Icicles on orange tree to protect against freezing (photo from USDA 2010 report to Congress)

15 February 2026

It’s hard to imagine that frozen water protects plants from freezing. Here’s how it works.

January was so cold in the eastern US that freezing temperatures hit Florida twice last month, on January 16 and on Jan 31–Feb 1, 2026. Florida citrus growers prepared ahead of time to save their crops and protect their trees. They …

• Picked ripe fruit before the freeze.
• Wrapped trees in sheets or burlap from the ground up to main branches or covered them entirely -or-
• Mist-sprayed the trees continuously to protect against frost damage. Water must be applied continuously without interruption or this method fails.  Spraying uses so much water that it is inappropriate for drought-stricken areas.

Before the late January freeze, WPTV News visited Al’s Family Farms in Fort Pierce, Florida to talk about their preparations.

On 3 February News 6 visited Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, FL to assess the damage.

Meanwhile the western U.S. was warmer than normal, as described here in Scientific American, so California citrus growers were spared this problem.