February 01, 2011

Kansas Blizzard

My Grandmother used to say if you don't like the weather in Kansas, then wait five minutes and it will change. I don't think she was too far off with that statement for the crazy weather we have had this past week. Just three days ago it was well over 6o degrees and the weather was so nice that I was almost too warm in a light jacket while outside. That was Saturday and this is Tuesday so now we are under a blizzard warning with temperatures predicted to drop well into the negative digits tomorrow night, maybe even down to 9 below! Wow, what a difference three days can make! These first pictures were taken at 8 AM this morning, at that point it had only been snowing a few hours.

Blowing snow early this morning but I could still see the very tops of the tall grass and the black 55 gallon barrel the goats liked to play on last summer. It has been blown over by the fence (look between the tree and shed in the picture.)

This picture was also taken at 8am this morning. The haziness is all the blowing snow. Notice the extra large, orange water tub by the gate. That tub is one of the very large ones with the rope handles you can sometimes find at Wal-Mart, it is taller than my knees.

I feel so sorry for the wild birds in weather like this, I don't know how they survive it. I could still see all 6 strands of this fence this morning.

Here I am trying to open the back door only 8 hours later at 4 PM today!

We live in a mobile home with the tall, wooden mobile home steps but I can't even see the steps below the back porch!

The high winds seems to have kept the snow from drifting too deep in most of the back yard but our burn barrel is still almost half buried in it.

Remember that black 55 gallon barrel I pointed out in the earlier picture, it is not even visible anymore.

The top of the big orange water tub is still visible, just barely! (Don't worry there are no goats in this pasture right now)

That poor, cold, little bird flew off to hopefully find someplace warmer to roost and the fence got a lot shorter today since only the top three strands are now above the snow.

I worry about the animals in this type of weather. Cinnamon the chicken had to be moved to a smaller room in the old farm house so that two of the Boer bucks could be moved to her room for the night. She found a mouse living in her new room and so I don't think she minded. (Do chickens eat mice? She seemed very determined to find that mouse!) The bucks had shelter but a room in the old farm house/shop will be much warmer for them. Tarps have been hung on the front of the doe's sheds and the heated water buckets and stock tank heaters are out and working. I am so ready for Spring!

I don't know how people that live up north deal with all that snow and cold weather! Copied below is the blizzard warning issued by The National Weather Service for our area and information about the storm and weather here! Brrrrrr!


"Issued by The National Weather Service
Wichita, KS
4:02 pm CST, Tue., Feb. 1, 2011

... BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY... ... WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY. A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING... LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL DIMINISH TO FLURRIES THIS EVENING... WITH BLOWING SNOW AND BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS PERSISTING OVERNIGHT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE... BRINGING STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

* WINDS... STRONG NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

* IMPACTS... THE STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW... PRODUCING GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN OPEN COUNTRY AND MAKING TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ADDITIONALLY... DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS AROUND 20 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED!

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROSTBITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS... MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES."

13 comments:

Bears Fan said...

Thank you for making me see just how appreciative I am at the so cold what we think is COLD weather here in Oregon! We have a cold east wind blowing, and temps for tonight, I think 22 predicted...Brrrrr. Good luck with all of that snow! The pictures are way cool!

Anonymous said...

We're pretty lucky here. We're missing the worst of it. I am lucky that I have good shelters for the animals. Hope you stay warm and safe.

Teresa

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

I was wondering how y'all wee holding through this. Good luck

Kristine said...

That's a lot of snow! We had our share in the Sierra Nevadas already and usually we get one more before the winter is through... but that seems rather excessive.

And yes, chickens will eat mice if they can get a hold of one that is weak. They will eat almost anything. They do turn up their beaks at some things, but generally everything is fair game.

Moonshadow said...

We've not gotten as much snow west and south of Wichita, but we have plenty of blowing cold. Yes, chickens eat mice. One of their favorite foods from what I've seen. We had three old hens in a pen with a doghouse and had seen a mouse go under it. So we turned it over to discoverd a litter(?) of babie mice. We barely saw them because the hens were on them and they were gone in a flash.

Bossy Betty said...

This Kansas girl thanks you for showing me these pictures of my home state! Hope all those critters do OK. (I live in CA now and love the pictures of snow, but not the real thing anymore!)

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

saw you on october farm's sidebar and came to see the blizzard !!!

i worry about the animals so much too...breaks my heart...

stay warm

kary and teddy

Mimi Foxmorton said...

That is some powerful weather you've got there!
We have an ice storm today.
I'm glad I kept Darla at home for this week. She's too small to brave the barn.

Have a warm and snuggly day!
~Mimi
www.thegoatborrower.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

We had an ice storm here then got some snow yesterday. We had no power since Tuesday night, it finally came back on last night at about 9PM (EST). I finally got my internet up and running again this morning.

Amy

http://goatpod2.wordpress.com

Nekkid Chicken said...

Just looking at those pictures makes my joints cry out in pain. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Stay warm missy,
Mal

Twisted Fencepost said...

Ya'll have really had the bad weather this year! I'm hoping for an early spring!!!

Anne-Marie said...

What crazy weather you have over there! While I could really use some more sun and warmth than we get here in Washington, I'm super thankful for being close to the ocean. It keeps our weather nice and temperate so we don't get too many 'weather swings'. I hope the snow doesn't last too long for you and Spring makes an appearance soon =)

Lisa said...

I dont know anything about the weather in Kansas. It looks very similar to the weather here in NH! lol Sadly, most of this year we have seen very much the same as these pictures. I wonder if it will ever melt.