Freeze of 2007 Galleries

Orchard #1 : It was still well before sunrise when I started documenting the freeze. At this location there was not much water being sprayed to make dramatic photos. The steam coming off the irrigation weir indicated the relative warmth of the ground water.

Orchard #1

It was still well before sunrise when I started documenting the freeze ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 7:43pm PST

Orchard #2 - The Ice Coat : Losing your crop and livelihood is not beautiful but some of the frozen results from the micro sprinklers are interesting.

Orchard #2 - The Ice Coat

Losing your crop and livelihood is not beautiful but some of the froze ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 10:12pm PST

Orchard #3 - with Sierra Nevada Range behind : It would be a pretty sight if your crop wasn't turning into Popsicles on the trees.

Orchard #3 - with Sierra Nevada Range behind

It would be a pretty sight if your crop wasn't turning into Popsicles ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 9:08pm PST

Battling the Freeze with Wind Machines : Wind machines play an important role mixing warmer air usually above the orchards with the colder air that falls to the floor of the orchards. During this freeze, the cold was too much for the wind machines to prevent damage.

Battling the Freeze with Wind Machines

Wind machines play an important role mixing warmer air usually above t ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 6:52am PST

Orchard #4 - Biggest Icicles with most dramatic photos : This orchard was different from the others. First, the orchard was being converted from one variety and being grafted to another variety. The freeze was shown more dramatically because the sprinklers sprayed further and higher coating more of the trees in ice. In some photos you can see the snow pack on the Sierra Nevada range in the background.

Orchard #4 - Biggest Icicles with most dramatic photos

This orchard was different from the others. First, the orchard was bei ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2008 1:47am PST

Aftermath - Damage from Freeze : Economic damage is evident in these photos taken 1 1/2 months after the freeze. Whole crops of damaged oranges were abandoned on the trees. Young orchard trees were severely damaged or killed.

Aftermath - Damage from Freeze

Economic damage is evident in these photos taken 1 1/2 months after th ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 6:32am PST