Cold weather speeds wine grape harvest

 PASCO, Wash. (AP) - Two nights of freezing weather have wine grape growers in central Washington hustling to get their grapes harvested.

Temperatures dipped into the high teens and 20s Sunday and Monday. Growers tell the Tri-City Herald that the grapes themselves didn't freeze, but the cold weather damaged leaves, which means the grapes won't ripen any further.

This year's wine grape harvest in Washington is expected to set a record. The state field office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service estimates about 155,000 tons will be picked, 7% more than last year's record.