Warm Weather From Early Spring Could Impact Bay Area Farmers

MORGAN HILL (KPIX) -- Unusual and unseasonably warm weather is hitting the Bay Area this week, with a chance that the higher temperature could break some records.

An intense dome of high pressure is forecast to build over the West Coast later in the week, bringing an extended period of summerlike heat to California.

Temperatures will be above average, with San Jose possibly reaching the upper 70s, which could tie or break records. Temperatures in the East Bay will be in the mid-70s, while San Francisco is expected to hit the low 70s.

Additionally, the early arrival of spring could have an adverse impact on one of California's biggest cash crops.

The weather is causing concern for Northern California farmers. Grape and fruit tree growers are worried that temperatures in the 80s this week could cause their crops to produce buds too early.

Wine grower George Guglielmo has been through a lot of seasons since he grew up on his family's Morgan Hill vineyard. But he can't remember a time like this when winter seems to be turning to spring so quickly.

"No 80 degree weather in February. It's usually cool, it's usually damp," he said.

The turn in the weather presents him with some problems. It's still the middle of winter and vineyard field crews are only about halfway through pruning the vines in preparation for the spring budding season which -- according to the calendar -- should be more than a month away.

But this unusual warm weather may be speeding things along.

"Warm weather fools the vines into thinking its spring. And what happens in
spring is everything warms up and the vines feel the heat and they open their buds," explained Guglielmo.

The problem is there is still the threat of frost in the overnight and morning hours, which could be deadly to any new growth.

"The vine's not going to die, but those first buds and shoots are going to just die, as if you took a torch and went through the field," Guglielmo said.

That could cause production shortages, and not just at vineyards. Fruit tree could be affected in the same way.

"Cherries, apricots, strawberries can be affected to the point of hindering their production," Guglielmo said.

Far from enjoying the warming weather, growers are keeping a nervous eye on their fields, hoping Mother Nature doesn't follow this up with a cold snap.