Hail, brisk winds and freezing temperatures had people reaching for their winter woollies two months early but it has had little effect on the Orange region’s apple harvests.
A storm on Sunday was followed by a below average overnight minimum of just two degrees which crawled to a top of only eight degrees on Monday in Orange.
The rain stopped fruit picking throughout the region but the orchardists escaped damage from a hail storm south-east of Orange on Sunday night.
And the good news is that the sun is forecast to shine with temperatures about 19 degrees for next weekend’s Easter public holidays.
Orchardist Peter West said most of the apple crop, except for the late-ripening pink lady variety, were well on their way to being picked from the trees on his Balmoral property.
“We’re about three-quarters of the way through the harvest,” he said.
“We’ve got the pink ladies to come yet. They’ll be toward the end of the month.”
Caernarvon orchardist Bernard Hall said they had some granny smiths to be picked.
“And in two to three weeks we’ve got the main crop of pink ladies.”
Nashdale orchardist Peter Darley said on Monday picking on his property had been stopped while they waited for the next fruit to ripen.
“No one would be picking today in the rain,” he said.
NSW Farmers Orange branch chair Bruce Reynolds said about 85 per cent of the Orange harvest was completed.
Mr Reynolds said he received hail on his farm but his fruit was protected by netting.
The overnight low of just two degrees at 3.48am on Monday was the coldest the temperature has dropped to in Orange this year.
It was also well below the April median minimum temperature of five degrees.
However, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a sunny week and Easter weekend ahead.
A high of 19 degrees is tipped for Good Friday, 18 on Easter Saturday and 19 on Easter Sunday.
The forecast is for a dry week ahead.
The only day forecast to have a chance of rain falling is Wednesday.
The Orange airport weather station recorded 10.4 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.
Wind gusts of up to 56 km/h were also recorded around noon.
This story first appeared on the Central Western Daily.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
