PORTER, Okla. — Recent cold weather could impact area crops.
2 News Meteorologist Brandon Wholey visited Porter to talk to Livesay Orchards about their peach crop.
Why Porter?
Porter, in Wagoner County, is the 'Peach Capital' of Oklahoma. In the 1890s Ben Marshall, a Creek allotee, planted peaches for the local market. Peaches became a major cash crop after he received a Gold Medal at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition for the peach quality. In 1967, Porter started hosting an annual Peach Festival.
The Mesonet weather station in Porter dropped to 34° early Tuesday morning, with Wednesday expected to be another cold one. But, despite cold temperatures early this spring, the crop is doing quite well.
Kent Livesay said temperatures have to get down into the 20's for the crop to be impacted. Some cloud cover or lack thereof and the wind can make all the difference whether it's warmer or colder.
"At this stage I'd rather stay out of the 20's. I mean we could be 28°/29° and have an excellent crop still. But the temperature differential starts getting really narrow here at this stage. 2° or 3° can make a major difference," said Kent Livesay.
WATCH: 2 News highlights the 2023 Porter Peach Festival
The Porter Peach Festival is scheduled for July 18th through the 20th.
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