Rain is Bad for Moods, Cherries

It looks like summer is going to kick off without much sun

You'd never know Memorial Day is less than a week away.  It's freezing outside.  And it rained just like the forecasters said it would.

No city in the Bay Area got above 60-something degrees Tuesday and the rest of the week isn't looking any better.

The rain is a summer buzz kill for most of us, but it is a big economic worry for farmers.

Its timing couldn't be worse for farmers.  Cherry farmers in particular are fearful it could severely damage their crops, at a time when cherry prices are already sky high.

This is close to harvest time for the cherries.  Right now they should be basking in the sun and not getting soaked in water.

Longtime cherry and grape farmer John Kautz of Lodi said he could lose his entire crop.

The problem is that the rain causes the fruit to split.

To help with keep the cherries dry, some Northern California  farmers have contracted with helicopter pilots to keep their crops dry.

"When you go out to the Linden area (Tuesday), you will probably see, 15 to 20 helicopters out there in just that area," said Joel Dozhier, of Alpine Helicopters.

The helicopters hover above the trees drying the trees of excess water.

Rain will continue to make its way into the forecast for the rest of the week.

Thursday, there is even a chance of a thunderstorm or two.  Meteorologist Rob Mayeda said hail is possible.

Mayeda said it won't be until Friday that we should see things drying out as we turn the corner into a warmer holiday weekend ahead. 

KCRA.com contributed to this report.

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