LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – As the winter air moves out, trees and plants begin to awaken from a winter slumber. April in Michigan turns brown, barren trees to a sign of a new season with bright colors. During a time of transition, April can bring all types of weather.
Recently, the southern part of Michigan picked up a few inches of spring snow. Following the snow, cold air grasped the Mitten State bringing unseasonably cool temperatures. With fruit trees hitting their bloom in stride, cold temperatures are only a setback. When low temperatures drop into the mid-20s, blossoms can be frosted. Once the bud has been frosted, it then dies, and never produces fruits like peaches, apples, or blueberries.
Steve Tennes, the owner of The Country Mill in Charlotte, said fruit growers can use fans to help protect fruit trees. Warm air rises and the fans can send the warm air back down to the ground to help keep the buds warmer.
Tennes also said this spring cold would slowly eat away at growers. The first freezing morning did not frost all of the blossoms, but with each night of damaging cold, the loss of crops quickly adds up.
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