Re: Western Mountains and High Plains: What's Your Weather Like?

**donnainzone5** 9/24/2013, 2:27 pm

Chilly, windy, and drizzly here in Central Oregon. The mountains may get a bit of snow over the next few days.

Anyone for an early winter?

Triciasgarden 9/25/2013, 3:00 pm

We are supposed to have a storm here almost any time. We are definitely heading into fall. It is 52 here now and is supposed to get down to 41 tonight. Friday's low is 38. Do I pick all my tomatoes, peppers, etc.?

mschaef 9/26/2013, 2:11 pm

We were in a winter storm watch. Everything with a higher elevation got snow. I have been checking the temperature constantly for 2days to make sure we wouldn't hit freezing. And we got to 38 but never colder. My garden is safe for a least another week til we cold off again.

**donnainzone5** 9/26/2013, 3:01 pm

My indoor/outdoor thermometer proclaimed a temperature of 26F this morning, and the rooftops were white.

My cold-hardy plants did fine, but the zukes I left uncovered are done for. The beans I covered are okay, and I think the tomatoes took only a minor hit, since I had them semi-protected with frost cloth and blankets. After tonight, when there's another risk of frost, it's supposed to warm up--for a while. No snow yet.

mschaef 9/26/2013, 5:26 pm

Triciasgarden- to answer your question I believe that the magic number is 32. If temps are going to drop to or below 32 than pick everything. If it will stay above 32 they will be fine, just a little cold. You can also cover them if it will only hit 32 for a night or two night to help them stay warm. For example, my temps for tonight is going to be 38 I am not planning on doing anything for mine. As for the rest of the week our lows will be in the 40s. I think that fall is saying here I come but not quite yet. geek

**Turan** 9/27/2013, 1:13 am

32 right now. The cloud covering from this storm is clearing so it is getting colder. Supposed to go down to 30. I guess we will see. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer again.

I have the poultry light on in the greenhouse. This is the first test to see how the plants come through by morning. THere are a lot of green tomatoes I am hoping make it. Or else it will be a frantic green tomato salsa making this weekend.

**Turan** 9/27/2013, 12:51 pm

Whew, there was just enough cloud cover that we just skimmed through the night at 32. Everything is well saturated so the damage is minimal. The tomatillos and beans look a bit burnt on their outer edges. The peppers and tomatoes in cold frames are burnt where they hit the sides and top of their shelter. The greenhouse looks untouched.

I have carrots and beets for a fall crop. I am used to growing htem in the spring when they deal with frosts at the young growth side but will bulk their roots in warm weather. So I am wondering how it will work doing the opposite. Do they need more protection now?

cheyannarach 9/27/2013, 4:12 pm

It's freezing here, 39 right now and supposed to get down to 29 tonight, so far my green tomatoes are holding up in the Plant Inn, I might throw a blanket over the top for them tonight, it is supposed to be in the 60's this weekend and back to 70's by Monday!

mschaef 10/1/2013, 7:36 pm

Getting our first chance of snow on Thursday. I would like to know where fall went, one week we are in the 70/80 and loving it and next we are getting down to the upper 30s at night and 50s in the day. And now snow for real doesn't seem the fall is happening here just summer straight into winter.

cheyannarach 10/2/2013, 6:28 pm

We are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow on Friday, seems to soon. I think winter is gonna be a doozy!!

johnp 10/3/2013, 9:42 am

We are supposed to be in the 50's Friday for a high and 28 for the low Friday night with 30% chance of presip.. We are going to pick the green tomatoes and put them in the sun room and hope they ripen. I haven't had much luck doing this in the past, they normally just dry out. We have had a great tomato season so I wouldn't care that much but I had one volunteer show up this spring and I let it grow. It is now the largest plant and has 12-18 large green ( three are starting to turn) tom,s and I really want to try them. If they are good I will save the seeds for next year.

cheyannarach 10/3/2013, 11:27 am

You could make some fried green tomatoes or green tomato salsa!!

They updated the forecast here now calling for 18 inches of snow, but first it's supposed to rain all day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMautDEKvao

mschaef 10/3/2013, 10:10 pm

Geeze Cheyannarach that is harsh...our snow today never happen nor did it rain. Just a cloudy, windy, and cold day. We didn't get out of the 30 til noon.

cheyannarach 10/5/2013, 5:05 am

So far weather.com says we got 11 inches, went outside twice today and the first time the drifts were up past my knees the second time it was up to my thighs!! Crazy!!

**Turan** 10/5/2013, 1:22 pm

WOW! Don't get lost in the drifts!

It snowed here Thursday and Friday but mostly rained. The mountains and foothills had a good snow dump. Last night it cleared and the temperature went down to 20F. I put a small space heater in the greenhouse and everything there came through fine. Well, a few vines that were reaching into the extreme corners got nipped but no fruit. It is supposed to warm up again now, so hopefully I will get more vine ripened tomatoes!

cheyannarach 10/5/2013, 4:31 pm

Glad your greenhouse survived the temps!! I think we ended up with about 15 inches of wet heavy snow! I am still snowed in and hubby is snowed in at Gillette, WY at work!

cheyannarach 10/5/2013, 4:35 pm

The Northern hills got 30-48 inches of snow in Rapid, Deadwood, Spearfish, and Sturgis and there are 24,000 people without power since yesterday, they are hoping to have power back in the next 30 hours! So being out of milk isn't so bad (but I am also out of wine Shocked

).

**sanderson** 10/6/2013, 3:54 am

cheyannarach wrote:The Northern hills got 30-48 inches of snow in Rapid, Deadwood, Spearfish, and Sturgis and there are 24,000 people without power since yesterday, they are hoping to have power back in the next 30 hours! So being out of milk isn't so bad (but I am also out of wine ).

No, not the dreaded "out of wine stock!" Laughing

I can't imagine what it is like to actually be snowed in!

cheyannarach 10/8/2013, 12:07 pm

Lol Sanderson! I love a snow day now and again but being October 4 (Thursday) I had a lot of running around to do so I put off going to the bank and grocery store til Friday... Whoops, I was stuck at my house from Thursday night until Monday afternoon! Luckily hubby got snowed in at work for most of it, he got home Sunday afternoon and I had to hike to meet him to help carry groceries but he drove me crazy, what are we going to eat, what are we going to do, etc etc. Luckily a bobcat showed up the next day! It wouldn't have been quite as bad but our 4 wheel drive pick ups transmission went out so it has no 4 wheel drive or reverse.

**Turan** 10/8/2013, 12:22 pm

Good to see you check in, Cheyanne, I was wondering how you were doing.

Soooooo...... how faired the tomato in the plant Inn? I am guessing this was just a bit too much for it but I can hope it was safe in what became an igloo....

Your DH did not need to worry, you have canned goods and chickens to eat. Laughing

cheyannarach 10/8/2013, 2:34 pm

Lol, right!! We could live quite awhile off the chickens, salsa, beets, and peach jam! It really wasn't so bad and was probably the most unproductive days of my life (my house is still a mess). But Deadwood pictures are crazy, I'll see if I can post some links. Rapid City declared it a disaster and are asking for federal help (kinda funny, good luck). Deadwood ended up with 55 inches of snow!!

The saddest part is the ranchers and their cattle, they are estimating up to 75000 cows were killed in the storm.

cheyannarach 10/8/2013, 2:37 pm

Oh, and the tomatoes survived quite a long time in there, I ended up picking them green! Tried fried green tomatoes for the first time, I think I was the only one that liked them!

cheyannarach 10/8/2013, 2:42 pm

Here are a couple links!

http://www.weather.com/news/winter-storm-atlas-kills-thousands-cattle-south-dakota-20131007

http://www.weather.com/news/snow-buries-south-dakota-wyoming-winter-storm-atlas-threatens-midwest-20131004

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