Vineyards in Upstate New York Suffer Damage at Hands of Late-Season Frost

Posted: May 29, 2023 6:35 pm

It has been a hard spring for grape growers in upstate New York. A series of extreme weather events have dealt a blow to the vineyards in this region, putting the crop in peril heading into the end of the spring season.

Warm Temperatures Early in Spring Set Stage for Vulnerability to Frost

The trouble began early in the spring when unseasonably warm temperatures spread over the Finger Lakes region of the state. The warmth was so significant that it brought the vines out earlier than normal.

This early budding made the vines more vulnerable to the cold snap that gripped the region in the middle of May. The cold snap ushered in one of the most severe frosts that winemakers had seen in years.

Although wine industry experts are still in the process of assessing the damage caused by the cold snap, it is becoming more clear that the grape yields will be lower than normal during this growing season.

So while the warm weather in April certainly felt nice to New Yorkers who were ready to say goodbye to winter, it made the crops more vulnerable to the cold temperatures that followed.

What Triggered the Frost?

The May 18 hard frost was the result of a large area of high pressure that had come down from Canada, setting the stage for low overnight temperatures and low dew points.

These conditions are precursors for frosts and freezes. This is the time of the spring when agricultural interests can count on dew points climbing into the 50s, helping to keep cold overnight conditions at bay and crops safe from damage.

However, that did not happen this year. For instance, the overnight low in Watkins Glen, New York plummeted to 24 degrees on May 18. This was a drastic shift from the high that day of 69 degrees.

It only takes a few hours for the vineyards to suffer damage as a result of the rapidly falling temperatures. This damage happens when the water located inside the grape freezes and turns to ice, ruining the crop.

What is most worrisome to grape growers is that climate change is bringing on even more of these warm spells in the spring, setting the stage for potential damage if the vines begin growing too early in the season.

Looking ahead, the forecast is calling for temperatures that should remain mild enough to promote growth and longevity in the grapevine shoots that made it through the frost. The warm and dry weather is predicted to hang on through at least the middle of the week.

This will encourage and support further growth in the vineyards. But the damage might be already done for a portion of the grape crops. Only time will tell how much the May 18 frost will end up costing this industry in upstate New York.

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