This story was from Sunday? Did they have a freeze last night as well?

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/valley-34288-weekend-past.html

Valley citizens, orchards seem to have fared well during cold

January 10, 2010 11:54 PM
Jennifer L. Berghom
The Monitor


Ray Prewett, president of Texas Citrus
Mutual, looks over some of the damage to
citrus orchards Sunday northwest of
McAllen. Prewett isn't sure of the extent of
damage the recent cold weather caused.

The Rio Grande Valley seemed to weather this past weekend’s cold front fairly well. And it can expect milder weather this week.

Though temperatures dipped to as low as the mid- to high-20s Saturday night, it didn’t stay cold long enough to do any serious damage to the area’s citrus crops, said Ray Prewett, president of Texas Citrus Mutual, a nonprofit citrus trade association based in Mission.

If anything, Prewett said, he noticed some leaves curled up on some trees, which is more of a cosmetic flaw and does not affect the fruit.

“We dodged a serious bullet,” said Prewett.

But farmers won’t be able to tell whether any of their crops are damaged until a few days to a few weeks, Prewett said.

The recent freeze paled in comparison to the one that devastated crops in 1989, perhaps because this time the area experienced a radiation-type freeze. Temperatures did not rise and fall as fast during this spell, Prewett said.

Valley residents seemed to fare the frigid weather pretty well.

Area shelters did not see the anticipated influx of guests, but they did receive some people.

The Salvation Army in McAllen estimated it hosted about 30 people since the temperature began to drop Thursday.

Though the men’s shelter at Loaves and Fishes in Harlingen received more guests than usual, the number of people staying at the women’s shelter that charity was not as high as anticipated, managers of the shelters said.

“We were expecting a lot more,” said Letty Barron, manager of Loaves and Fishes’ women’s shelter. About 11 women and 16 children stayed there during the cold spell. Overall, the shelters can house about 100 people.

Perhaps the reason for the low turnout was that the charity had been giving out blankets and coats throughout the week, Barron said.

The men’s shelter, however, averaged between 30 and 35 people per night, said Gilbert Hurtado, the men’s shelter manager. That shelter normally receives 20 to 25 men.

As of Sunday afternoon, however, the cold front passed, and temperatures jumped to the mid 50s. Some people checking out of the shelters to return home now that the chill is gone.

The Valley is projected to become gradually warmer throughout the week, with lows Monday in the 30s to 40s. By Friday, temperatures should bounce back to the 50s and 60s, said Joseph Tomaselli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service station in Brownsville.

But long-range forecasts predict another cold snap for next weekend, with lows back in the 30s and 40s, Tomaselli said.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.