Cold/Wind Chill in Greater Burke, North Carolina

The 2017 growing season began early across western North Carolina, due to an unusually warm February and early March that saw average temperatures of almost 10 degrees above normal. An episode of cold arctic high pressure in the middle of March led to a hard freeze on the morning of the 16th, when low temperatures in the lower to mid 20s were reported. This caused significant damage to berry, wheat, apple, and peach crops. While subsequent days of freezing temperatures caused further damage, the vast majority of the damage occurred on the 16th.