County’s Farmers Prepare for Subfreezing Air

A surge of cold air bringing subfreezing temperatures through Friday is bearing down on Southern California, putting Ventura County farmers on guard.

Terry Schaeffer, a retired National Weather Service meteorologist who now contracts with area growers to produce agricultural forecasts, said this could be the coldest spell the county has seen since the deep freeze of December 1990.

That year, temperatures dropped into the teens and mid-20s countywide, resulting in substantial crop loss, he said.

Ojai’s forecast is for a low of 30 degrees on Christmas morning, with mountain air dipping into the teens and mid-20s.

Coastal dwellers are no better off, with lows forecast for the low to mid-30s tonight and Thursday. Highs will range across the county from the upper 40s to lower 60s, the National Weather Service said.

Although low temperatures near the freezing mark are not uncommon this time of year, citrus and avocado growers are keeping a close watch on the potentially damaging weather, readying wind machines and irrigation systems in hopes of raising air temperatures even just a few crucial degrees.

“You’d like to go out and hug each tree but you can’t do that,” said lemon grower Will Gerry, who farms the 80-acre Lawrence Gerry Ranch in the Santa Rosa Valley near Camarillo.

In a special statement, the weather service said the incoming storm will be colder, drier and less windy than recent days.

Low temperatures Tuesday stayed in the low to mid-40s across Ventura County.

The weather service said coastal areas will stay mostly clear today and Thursday, with some clouds developing in the afternoon along with north to northeast winds at 15 to 30 mph below passes and canyons.

Schaeffer said growers have been preparing to beat back the cold during the past three nights, and have been talking about the cold weather since Dec. 15. Fortunately, there have been no reports of crop damage.

“The farmers are kind of getting bored at this point,” Schaeffer said.

Growers in the Ojai Valley and southern Santa Barbara County will probably face the greatest threat, he said, but much depends on where and how long stagnant, cold air settles in.

Growers--and no doubt more than a few urbanites--are hoping the whole thing blows over.

“I’d rather it stay above 32 and let us get a good night sleep so we have enough energy for the kids in the morning,” Gerry said.