Cherry Growers Working To Save Crops From Heat

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) – Orchardists in Central Washington are trying to save the cherry crop as a heat wave grips the region.

They’re using canopies, deploying sprinklers and sending out workers in the night to harvest cherries.

Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees this week, with a predicted high near 115 degrees on Tuesday.

The heat wave hit as Washington’s cherries are ripening.

Cherry growers are moving 500,000 boxes a day, said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission. So far, the cherries appear to have good color and sugar.

If the cherries get too hot, they will sunburn and dry out.