Local orchards and farms were fighting to protect delicate crops from frost this week, including this morning after the National Weather Service issued an overnight freeze warning.

The warning for the foothills of the Blue Mountains was expected to be in effect until 10 a.m. today.

Managers at Ron Lefore Apple Farm in Milton-Freewater said they were watching weather reports closely and would likely be up at night protecting their fruit.

Frost fans were running early this morning and Thursday in orchards to prevent the freeze from damaging the crops.

Managers at Davis Orchards in Milton-Freewater said they turned on fans around 3 a.m. today, but the freeze did not hit them as hard as expected.

Frost fans are used in orchards during cold snaps, but must be turned on before temperatures get below 32 degrees, according to Penn State University agriculture professor Robert Crassweller. The fans can mix warmer air from higher up in the atmosphere with colder air and raise temperatures by a few degrees.

The fans don’t work during windy cold snaps because the wind prevents an inversion layer of warmer air from forming, and they also can’t be used to prevent a severe freeze, according to information published by Crassweller.

Walla Walla crops caught a break as temperatures only dropped to 36 degrees early this morning. Milton-Freewater hovered around 32 degrees most of the night, according to the National Weather Service.

The latest freeze was slated to start at 2 a.m. today. Temperatures in some parts of Umatilla County, including Helix, saw lows around 22 degrees.

Chandler Briggs at Hayshaker Farm in College Place said dipping temperatures earlier this week had done some damage to the farm’s cucumber crop. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, but that wasn’t the case everywhere.

Frog Hollow Farm owner and operator Amy Dietrich posted on social media about the damage at her farm, particularly frustrating after flooding at the property in February.

The farm, she wrote, is now experimenting with a few rows of dry land tomato growing this season. She’s also re-seeded tomato starts that have quickly sprouted.

“We have indeed had huge loss, but life is proving to be in those little seedlings, and they are looking great,” Dietrich wrote.

Temperatures are expected to warm significantly following this morning’s freeze with a high of 72 degrees today, according to the weather service.

Seasonable temperatures should be a welcome sight for farmers as highs are expected to be in the upper 60s and low 70s and lows in the mid-40s for the next week.