The cold snap of October 2019

The October 2019 Cold Snap 

The winter damage evident this spring that is manifesting itself now in New Mexico vineyards, especially those in the northern 1/2 and eastern 1/3 of the state, may have ocurred last fall. Most growers I have talked with remark on the sudden swing, from moderate temperatures to temperatures well below freezing in the latter half of October 2019. Take a look at some temperatures recorded at four New Mexico sites: Farmington, Los Lunas, Portales, and Las Cruces. Note the temperature or diurnal swing in temperatures on October 31st at each of the sites. Portales recorded a low of 11 degrees on that date, after a high of nearly 60 degrees Fahrenheit.