Spring storm blasts on in
All roads in and out of Weston County were closed due to heavy snowfall and high winds as a spring storm
rolled through the area on Saturday and Sunday, according to the county’s emergency management coordinator, Gilbert Nelson.
The National Weather Service reported that the storm dumped 9 inches of snow in Newcastle and up to 14 inches in other parts of the county.
“A significant low pressure system approached the northern plains on Friday, April 22. Ahead of the system, warm, moist air was advected into our region,” a storm overview from the weather service states. “Thunderstorms began to develop early Friday evening, some of which became severe, dropping large hail and producing strong winds. Several places received an inch or two of rain, much needed in our current drought situation.”
The thunderstorms moved eastward but by Saturday spring had turned back into winter, creating dangerous conditions as the rain gave way to snow and winds cranked up to 70 mph or more.
Storms of this magnitude affect everyone’s life, especially those living and working on farms and ranches. This storm hit at calving time, a particularly vulnerable time for the county’s more than 200 ranches, and operations like the Tysdal family ranch took steps to protect their livelihoods.
“When a winter storm like this is predicted, a lot of time goes into getting the pairs (cow and calf) bunkered down in the timber, where there is protection from the winds,” Katrina Tysdal said. “We chose a specific spot to hold the cattle that would give them the best chance of survival. My husband, kids and brother-in-law Daniel, spent all day Friday getting the animals situated, with plenty of feed for a couple of days so it encouraged them to stay there.”
The cows with younger babies, she said, were kept closer to the barn and those waiting to calf were able to fit in the calving barn. The horses, yearling bulls and steers for 4-H and feeding had sheds, so they were protected.
Tysdal said that the kids stayed home from school to help prepare for the storm, and most of them were needed to trail the pairs back to the chosen location. Then, it was time to wait for the rain and snow.
Following a day of intense snow and wind on Saturday, the Tysdals had to plow their way to the cow-calf pairs to provide more feed and assess how they were doing.
“Fortunately, they look pretty good, considering. Many of the calves were tired and exhausted. Once we got them fed, we had to plow pathways for the cattle to go get water and plowed pathways for them to walk in so that the calves didn’t get stuck in the deep snow,” Tysdal said.
Unfortunately, the family lost one calf, despite the hard work to protect the animals. Tysdal reported that it was due to the cows huddling together in the timber.
“When the winds are as terrible as they were, cows huddle together as groups for more protection. Unfortunately, when they do this, calves can get squished,” she said.
Fortunately, she said, the family did not experience any damage to buildings on the ranch, but they will have to monitor the herd for awhile to truly assess the overall impact of the storm on their animals
“When storms like this hit, it is very stressful on the cattle. In the days to come, we will have to closely monitor the cows and calves and watch for signs of illness such as dehydration, scours, pneumonia and overeating,” Tysdal said.
