Innovative Farmer Brings In Truck-Mounted Helicopter To Protect Central Valley Crops From Frost
KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.
Surviving the Cold Snap.
Sure, temperatures here in the Bay Area will hit near and record warmth today and Wednesday, but until the "Cold Snap" snapped Sunday morning, I caught this interesting and intriguing sight in the Central Valley.
Just outside of Bakersfield, California, I spotted a helicopter sitting on the flatbed of a Semi Truck. So obviously, I was curious.
I pulled over my car, tracked down a Farmer of a Citrus Crop and asked; "why is there a helicopter in your orchard?" Here is what he said…
The Central Valley has been experiencing overnight temperatures in the mid 20s with prolonged hours of temperatures under 32 degrees. During freezes which occur on calm, clear nights, the air layer near the ground is colder than the air above. This is known as a temperature inversion. Wind machines or helicopters are sometimes used to bring the warmer air down to the crop level to replace the cold air layer at the surface. This process saves the precious (and costly) crops which in turn means, I can look forward to my "Cuties California Clementine" at my favorite Grocery Store soon!
Any questions or observations? I would love to hear from you! Please email me at:Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com
