found some research from the Alabama cooperative extension service that said for flowers in full bloom, there is 10% damage if the temperature is between 27 and 28, while there is near 100% damage if the temperature drops to 26. If the flowers aren’t in full bloom, the temperature can drop to 25 for 10% damage, and all the way down to 18 before there is 100% damage. Of course, they are talking about commercial trees for fruit production, not the ornamentals we see in the landscape, but I think this gives some idea of where the temperatures have to be to damage flowers at a given level of development.

Taking a look at today’s news, it appears that up at Jaemor Farms in Lula, temperatures dropped as low as 21, but the owners say it looks like there might be only 10% damage to the crop. I guess most of his trees were still in the budding stage.

Worries about cold weather will likely fade into memory. After some cool but still above freezing temperatures tonight, we’ll get back to normal (and even above normal) by the weekend, and I don’t see another below freezing night at least for the next two weeks.

]]> By: ------ http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2626 ------ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:50:31 +0000 http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/blog/2008/03/march-weather-madness.html#comment-2626 According to weather sites the temperature did drop to 26F this morning. How long does the temperature need to be in the 20s to kill flowers on a peach tree for example? According to weather sites the temperature did drop to 26F this morning.

How long does the temperature need to be in the 20s to kill flowers on a peach tree for example?

]]>