Salt Lake Telegram | 1903-04-27 | Page 1 | Utah's Fruit Crop is Threatened Tonight by Heavy, Killing Frost

UTAH'S FRUIT CROP IS THREATENED TONIGHT BY HEAVY, KILLING FROST An area of high pressure is moving rapidly this way from the coast and threatening to ruin the fruit crop of Utah that until now looked so promising. The temperature at 1 o'clock this afternoon was 43 degrees and Observer Lodholz of the local weather bureau fears it will drop much lower tonight. To the fruit growers all over the State he is rushing a warning, apprising them of the approach of the frost, that they may prepare their smudge fires and be in readiness to protect the swelling buds of the fruit trees. Just how low the temperature will go Mr. Lodholz Is not prepared to say He believes that the mercury will drop at least eeven degrees lower than it was at 1 o'clock. For a frost to be extremely damaging, temperature of about S3 degrees would have to be reached. . That would be termed a killing frost. It is not unusual for the temperature to fall 10 degrees during a night. As the tem- be 1 tU,f 1 ClCC!? " dreeS k 18 robable tha the frcst of tonignt wTli be a killing one and do great damage to unprotected orchards. L r'joniv11 h?fM ilEt nlEht, a,nd thlS mornln the instruments on the roof of the Dooly build nS recorded a half Inch of rain. Though not a record-breaker this is considered a good rain for this tjme of the year breaker.