Winter's Coming

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says there are signs of the winter to come: “On the morning of the first day of October, there were freeze warnings in effect in a variety of western areas, including interior northern California, the Northern Great Basin, parts of the Snake River Plain, much of Washington and Oregon, east of the Cascades and on into parts of the northern high plains.” He added that “where some of this tremendous snow fell across the northern high plains on the order of two to three feet in some locations, temperatures on the first day of October dropped below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.” which he says is not good news for farmers and ranchers. “That has been a tough storm for livestock and also for unharvested, small grains. And it will continue to be a problem as long as it stays cold with the snow on the ground for both animals and for any remaining harvest activities. Not to mention winter wheat planting.