Blog post • Freeze response
They Knew the Freeze Was Bad. They Didn't Know Which Blocks to Save.
When information arrives slower than decisions, crews gamble with labor and replant budgets.
Mar 23, 2026 7 min read
Freeze BC Block triage
In January 2024, vineyard temperatures in parts of BC fell to roughly -27C. Early projections were near-total loss in many areas, but actual outcomes varied block by block.
Growers did what they always do: walk rows, compare notes, and decide with partial information. The problem was timing. Replant and sourcing calls could not wait for perfect certainty.
A fast block-level triage pass would not have replaced field checks. It would have helped teams prioritize where scarce crew hours should go first.