Texas braces for another cold night

The night of Feb. 3-4 was another cold one in Texas and New Mexico, and onion and citrus growers in Texas are bracing for a repeat the night of Feb. 4-5.

Temperatures in Texas, however, did not get as low in the wee hours of Feb. 4 as some forecasters predicted. That was good news for Mike Martin, president of Mission, Texas-based onion and citrus grower Rio Queen Citrus Inc., who didn't expect any damage to crops.

Growers woke to a thin coating of ice on plants Feb. 4, but Martin said that also wasn't a concern.

"One more night to stand watch," he said.

Temperatures the night of Feb. 4-5 could get as low as 23 in the Rio Grande Valley, according to forecasts.

David DeBerry, onion category manager for Edinburg, Texas-based Frontera Produce Ltd., reported a low of 28, but it didn't stay that cold for long, he said.

Still, DeBerry said Texas growers were in uncharted territory with temperatures this cold this late in the season, and he thought there would be at least some damage. Frontera expects to begin harvesting March 5-10.

The valley received between one-eighth and one-half inch of ice the night of Feb. 3-4, DeBerry said.

Las Cruces, N.M., temperatures dropped to 0 the night of Feb. 3-4, said Chris Franzoy, owner of Hatch, N.M.-based Young Guns Inc., which expects to begin shipping at the end of May.

While it was too soon to gauge the extent of damage, Franzoy was cautiously optimistic.

"It's been colder for longer periods than we're used to, and we are concerned about damage, but it's not entirely abnormal to have temperatures like this," he said. "The crop seemed to pull through OK."

It was expected to be considerably warmer in southern New Mexico Feb. 4, with an overnight low of 30 forecast, Franzoy said.