Nope.
Some of these storms come in far harder than forecast. Sometimes, far less. The last five years, we’ve had forecasts that were predicting inches to feet of snow... which might have turned out to be anything from a skiff to an inch of snow.
Native Wyomingites are telling me that this weather is much more “like we had when we were kids” (about 40 to 60 years ago) and a rapid reversal of what we’d seen since the early 60’s.
The worst of these sheep-killing winters in Johnson County were back in the 30’s to 50’s. They’ve moderated since then.
What people need to understand is that the ranchers aren’t just sitting around with the thumbs up their ass. This is often their entire livelihood. A cow-calf or sheep man is losing perhaps DECADES of breeding and genetics when hit with a killing like this. This is a major hit for most of them. They’re not sitting at the TV, watching some NFL game. They’re out on the range, doing and saving what they can. Which isn’t much when the weather turns on a dime.
The problem is that once it becomes apparent that there’s a big storm bearing down on you (when you might have only a day’s notice), you simply have too much country to cover to get everything moved to easier ground. Since the settlement and fencing of the west, it’s nearly impossible to just “round ‘em up and move ‘em out” - you’re usually talking about moving the herd/flock down to a gathering point, putting them on trucks (who you have to call with some advance notice - there’s only so many truckers who haul livestock any more) and then truck them over to your lower pasture. There’s fencing, roads, neighborhoods, etc in your way. In cases where the ranchers could drive cattle, I’ve seen two-lane paved roads covered with cow poop for days - after ranchers have called up the county sheriff and said “We MUST move today - no choice - please lend a hand” and they’ve moved hundreds to thousands down a road anywhere from a mile to 20 miles in a day to get to easier ground.
Weather forecasts around here don’t firm up until maybe 24 hours ahead of time. That’s today. 50 years ago? Feh. You might as well consult a witch doctor. Many a hunter got killed in the mountains by being snowed in. I’ve heard tales of men who got caught out in the mountains, had to kill and eat their horses and set up shelter until they could build a sled, snowshoes and drag their food behind them to get out. No one knew for months whether they were alive or dead.
Even today, right now, there are hundreds of RV’s and camps snowed in all over Wyoming, western MT and the Black Hills. Those guys now likely won’t get their RV’s and camps out until spring.
Life is tough up here. Winters kill people, too. It isn’t a place for city slickers who think they can get their butt out of a jam with just a phone call.
......”A cow-calf or sheep man is losing perhaps DECADES of breeding and genetics when hit with a killing like this. This is a major hit for most of them”.....
I have no problem believing that as I was aquainted with a couple who did a lot of genetic work with their herd. Young couple just starting out....he dreamed of being a farmer. Though his herd was very small ,compared to many ,they were highly prized animals and therefore other nations sought him out to breed their cattle.
I still don;t understand much of the genetics involved but it’s very significant to a farmer....that much I do know.
Besides, IT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. You WANT the tough life.
City slickers die of the cold too. The cold doesn't ask where someone is from. I lived in Chicago when I was a little girl. Doesn't get much colder than Chicago. I remember very little about Chicago...but I remember the cold.
Besides, a phone call might not be the answer for someone who has gotten in a real jam. Also, phones sometimes fail. There is no pat answer. Life can be JUST AS TOUGH for someone NOT living on the ranch in the middle of the tundra plains.