Figure 1. Vineyard data available hourly used to bias correct the numerical model guidance to account for microclimates do to terrain. The orange outline is the Russian River Basin.

Contact:   Dave Reynolds

NOAA to Provide Enhanced Frost Forecast Information to Improve Russian River Water Management

Sonoma County water resource managers and area farmers need high-resolution frost forecasts to better manage flows in the Russian River and its tributaries. Improved monitoring and prediction of frost conditions will help the agricultural community and the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) better determine the need for crop protection and help manage water resources more effectively. Last spring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth Systems Research Lab, in partnership with the National Weather Service (NWS), began developing a prototype high-resolution digital forecast utilizing real-time vineyard temperature data contributed by a number of growers. The stations provided by FarmEcology Labs to NOAA are shown in Figure 1. This prototype system is currently focused on the Alexander Valley.   Read the full article on the Sonoma County Winegrowers website