Miami, Feb. 6 - Some Florida citrus groves, especially in the north of the state, were likely to have suffered fruit damage in two successive nights of hard freeze, the state's largest growers' association said Friday.
"We expect some freeze damage up north, and some spot damage elsewhere, especially in low-lying areas," said Andrew Meadows, a spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual, which represents about 8,000 growers.
But he added the damage, suffered in areas where overnight temperatures fell below 28 degrees Fahrenheit , was difficult to quantify with precision immediately.
Fruit, rather than the trees themselves, were likely to have been affected. "We haven't had reports of tree damage," Meadows said.
Earlier, the National Weather Service said Florida's citrus areas were hit by a hard freeze Friday for the second successive night.
In a statement at 4:48 a.m. EST (0948 GMT), the Service said citrus counties like Pasco, Polk, Hardee among others would be under a hard freeze warning until 9:00 a.m.
"Arctic air in place this morning has resulted in several hours of sub-freezing temperatures," the Service said.
Normally, citrus plants will suffer damage if temperatures fall to 28 degrees Fahrenheit or below for four hours or longer.
On Thursday morning, a hard freeze hit Florida but Florida Citrus Mutual said citrus crops did not suffer any major damage.
The U.S. Agriculture Department forecast Florida's 2008/09 citrus crop at 162 million (90-lb) boxes. The next update by the USDA will be released on Tuesday.