With crazy fluctuations in the temperature this winter, you may wonder how the warm weather impacts Niagara's vineyards.
VP of Operations for Henry of Pelham Estate Winery, Matt Speck, tells CKTB's Walter Sendzik, this is extreme weather for the month of February.
"For me.....we have been at this since the late 80's, so we've got 30 plus years, I don't recall a February day this warm."
Yesterday's high of 17 smashed a 1976 record when the high reached 10 degrees in Niagara.
He says a sharp increase in temperatures can wake the vines out of hibernation too early.
"The danger with this...is the vines are dormant and have a natural anti-freeze in them that protects then from cold weather occurrences. A day like this tricks the plants into waking up thinking it's April and negates their resistance to cold weather that we may and will get this winter."
He says that makes the vines most-at-risk for cold winter weather damage.
Senior Climatologist, David Phillips, with Environment Canada, tells us maple syrup season is starting already, which is way too early.
He pointed back to 2012 when temperatures were reaching 27 degrees in March for eight straight days, saying while people were happy with warm weather, farmers knew it was bad news.
"We had 15 frost days in late March and into April, and it was a 100 million dollar loss to the apple industry in Ontario because vegetation doesn't know it's a false spring. The buds are bursting and when the frost comes, it's game over."
Phillips says there could be damage to crops with the latest roller coaster of temperatures, but since it has only been 48 hrs with the temperature above freezing, it should be minimal.
Tomorrow's temperature will drop sharply with a high of minus 3.
Listen to Sendzik's interview with Phillips here.