KKCO 11 News
March 27, 2015
By Lindsey Pallares
PALISADE, Colo. Could we reach record-breaking temperatures tomorrow in the Grand Valley? Forecasters at the National Weather Service say we may be just one or two degrees short even with all the sun headed our way.
The National Weather Service has reported that the record of Saturday’s high temperature was set at 77 degrees back in 1986. There’s a big chance we could tie or set new numbers on Saturday and it’s got farmers and families ready to soak in the springtime sun. Springtime has hit the valley early this year, and it has mothers like Andrea Godwin out and about with their families. “Everybody is outdoors, this park has come alive in the last couple weeks where it’s been really sunny,” say Andrea Godwin.
Following what forecasting experts have called a mild winter is an early onset of warm weather. The temperatures have climbed so significantly, several parts of the Grand Valley may be able to meet some records on Saturday. “This weekend we are expecting a ridge of high pressure that’s going to be moving over our area in the great basin and with that we are going to have some very warm temperatures,” says John Kyle of the National Weather Service.
Although the weather can often times can be unpredictable during spring, farmers say they’re enjoying it while it lasts. “Working in the orchard has been really pretty nice because the weather has been so pleasant, but what it’s done for the trees is that it’s moved everything up a little bit,” says Steven Sherer of Aloha Organic Fruit.
Compared to his average harvesting days, he says the heat has moved his schedule up about ten days. Along with that, Sherer says the window for the dreaded spring freezes is longer than usual. When it comes to getting your fresh peach fix, this early spring often benefits the consumers the most.
Last year’s records show the last overnight freezes towards the later part of April. At this point in the growing process, a spring freeze has the potential to do some serious damage to the peach crop, by killing off the many blooming buds in the Grand Valley.
