Put on that jacket!  This winter has been cold and dry, and many of our crops have felt it, including almonds, but also alfalfa!  Fortunately, alfalfa has a high degree of tolerance but yields can also be reduced due to frost.

Frost Damage. We had record high temperatures in early February (near 80^oF) followed by record lows (27^oF on Feb 24, CIMIS data, Davis site). This caused some frost damage to alfalfa fields in many areas of the San Joaquin and the Sacramento Valley, with tip burn and dieback in the upper canopy.

Established alfalfa has good frost tolerance and will readily regrow once the weather warms. Harvest may be delayed by a week or two, depending...