27 Feb Tue 2018
The Wind Switched-just an "Ol saying
Yes, once again in Idaho the weather is never predictable. At least not by the weather men, though they do their jobs well, Idaho weather can always catch you by surprise.
"Be Prepared", my dad would say as we would be packing up the camper or boat...not just for what fish we were to catch or the food we needed to stow away...but for the "weather". It would be absolutely gorgeous and somehow he knew a storm was brewing. Or all week it had rained like "cats and dogs"-miserably cold and that weekend we would all get heat stroke and sunburned. He would always say "the wind must have switched".
This winter is of no exception. Last winter buried us with mountains of snow. Ice melt, snow shovels were totally sold out, bird seed too. Hundreds of snow blowers were purchased over the summer. Stores stocked pilled snow melt, shovels, bird seed etc. We all were in anticipation of extreme snow fall...we waited and waited, super excited to have some for Christmas. Yet we waited for more. Idaho ski lodges held snow dances, resorted to making snow and prayed for snow. January brought us 50+degree weather-yikes totally unheard of in Idaho! Then it happened - the Wind Switched.
...yup it did!
February came with just a bit of sunshine on the glorious day we call Groundhog Day. Scads of folks said "oh Spring is on it's way he didn't see his shadow and if he did we don't believe that "Ol Saying"...Well maybe ... We should. Within the next few days temperatures leveled out, humidity came up and the clouds rolled in. Once again in Idaho the weather caught us all be surprise. The winds bought us billowing snow, blizzard like in some areas. Few inches to feet fell across the state. Fierce wind caused drifting piles of snow over roads and fields. In one day the wind switched 4 times - just on our farm. Told ya the wind switched.
Will March come in like a Lion or Lamb? - are you going to believe this Ol saying. We sure do and hoping for a Lion start. For us as farmers snow is a huge blessing. It helps with the water shed we all share, wet snow helps keep the ground moist and organic organism flourish. The cold temps kill and suppress bugs and help keep the fruit tree buds tight. Remember last year we got late March snow and killed the flower buds. Over 70% of fruit crops were frozen in their infant stage. In our book March can definitely go out like a Lamb bringing forth a warmer April which will lead into May with showers and a great Idaho summer.
Course all of this depends on if the wind switches....