IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!

Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see where the rain is falling, the sun is shining, and everything in between.

CALIFORNIA RAINS – WHAT WILL BE AFFECTED?

Round one of the California winter storms in May came down pretty good yesterday in the northern part of the SJ Valley. Sacramento received 1.50” while Stockton received 1.00”. We don’t want to speculate about possible damage so please check with shippers to confirm. These regions are big suppliers of cherries and blueberries this time of year. At the southern end of the valley around Bakersfield and Fresno the rain totals were much less, under .10”.

Along the coast Salinas received .50” while Santa Maria received .25”. Strawberries and lettuce come from these regions.

Round two of these May storms will come ashore tomorrow bringing another .75” of rain to the Sacramento area and to the coastal regions while the southern end of the SJ valley will receive approximately .25”.

There is potentially more rain in the forecast next Tuesday and then another possible storm for Friday, May 24. We will keep you posted as things develop.

Another issue with these storms is the cooler weather. Bakersfield this time of year should be experiencing maximum temperatures in the 90°, but yesterday had a high of 67°. This region won’t see a maximum temperature of about 76° until next Saturday, the 25th. Sacramento had a maximum temperature of 58° yesterday, which is 30°s below normal for this time of year. These cooler temperatures might also affect summer crops from this region such as bell peppers, melons, grapes, etc. We will have to wait and see if harvest start dates get pushed back.

4th OF JULY SKIING IN CALIFORNIA

These storms are anticipated to bring several feet of new snow to the Sierra Nevada mountains. The accumulation numbers this season are astronomical. I wouldn’t doubt there will be skiing for the 4th in the mountains of California.

COOLER TEMPS IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST

The same storms mentioned above are bringing cooler temperatures to the desert growing regions where summer crops are starting to harvest. The Imperial Valley of California will experience maximum temperatures in the upper 70°s and lower 80°s for the next ten days. This region should be in the mid 90°s heading into the second half of May. Look for possible slow down in crops from these regions.

GEORGIA HEATING UP

Georgia is currently experiencing perfect weather and will see a heat wave come through the area by next weekend. Right now, the peach state has high temperatures in the low 90°s, but starting Monday temperatures will begin to rise slightly every day, and by Friday the 24th the region will be above the 100° mark. Expect several days of temperatures above 100°. This same heat wave will extend north into the Carolinas. These temperatures might bring on the volume of blueberries.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COOLDOWN

The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys of Washington state are experiencing some rain and cooler temperatures at the moment. Yesterday, the valleys received somewhere between .25-.75” of rain.

Hood River, Oregon, which is a big region for cherries, is also experiencing unseasonably cooler temperatures and rain. The next five days have a good chance of daily rain with maximum temperatures in the 50°s. The normal high temperature for this time of year is 72°.

All this wet and cooler weather out west might make for an interesting season for cherries all the way through the summer.

NEW JERSEY

The Garden State is experiencing great weather for this time of year. Temperatures were a little on the cool side last week, but things have definitely turned around this week. With high temperatures ranging from the mid 70°s to the mid 80°s and low temperatures ranging from the mid 50°s to mid 60°s over the next 10 days, things are setting up nicely for a possible early season out of the region.

MORE LOCATIONS IN THE APP

With more growing locations coming into season every week around the country there is too much to cover in our weekly emails. Please download our free Weathermelon app and follow your commodity to see where weather may affect markets.

Thanks again, and we'll be back next week with another weather report!

Weathermelon