Midway through March, Henderson County felt temperatures drop into the mid-teens for several morning hours on two consecutive days as an Arctic cold front moved in from the Great Plains. The freeze likely damaged blossoms on apple trees that bear fruit early in the season and were blooming up to three weeks early due to an unseasonably warm winter. Varieties affected included Granny Smiths, Fujis, Galas, and Red Delicious. Variations in Henderson County topography protect some orchards better than others, and the extent of the damage may not be known until harvest time. On the bright side, some of the late bloomers may have been slowed by the freeze, protecting them against damage from any April frosts. The peach crop likely suffered more, as those trees were in full bloom at the time in Henderson County. Because it is not unusual to see snow in April in Western North Carolina, peach blossoms in the county typically get killed by frost every other year. Last year, an April 9 frost attacked portions of the county’s apple crop. The running average date for the last killing frost in Henderson County is April 22. Crop damage to peaches, apples, and berries was worse in South Carolina and Georgia because the trees were in full bloom. Some blackberry plants suffered leaf freeze, while strawberries had been protected with blankets. Tradition has it that nothing should be planted before the dogwoods bloom.