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Oklahoma Gardening

Blizzard update

7 years ago

There are still lots of poles down and it will be up to a week before some get power back. There are several crews staying here in town working on restoring the power. I hope that all of my drifts are gone by next Monday and I can start planting by midweek next week.

It is still too early to get a good estimate on livestock losses. Some feel the losses will likely equal or surpass the losses of the recent fires. I know of one local breeder who lost 75 out of 100 of his cows. I've heard that some large feedlots have already removed over 1,000 head and still removing them. When all of the drifts are gone then it will be possible to get some better estimates. I've seen several deads and also pics of wheat fields just littered with deads. The next issue is disposing of them. Everyone lost some. Dawn as you know when you talk to one of the old ranchers/farmers they are more concerned about their neighbors than themselves. They will keep going as that is all they know to do. My BIL was keeping the timed event cattle for the Guymon Pioneer Day rodeo. They all drifted a fair distance but last I knew they had accounted for all but 1-2. The rodeo was set back one day.

When some more information comes in I'll update this post. I have posted some pics on my FB. The snow is melting fairly fast. Had some rain last night and that helped also. It is very muddy and hard to get around. Without a 4wd a person better not get off the paved roads.

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Comments (5)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
7 years ago
Jay, Thanks for the update. All the cattle news is just so distressing.

Our friends who were stranded near Leoti, KS, during the blizzard are back home now and posted a sad photo of dead cattle heaped up at what appeared to be a cattle feed lot. She said her dad lost cattle at his place near Leoti, but she didn't say how many head. How awful for the ranchers, and of course, for the cattle themselves.

I cannot believe your snow isn't gone yet. Oh well, as it melts at least it will provide some moisture for the soil.

I hope you get to plant soon. I'd be going crazy if my plants weren't in the ground yet.

We are fairly dry down here overall, having been missed by most of the rain over the last couple of months (and all the snow has missed us, though I am not complaining). Between all the flooding to our northeast and the snow and blizzard to our northwest, we are just dull and boring and nothing is happening here. I'm okay with that.

Dawn
Nancy RW (zone 7)
7 years ago
So SO sorry about the livestock losses, the crop damage. Distressing news for those of you in that area. I hope things go well for the next good long while!
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I walked home to check on the palms last night Mike- it was like an Arctic wasteland-unbelievable! Half of my G-house collapsed,it was a good thing I checked it,I think part of it had to be laying on the space heater. I turned of all the power-there is really no reason to heat with that much snow on everything. Supposed to be -12 tonight,maybe. I figure the snow will insulate everything-gotta leave it as it lays until the lows get into the teens again in a few days. This is about the time of year when I question whether I will continue with this hobby- SPRING usually helps me forget all the white stuff pretty quick- there is a lot to forget on the ground right now,I would guess 15"+ but there's no way to know exactly....... Forgot to mention,the rest of it(G-house) collapsed this morning )-:
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Norma, I tried to send you an email, but it's not enabled on your GW page for me to do so. Faye posted that the tornadoes that ripped through the middle of the country last week, took her house and just about everything with it. Faye has a whole lot to deal with right now, so how about I send you your box? If that's okay with you, please email me. And I'll email Faye and let her know. It will be one less thing she'll need to worry about. Hope to hear from you soon! :) vina ps...Sue and Grace, SO glad you liked the iris...I saw them and bought one for myself too :) US iris junkies need to stick together, lol!
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With all the talk of cookies and cookie dough I couldn't stopped laughing after seeing debrak's photo!! (and of that super-loaded corner one id'd upthread with dibs! And as far as rescuing cookies visiting the floor, agree with annkh -especially since if I can cut the burnt bottoms off, I can and would just wipe them off if needed! Springroz - Just loved that shot of JR pulling the sleigh - ooohh just gorgeous! a2gemini - glad to see someone mention the blizzard of 66. As a young teenager my older sibs and I spent many extra days at home alone when our parents were stuck returning from an out-of-state funeral. They were nearly killed on the interstate and were lucky to get the last room at a motel. Snow levels were 8 feet with drifts over 12. As far as stocking up, I've often wonder if our interest in stocking up is a leftover evolutionary behavior...cannot for the life of me recall the actual term/phrase. I did only my regular shopping a day early, but did feel pressed to go before rather than after! Interesting thread! ...
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Well, the Weather Channel predicts a snow shower on Friday >1 inch then an 80% chance of 8-12 inches of snow here next Monday. I am having trouble linking photos from photobucket from yesterday, but the link below should work. 20.8 inches according to the NWS station here in Taunton. Another 8- 12 inches will be a problem unless they can make some room on local roads. They keep saying was 'fluffy' snow, but there is nothing 'fluffy' about the stuff that fell in my driveway. It was heavily packed snow. It definitely rivals '78 as the worst I have seen. Jon Here is a link that might be useful: This should link to photos
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elkwc
Original Author
7 years ago
Just a quick update. Got a call this afternoon at work for an emergency line locate. When I called it was a rancher needing to dig a ditch to bury cattle lost in the blizzard. At the field where I went there was 75 dead lined up in two rows. He figured it was going to take a ditch over 100' in length. He lost another 75 head he was burying at another site. Until you see it in person it is hard to even imagine how many was lost. The snow is about gone by this afternoon. The deepest drifts I saw left were less than 2' now. By Sunday afternoon mine should be all gone and my trailer should be 100% melted off so I can start hauling off the trees I lost. Lost some large old cedars. Have never lost a cedar before.
chickencoupe
7 years ago
This is so sad.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
7 years ago
Making a living from cattle is hard enough in a good year. I really feel bad for these people.

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