About the Cold Air Drain®

Radiation frosts occur during clear, cold nights with little or no winds. The ground loses heat stored during the day allowing an inversion layer to develop. In an inversion, the warmer air layer sits above the cold air layer that is closest to the ground.

During a radiation frost night, the heaviest cold air molecules flow downhill, due to gravity. This cold air settles in low elevation areas that do not allow for adequate drainage of the cold air. As the cold air accumulates in an area, frost damage occurs.

The Shur Farms Cold Air Drain® pulls the coldest layer of air along the ground using a horizontally-positioned, three-blade, aluminum, vibration-resistant propeller.  The Cold Air Drain® thrusts the cold air upward to a height of nearly 91.44m (300 ft.). As the coldest air is being sent up, it collects and mixes with the warmer, lighter air from above.  This helps to give the cold air continuous lift and allows it to rise higher, until it is dispersed into the upper inversion layer. The coldest air layer is drained and will not fall back down. 

The Cold Air Drain® effect changes the microclimate in the lower elevation, frost-prone areas to be consistent with the higher elevation, non-frost areas. The grower will see consistent temperatures and can expect the same yield in the lower and higher elevation areas. Our Computerized Frost Analysis recommends the maximum frost protectection for severe frost years. The Cold Air Drain® may be used alone or with other frost protection methods (i.e., wind machines, heaters, undertree sprinklers) to maximize the benefits.  The Shur Farms Cold Air Drain® is powerful, cost-effective, convenient, quiet, and environmentally friendly.

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