News and Stories

The much-awaited El Niño winter weather pattern may be beginning to materialize on the West Coast. 

Current weather forecast calls for warm and wet systems impacting both Central to Southern California as well as the Arizona growing regions starting Sunday, January 3rd and continuing through Sunday, January 10.  Temperatures are on the rise, and forecast to be average to above-average thru mid-January.

Rain on the West Coast is needed and welcome, but ramifications to the produce industry will be significant.  Supply issues affecting sourcing areas, daily (and timely) availability, and quality of all products will occur. Markon will continue to update as Mother Nature challenges the produce industry. 

Below is the current forecast for Southern California and Arizona’s desert growing region.  The biggest impact facing the industry this week will be rain in the Southern California growing region affecting strawberry and celery harvests. 

Santa Maria, Ventura, and Oxnard, California Regions

• Light rain starts along California’s Central Coast Sunday evening, January 3, lasting through Thursday, January 7. 
• Forecast calls for upwards of 1.5 inches of rainfall in Santa Maria by Monday evening then continuing south through Oxnard and Ventura County
• A second, more energetic front will arrive early Tuesday, bringing another 1-to-2.5 inches for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties
• Brief break in the rainfall on Wednesday morning is expected, with another system arriving Wednesday evening

Arizona/California Desert Growing Regions

• Light-to-moderate lettuce ice will hit Saturday, January 2, but highs are beginning to reach seasonal averages of 62 to 68 degrees
• Rain is forecast to hit late Sunday, January 3 and will develop to widespread by Monday
• Rainfall amounts up to 0.25 inch to 0.35 inches are expected
• Another rain front arrives Tuesday into Wednesday and is forecast to bring another 0.25 inch to 0.40 inches of rain
• Long range forecast indicates rain to arrive again January 8th and 9th carrying a potential of 0.25 inch of rain

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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