Calving and a Taste of Winter arrival (Cheyenne, Laramie: homes, to buy)

[sunsprit]

National Weather Service Cheyenne, WY Weather Story Graphic: http://www.weather.gov/crh/weatherst...=#.VnUxBhUrKUk

The temps aren't low yet ...

But the winds aren't very user friendly. 2nd time this Fall we'll have 75+ mph winds through the area.

With only a few cows, it's not too daunting for us ... but getting barns ready for the lambing season ahead is a chore in these conditions.

Have watched numerous I-80 shut-downs over the last week, where the road was closed Cheyenne - Rock Springs, if not all the way to Evanston. We had a Laramie county employee "snow day" closure on Wednesday after Tuesday's storm front passage ... Tuesday's travel conditions were by far and away much worse.

Folk that must travel the highways in the area at these times ... best to check on the road conditions ahead. I tried to get to the Torrington auction last Saturday AM, made it to Burns in almost white-out conditions on a black ice road 214. Stopped in at the Antelope for fuel and visited with a couple of semi drivers fueling there; they said it had been a 40 mph drive from Hawk Springs down to I-80. 'nuff for me, it wasn't worth the drive conditions and I headed back to the ranch, missed the farm equip auction.

[Ltdumbear]

Best of luck to you on calving/lambing season. I hope everything hits the ground running and all momma-cows/ewe's do their jobs as expected.

[jody_wy]

Just put our rams out a couple weeks ago, see them working today. Moved calving back to late March. Rex had good roads home today, lot of trucks though and windy over Elk mountain....

[jody_wy]

[ScottStielow]

Best of luck sunspirt during th eupcoming lambing season. I hope you get a break in the weather.
Although it does not look good for the upcoming week. Looking like storms are following one-after-the-other.
Coming in from the Pacific NW?

[sunsprit]

thanks to all for the kind words re the ranching chores and livestock.

Scott ... an interesting weather pattern developing now. W & NW winds pushing cold fronts down this way, but forecasts are for a couple of High Pressure areas to sit out to the Eastern plains from us with Low pressure areas along the Front Range of the Rockies. The High/Low pressure areas serve to bring moisture up from the gulf area SE from us. Combine the moisture with the cold wind temps and we can see upslope snow in our SE Wyoming area (as opposed to moisture carried into this area from the Pacific NW).

These upslope conditions can deliver heavy wet snow compared to the powder from the NW moisture. Could be good for our winter total moisture delivery. The last two storm fronts through here were upslopes, and we were recording 0.1" of moisture for each 1" of snow. That's heavy stuff for us and it tends to stay on the ground and soak in on days like today with clear skies and warmer air temps compared to the powder that blows to Kansas where we don't get ground moisture as a result of a snowstorm.

The warm temps today sure helped getting the hangar doors and tracks cleared out. Only took a couple hours to clear the snowdrifts to reach the ice at the metal tracks and hangar doors. Gotta' stay on top of this each winter or I don't get to see the inside of the hangar until spring unless I take a weed burner to melt the ice dam away from the hangar door. That's always an anxious time ... risking setting the hangar contents on fire, I'd never be able to get that fire out before making a pile of melted aluminum out of a perfectly good airplane.

As well, I had some snowdrifts between our corrals and our hay yard which had to be cleared out or we'd not be able to get to the haystacks. Sold a ton of 3rd cut alfalfa small squares today and the neighbor couldn't punch through the drifts with his pick-up to get close to the stacks. Took me an hour with the 35HP TYM diesel and loader to clear a path to the stacks. Glad it was a nice day to do it and the snow was softened in the sunshine. I built a "snow fence" with the removed snow and I'm hoping I guessed right about the location so that it makes a big drift away from the haystacks. We'll see ... the upslope snow conditions build drifts in different places than the downslope powder snowstorms.

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

thanks to all for the kind words re the ranching chores and livestock.

Scott ... an interesting weather pattern developing now. W & NW winds pushing cold fronts down this way, but forecasts are for a couple of High Pressure areas to sit out to the Eastern plains from us with Low pressure areas along the Front Range of the Rockies. The High/Low pressure areas serve to bring moisture up from the gulf area SE from us. Combine the moisture with the cold wind temps and we can see upslope snow in our SE Wyoming area (as opposed to moisture carried into this area from the Pacific NW).

These upslope conditions can deliver heavy wet snow compared to the powder from the NW moisture. Could be good for our winter total moisture delivery. The last two storm fronts through here were upslopes, and we were recording 0.1" of moisture for each 1" of snow. That's heavy stuff for us and it tends to stay on the ground and soak in on days like today with clear skies and warmer air temps compared to the powder that blows to Kansas where we don't get ground moisture as a result of a snowstorm.

The warm temps today sure helped getting the hangar doors and tracks cleared out. Only took a couple hours to clear the snowdrifts to reach the ice at the metal tracks and hangar doors. Gotta' stay on top of this each winter or I don't get to see the inside of the hangar until spring unless I take a weed burner to melt the ice dam away from the hangar door. That's always an anxious time ... risking setting the hangar contents on fire, I'd never be able to get that fire out before making a pile of melted aluminum out of a perfectly good airplane.

As well, I had some snowdrifts between our corrals and our hay yard which had to be cleared out or we'd not be able to get to the haystacks. Sold a ton of 3rd cut alfalfa small squares today and the neighbor couldn't punch through the drifts with his pick-up to get close to the stacks. Took me an hour with the 35HP TYM diesel and loader to clear a path to the stacks. Glad it was a nice day to do it and the snow was softened in the sunshine. I built a "snow fence" with the removed snow and I'm hoping I guessed right about the location so that it makes a big drift away from the haystacks. We'll see ... the upslope snow conditions build drifts in different places than the downslope powder snowstorms.

Thanks for the weather update sunsprit.
Interesting how the weather patterns are developing in your area.
Glad you are getting work done in between storms. Hope you are able to keep your hanger tracks clear the rest of the year.
First day of winter tomorrow night.

[branDcalf]

Originally Posted by ScottStielow

First day of winter tomorrow night.

Yay! And the days start getting longer again after that.

[sunsprit]

The forecast hi and low combination didn't materialize ... so the upslope moisture potential has passed. Yet the NW frontal passages with the strong wind gusts remain. See: NWS Weather Story.

Just in time for us to get an opportunity to buy a flock of bred/vet health checked/ultrasounded ewes up in the NCentral Wyoming area, now comes the 60-70 mph winds and 80 mph gusts in the wind corridors here. Makes it a real challenge to run a stock trailer up that way and back when time is of essence to get the deal done and the livestock down to SE Wyoming.

Looking forward to those longer days ahead, too.

[ScottStielow]

We've had some gusts of wind out here at 50 -60 mph in Certain locations in the Islands, the past couple of days.
High pressure to the north of us.
Some homes in central Oahu had there roofs blown off, along with down down tree branches. It is winter here, but I like it, keeps the humidity low this time of year. Keeps the temps nice and cool at night, comfortable during the day time.
Longer days start Wednesday!