(Wines&Vines) - The 2017 growing season has seen plenty of challenges for eastern growers. While winter weather was relatively mild (and much better than the polar vortex in 2013-14 or deep freeze temperatures in 2014-15), topsy-turvy weather patterns began across the East this February. Warm temperatures in the 60s and 70s resulted in cherry trees blooming a month early in Washington, D.C., and growers began to worry about early deacclimation and the possibility of subsequent frost damage. Fortunately, most vines didn’t push too early and, for once, there were few issues with spring frosts