Cold Snap Threatens N.Y. Apples Tonight After Record Warmth
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An unseasonably warm winter and early spring has exposed New York’s iconic McIntosh apples to a potential crop-killing freeze as temperatures across the state are expected to plunge tonight.
Apple and apricot trees, berry bushes and grape vines have emerged from winter dormancy about three weeks ahead of usual, according to Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association in Fishers. That leaves buds on fruit in New York and other northeastern states vulnerable to temperatures that are forecast to drop to as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 Celsius) tonight.