HEAVY FOG & COLD WEATHER SLOWS DOWN CITRUS

The cooler temps across California make for slower growth on most items and the heavy Tule fog in the Central Valley is keeping citrus groves and fruit moist. In the Sacramento hills, think Side Hill Citrus, heavy fog is really not good for citrus. The citrus is spending most of their time moist on the tree and they cannot be harvested in that condition. It causes all kinds of abrasions and cell rupture. Quality issues can show up post-harvest such as clear rot or inking and staining with skin discoloration or black/brown staining, when the fruit is harvested wet and the cells rupture. After excessive rain, sugar levels can drop diluting the flavor of the fruit. We are sorting fruit as needed to manage quality issues, but we appreciate you working product when necessary. We encourage you to have a discussion with your Earl’s sales rep about citrus Expect citrus to remain a challenge for the time being.

Side Hill Citrus Satsumas are grown in Lincoln in the Sacramento Foothills. Rich Ferreira is now on the downside of his Satsuma crop and expects it to end in the next 1-2 weeks. Read the full Satsuma update interview with Ethan Abendroth, Earl’s citrus buyer and Rich Ferreira on Fresh Plaza.com . Fruit World in Reedley has plenty of Satsumas in a variety of sizes with great flavor.

Rich Ferreira Side Hill Citrus Satsumas and Ethan Abendroth, Earl’s Citrus Buyer

EXCERPT FROM THE L.A. TIMES DECEMBER 9, 2025

‘Extreme’ cloud bank for 16 days and counting in Central Valley; record-cold December possible

Across much of Central California, a cluster of stubborn clouds has lingered for more than two weeks, bringing periods of intense fog and unseasonably low temperatures — and officials say the stagnant weather pattern is likely to persist. The low stratus clouds — which appear to stretch from Bakersfield through Chico and west into the Bay Area — continue to create visibility concerns on roadways and could help foster a record-cool December, said Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford. Temperatures have remained well below average the last few weeks, he said, with highs only in the upper 40s for much of the region, about 10 degrees below average for this time of year. Dense fog has been an almost daily concern since late November, particularly on roadways that transition from higher elevations into the lower valleys, such as in the lower Sierra foothills, coastal ranges and along the Grapevine, Molina said. In those spots, drivers briefly enter the low clouds, where visibility becomes extremely limited, he said.