There are pros and cons to the recent rainfall in the Okanagan.
The pro is that it slightly lessens the chance of wildfire starts, although ongoing drought conditions mean the region is still susceptible to fire activity.
The cons is that significant rainfall can do “extensive damage” to cherry crops, a post from the District of Lake Country explains.
Rain collects in the stem bowl of the cherry, with the fruit’s flesh absorbing it quicker than the cherry can handle.
That can cause the cherry to split, which means it’s no longer marketable.
To counteract the rain, orchardists utilize helicopters to fly low over cherry crops in an effort to blow water off the fruit.
Action also happens on the ground, with growers setting up fans and blowers to try and prevent the cherries from getting spoiled.
Although there’s a small chance of rain this afternoon and later on Wednesday, it appears the Central Okanagan is heading into another hot and dry spell of summer weather.
That means the low-altitude helicopter activity should soon be put on hold for now and growers can refocus their attention on harvesting this year’s cherry crop.
