mdeerjunkie
Well-known member
102° in in the Denver area yesterday. And my AC decided to call it quits. Dryer than dry. Need some rain desperately.
Drought for the west
- Thread starter rick19Kilo
- Start date
Alabama
Active member
I know the climate is different but I can't imagine 80 days without rain! What effects does this have on ranchers? Are most of the cattle sold? Are they hauling in hay from other states? I know short term drought here is TOUGH, but I can't imagine what you guys are facing.
I read somewhere the other day that some places in Utah and northern Arizona have been in mild to extreme drought conditions since the fall of 2019.
A couple neighbors have sold their stock. The range cannot carry them and they are tired of a $200k feed bill every year. Hauling alfalfa,grass rolls & pellets. Odd seeing winter feed trucks every morning, in summer.
Others have cut their herds way down. One couple has half the stock rotating the leases so they have some feed. But the ground is so dry that the Gramma grass can pull if over run now.
I have not run cattle in 5 years. My place is for wildlife now. I have been feeding the mommas a small bale of alfalfa a day this week to give them something. My water has been a lifesaver for them. The elk cows have returned with spotty bodies.
30% chance Thursday if we can get thru tomorrows 40mph winds , with cooler temps.
Thunderheads building along the Continental divide the last few days. That's the Divide behind my tank.
Dry lightning and virga last 3 days, but way cooler in the afternoons now with clouds.
Bullshot
Well-known member
It's always surreal to see the different rainfall outcomes and consequences. Often floods in the east, drought and fires in the west. Green in Montana, brown in New Mexico. Right now, rain is waterfalling off my gutters, probably got 2 inches in a half hour. It's about 2000 miles east of where it's needed though. This is on top of an evenly spaced wet spring and everything is lush. Again, wish I could send the grass your way. Hopefully the summer rains come to you. West and SW deserves a break.
Last edited:
mountainlaurel3
Well-known member
Sounding like good monsoonal rain next weekend, at least here in SWCO. According to Durango weather guy, if we got the forecasted amount it would exceed June precipitation averages for just Friday - Monday.
It’s been unbelievably rainy and wet this spring in Palouse region of idaho. I’m not sure where we are on yearly precip but I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve already mowed my yard as many times this year as I did all of last
Irrelevant
Well-known member
that's a slight exaggeration, we didn't break 110 until the last week of June last year.
But the precip totals this year are just crazy. Seattle is going to likely break all time records. We likely won't because the record amounts are based on high intensity thunderstorms of which we've had very few. But it just rains a little every couple of days.
My tomatoes have not grown since I planned them, these 40 deg nights are just not getting it done.
BirdManMike
Well-known member
The Jellostone is flooding. I never would have predicted a couple months ago.
El Jason
Well-known member
BirdManMike
Well-known member
Boulder and Stillwater are flooding. Red Lodge is underwater from Rock Creek flooding. A few bridges have been washed out, at least one over the Jelly (at Carbella).
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Had to google that. Have you ever noticed how a married couple over enough years start to act like one another? My wife is the definition of pedantic, which drives me crazy, apparently 14 years is long enough to pick up on the bad habit. My apologies.Don’t be pedantic.
Flood warnings everywhere in north central Idaho.
We're not flooding, just cooking along above avg for the last month, and per the NOAA river forecast center, for the next 2 weeks.
EYJONAS!
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2017
- Messages
- 6,785
In 365 days Red Lodge went from this.......
To this just this morning.....
To this just this morning.....
BirdManMike
Well-known member
Just got the 1st drops to hit the ground, in over 84 days, for about a minute. Sure smells good. A tease.
Temps in the 80s today & thunderheads building since this morning. Gusty winds.
This sure feels like the monsoon is just around the bend.
Temps in the 80s today & thunderheads building since this morning. Gusty winds.
This sure feels like the monsoon is just around the bend.
El Jason
Well-known member
45 and raining since 10pm last night.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
N idaho and NW Montana gonna blow out big time.
44hunter45
Well-known member
Still raining all day. Long power outage. I got the coffee done at 4:30AM exactly. I pulled the carafe out and out went the lights. It's a good thing, too. Nobody likes my camp pour-overs.
The thermometer on the porch says 39°F here at 2850 elevation. Those bears ought to show up nicely on the white background if you can get up that high.
Our tributary of the Palouse crested overnight. Lots of water on the road still this morning and the gravel roads washed out. At least one of my neighbors had water lapping at the door or coming in.
I feel for those folks in Red Lodge. And those who aren't getting a drop.
The thermometer on the porch says 39°F here at 2850 elevation. Those bears ought to show up nicely on the white background if you can get up that high.
Our tributary of the Palouse crested overnight. Lots of water on the road still this morning and the gravel roads washed out. At least one of my neighbors had water lapping at the door or coming in.
I feel for those folks in Red Lodge. And those who aren't getting a drop.
