While things feel cold to me here, and I even saw a little sleet today, air temperatures are expected to be much colder in Michigan where I grew up in the fruit belt in western Lower Michigan. The split in the polar vortex caused by the Sudden Stratospheric Warming event earlier in January is bringing very cold temperatures to that part of the country. Peach producers are worried about how the very cold air will affect the buds of peach and other fruit varieties. Fortunately, Lake Michigan is much warmer than usual, which should lead to warmer temperatures and lake-effect clouds which will prevent the really cold temperatures from occurring. Fruit Growers News has an interesting story about how they test the cold-hardiness of different varieties of peaches using a temperature-controlled chamber. You can read it here.

Source: NASA