By Clint Thompson
Chill hours in Georgia are ahead of where they were last year at this point in the season. That’s positive news for the state’s peach producers who need cooler temperatures to make next year’s crop.
According to the University of Georgia Weather Network, Byron, Georgia, received 241.5 chill hours from Nov. 10 to Dec. 16, compared to 202.75 in 2023. Fort Valley, Georgia, received 247.5 chill hours during that same time frame, compared to 182.75 in 2023. Tifton, Georgia, received 195 chill hours during that same period, compared to 135.5 last year.
“We are slightly ahead of last season,” said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “And it looks like after these three or four days, we should get back cool again.”
Those chill hours were recorded with temperatures under 45 degrees Fahrenheit, though additional hours can be recorded with other models.
“We always say that the 45 (degree) mark is what the weather station goes by but there’s a lot of models that will give you credit for 50. If we stay in the low 50s and stay below that, it’s pretty nice,” Cook said.
Chill hour accumulation started slowly across the Southeast, though December temperatures have provided periods of much cooler weather.
“We’re probably getting 12-plus hours, easy, a day for a week,” Cook said in early December. “It started slow, though. The last couple of years we’ve gotten a frost in October, which is kind of unusual. We didn’t have any cold in November.
“We’re always a little worried in the fall and early winter. There’s always a little bit of concern.”
Cool Forecast
Those concerns may be in the past, however, considering the extended forecast for the state. According to weather.com, temperatures in Byron, Georgia, are expected to drop to 41 degrees on Thursday night, with low temperatures staying in the 30s each night through Christmas Eve.