SNYDER COUNTY, Pa. — A late April freeze warning is in effect for several counties in central Pennsylvania
In Snyder County, the freeze warning comes at a critical time for NorthHill, Orchard, and Supply, as the crop continues to grow.
"I can tell you early on a crop so it looks like the crops gonna be good this year or my looks like everything's frozen out," said Ephraim King, Owner.
After weeks of above-average temperatures that lead to an early bloom, Orchard owner Ephrain King says Monday will be the second night his crops of cherries, peaches, apples, apricots, and plums will be exposed to below-freezing temperatures.
"Just the last couple hours before the sun comes up the temperature goes down takes a dip and if it goes and 28 was that can happen pretty quickly, they say you'll lose 10% of the crop if it goes any lower than that receipt for degrees lower than that we might lose the whole crop," said King.
King spends months looking through tree buds and researching growing patterns, work that could all be for nothing if the temperature gets too low.
"It only takes one night, you think you have a good crop and you see all the fruit potential and that you're excited and all of a sudden you see the temperature forecasts," said King.
One thing on King's side when it comes to battling these low temperatures is where his orchard sits on the hillside.
"Up on the hill the temperature commonly is a couple degrees higher than down below, so I'm hoping, I don't have any temperature thermometer's up here, but I'm hoping that that goes down there again tonight or goes a little lower that up here it'll be a couple degrees higher," said King.
King says larger orchards can wrap trees or light smudge pots to help fight off the frost.
But for his thousand or so trees, it is in the hands of Mother Nature.
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