Devastating crop losses caused by freezing temperatures in Virginia

by Jeff Ishee

April 24, 2026 - Virginia fruit growers and wineries are reporting significant crop losses after a hard freeze on April 20–21. The extreme temperatures damaged tender buds and young fruit across the state’s orchards and vineyards. Temperatures plunged into the mid‑20s in many areas, striking at the most vulnerable point of early bloom.

The week prior saw daytime highs well above the statewide average, causing many crops to advance in maturation. In some areas of the Commonwealth, the daytime highs went from the low 90s during the week of April 12-18, to overnight lows in the mid 20s the following week.

Little did growers know that the stage was being set for a widespread disaster.

A freeze damages crops by forming ice inside plant tissues, rupturing cells, and killing the developing buds and flowers that later become fruit.

Dozens of Virginia vineyards built fires in an attempt to raise the air temperature by a couple of degrees. In many cases, the valiant effort proved ineffective. Image credit - Lee Hartman, Bluestone Vineyard

In Rockingham County, several wineries reported widespread injury to primary shoots. Winemaker Lee Hartman at Bluestone Vineyard stayed up all night lighting fires in the vineyards with hopes of salvaging early blooms. He wrote on Facebook, "Before the sun wanted to hint that it was on its way, I was already texting with winemakers all over the state who were seeing the same thing as I was. This wasn't just a frost. It was a hard freeze. Getting down to 25 degrees, we continued feeding the fires until the birds woke up. Sometimes, after a frost event, you can't tell the damage until late in the afternoon, or even the next day. By the time I had poured 300 gallons of water on the fires, I could see the damage. And it was widespread."

In Augusta County, John Noer with Noer Vineyards posted on Facebook, "We got a cold one last night, especially here in Shenandoah Valley. Temps on the farm at the bottom of the vineyard dropped to 24 degrees, with warmer temps at the top going down to 32 degrees. We had a helicopter circle from 2 AM til beyond daybreak in an attempt to push warmer air down to the vines." He summed up the experience by saying he suspects "a good chunk of the vineyard is lost for the year."

Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg described the weather event as "a devastating week here at Boxwood." They went on to report, "After bud break, a sudden frost moved through the vineyard and took nearly 75% of our young growth. Walking the rows now, it’s a very different landscape than it was just days ago."

Fruit orchards also suffered. In Shenandoah County, Woodbine Farms, in the same family since 1898, reported injury to early‑blooming apple varieties. Their post on Facebook stated, "We hit 22 degrees in the orchard last night. This is the third devastating blow of the season. Some things that were hanging on are completely lost. We will be grieving for a while."

Statewide assessments are ongoing, but growers say the timing of the freeze—after a spell of unusually warm weather—made the damage more severe. Extension specialists expect a clearer picture of losses in the coming days as vineyards and orchards evaluate secondary bud viability.