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."