Yesterday morning's cold snap broke 57-year-old weather records and caused scattered crop damage across Maryland.
"We did sustain some damage in this area to the fruit crops but it does not appear to be significant damage," said Rick Heflebower, regional extension fruit specialist at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, Washington County.
Yesterday's low of 34 at Baltimore-Washington International Airport broke the record of 39 that had stood since 1951.
Downtown, the thermometer hit 45 degrees at 6 a.m., tying the record set in 1939.
Lows elsewhere in Maryland included 24 degrees in Oakland; 27 in Smithsburg (Washington County); 28 in Damascus (Montgomery), Frederick and Finksburg; 29 degrees in Frostburg; and 30 in Cumberland.
Record lows were recorded throughout the Middle Atlantic States.
It was 36 degrees in Wilmington, Del., tying a record from 1939.
Peaches, cherries, apples and unprotected strawberries sustained damage in Central Maryland, Heflebower said.
"Most of the fruit growers will still have the major portion of their crops, so things look good for the marketing season, at least to this point," he said.
Evan Milburn of Milburn Orchards in Cecil County said temperatures reached 26 degrees on his farm.
Peaches and apples emerged in good shape, Milburn said.
"The cherries are hurt a little bit But we're still going to have a good crop," he added.
Tom Burns, winemaker and manager for Boordy Vineyards in northeast Baltimore County, said the low was 31 among his vines yesterday morning.
Two-year-old Reisling vines in "grow tubes" sustained severe damage, perhaps 95 percent.
The tubes are intended to accelerate the vines' vertical growth, but instead they seem to have accelerated their freezing.
"We're calling them 'kill tubes' today," he said.
Scattered frost damaged mature vines 48 inches above the ground.
Pub Date: 5/15/96
