Farmers Worry As Unusually Cold Temps Grip Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Almond growers and other fruit tree farmers in Central and Northern California are bracing for possible crop damage, as unusually cold temperatures grip the state and set new records in some spots.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Stumpf says temperatures in the San Francisco Bay area dropped into the 30s and upper 20s early Saturday morning. The previous record low of 38 degrees in downtown Oakland was broken by four degrees. Besides the cold, some hilly areas of San Francisco received a rare dusting of snow.

Temperatures across the state are expected to dip even lower early Sunday morning, possibly breaking records in Southern California.

Almond, peach and other tree fruit farmers in the Central Valley are running water in their fields in an attempt to try to temperatures a bit higher. A hard freeze warning is in effect there from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday.

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