Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Areas of smoke reducing visibility at times. Low around 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..
Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Areas of smoke reducing visibility at times. Low around 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated: August 14, 2026 @ 9:01 pm
While majestic firs tumbled and mighty oaks snapped like small twigs, most Hood River fruit trees remained relatively unscathed during the mid-January cataclysmic ice storm.
"I don't see a lot of overall damage," said Tim Pearson, field representative at Stadlelman's, "mostly a limb here and a tree there. There were isolated incidents where some growers suffered a significant amount of damage - mainly in the Dee area."
Concurring with Pearson, Jean Godfrey, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers Association executive director, noted that she had reports of serious tree loss from growers in Dee and the Binns Hill area.
"They lost quite a few trees - maybe about 10 percent - but when you look at the cost to replace those trees and the loss of production from downed mature trees, we are still taking about real impact," Godfrey said.
"We are working to collect information on those losses and passing it on to Dave Meriwether at the county. He is working with FEMA and we'll see if there will be help for our growers," she said.
On the positive side, Godfrey noted that her field representative reports from around the valley confirm that temperatures during the storm did not get cold enough to cause bud damage.
"The buds were dormant and temperatures weren't that cold," said Pearson. "If buds were encased in ice, they were staying at a steady 32 degrees. When it gets into the teens and below, that's when people get worried."
"We are about to head into frost season, though," said Godfrey. That is when emerging buds might suffer if temperatures dip again.
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