It seems like I am always saying “bloom looks like it is going to be early this year”.  Well, this year, I think it actually will be.  Here are a some pictures of a four year old tree on February 3rd.  As you can see, some of the buds are fully opened into flowers and the others are “swollen” and will be opening soon.  The February is one of the most important times of the year for almonds because the weather during bloom is the biggest determinant of the yield potential of the orchard.  Because almonds flowers need to be pollinated by bees, if the weather is cold and rainy, the bees are unable to fly and won’t pollinate the crop.  It is looking like this year will be great “bee” weather… as I write this, the 7-day forecast is calling for 70’s.  Of course, things can change in a hurry in the winter so… we’ll see.