The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
I asked friends at the Carrington Senior Citizen Center if they had ever experienced a four-day-long snowstorm like the one we had Dec. 13 – 16.
“Yes,” one person answered, “but never this time of year. Our worst storms have always been in the spring.”
That started a conversation about the March blizzard of 1966.
“That was way worse than this past storm,” said one man. “Many cattle died in 1966. Their noses and mouths were covered with snow and ice. They couldn’t breathe.”
Our recent storm may not have been as bad as 1966, but the conditions were still challenging.
Winds gusts at the Carrington REC reached 36 miles per hour on Dec 15.
Blowing and drifting snow made it difficult to get an accurate measurement of snowfall amounts.
A volunteer weather observer reported that the Cathay area received 25 inches of snow between Dec. 13 and 16. I heard of a similar amount from someone living near Grace City.
My friends at the Senior Citizen Center recalled that the snow piles disappeared pretty quickly after the 1966 storm.
“We were planting in April,” said one man.
Unfortunately, our recent snow is likely to be around much longer.
The long-range forecast suggests colder than normal temperatures in North Dakota from January through March.
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The December snowstorm forced the cancellation of Central Dakota Ag Day.
I was really disappointed. We had a good program lined up, and it seemed like a lot of people were planning to attend.
With 18 speakers involved in the program, rescheduling didn’t seem feasible. We intend to be back again next year and hope to see you there.
NDSU Extension is offering several other programs in coming weeks and months. Here are some opportunities that readers may want to attend:
Lake Region Roundup provides the latest updates in crop production, marketing, livestock and horticulture. The event will be held Jan. 4 and 5 at the Memorial Building in Devil’s Lake.
Feedlot School is an intensive course for anyone interested in learning more about feedlot production, nutrition, waste management and marketing. The program will be Jan. 18 and 19 at the Carrington REC. Pre-registration is required.
Getting It Right in Corn Production is an online (Zoom) webinar covering cultivar selection, plant establishment, plant nutrition and soil management, plant protection and market update. The half-day webinar will be offered Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Design Your Succession Plan is for families who want to shape the future ownership of their family farm or ranch. This three-part training will be offered in New Rockford during the evenings of Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 and 7. Pre-registration is required.
Lastly, the Spring Fever Garden Forum is a series of online workshops covering a variety of topics related to lawns, gardens and trees. This four-part series will be offered from mid-March through the first half of April.
If March seems too far in the future, you can view recordings of previous Garden Forum presentations on the website of NDSU Extension: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/spring-fever-garden-forums.
If you would like more information about any of these programs, please contact me in the Foster County Extension office (652-2581, [email protected]).
