Preparing for Snow Storm, what do you do?

[Left_at_the_Alter]

Any out of the ordinary prep around the farm when you know a big one is coming?

I live in an area that gets snow regularly in the winter months but usually no one storm drops more than 6 inches and as a county/city we are out in less than 24 hours, roads (including back roads of which there are many) are clear we are up and running again. I don’t usually do anything special for these storms.

They are calling for up to 12" of heavy wet snow from 7pm tonight until 7pm Thursday. I start to get a little anxiety about these kinds of storms. Hubby plows so is not ever home during a storm. He sets me up the best we can, have a generator hook up so all of that is taken care of at the house and ready to go.

The barn is mine, I am fortunate enough to have a generator hook up there also(different electric feed than the house), so drag all that out make sure it works, cover or rope off the well pipe since it is just over 12 inches just want to make sure it is visible when the ponies go running around in the snow. Cover the auto waterer with a muck bucket so it is easier to find and dig out. I’m not sure why I do this, probably only because my Grandfather did, but I also put a bucket over the handle of the frost free spigot. Bring in the heated muck tub and related extension cord. And obviously make sure I have enough food etc., for the beasties to last a couple days. cover the hay boxes and bring in the hay nets as I can relocate them until they have to be confined to the sacrifice area again. Leave certain gates either unlatched or open for ease of access.

So anything I am missing? Any other suggestions? What’s your routine?

[SMF11]

Sounds good! I also leave gates open if the snow will prevent that (not obviously to the fields, but the one across the driveway etc).

The main thing I do is put out a TON of hay. I normally have 6 bales in the run-ins in racks and hay nets (for 4 horses and a donkey); for this storm I am going to add probably four more loose bales. This is really so that if it is difficult to get hay out there I won’t need to immediately.

I also blanket with the storm in mind.

I do not cover waterers or spigots. If you are in the north east, as I am, the temps are actually not supposed to be really cold.

[Chachie]

You forgot to curse a lot, make sure ALL of your winter skivvys are soaking wet in the washer, run out of hand warmers, and forget to buy a new pair of muckboots so the puppy can chew the old ones to pieces even more.

That’s what I did to prepare myself for the last storm.

As for the barn, make sure you go get hay at the worst possible moment in the storm and on a day where DH fell on ice 3 times at work so he can hurt even more, try to use the hose that was buried under 2’ of snow to fill water tank, and most important, make sure you leave your truck that starts hard in the cold out on the windy side of the barn while you do stalls because surely having your truck freeze inconveniently in front of the barn door is exactly what you planned!

Can you tell I was really prepared for that last storm? Stupid 50* weather had me fooled.

[betsyk]

Top off then cover the stock tanks. Bring enough extra hay into the barn that you won’t have to carry it for a few days. Make sure the snow shovels got returned to the places they’re supposed to be. Plan where you’ll put manure for a few days if you can’t get to the usual location. Know where the spare blankets are, in case the ones they’re wearing get too wet; clear a space in the garage or basement for the wet blankets to hang in front of the summer box fans! Rent some good movies and get a couple books from the library.

[whitmers]

Stock up on hay and feed; top off troughs and plug in heaters; find extra blankets in case they’re needed; get extra firewood; and hook up generator (ours is PTO driven which is a PITA!) ALso find snow shovels (which I have rarely used here in So. VA!)

[horsepoor]

If you count on and prepare for losing power, you won’t; at least, that’s how it works here! We just got a generator this year, but because I’m not confident in it and SO yet, I still fill buckets with water to have on hand in case we lose power and our well. I also make sure all the troughs are completely full. I clear the driveways and turnaround by barn of any obstacles so they will be easier to plow. I’ll also unhook some of my electric fencing as heavy snow or ice tends to make some of it sag and short out, but I want the stuff by the barn, where the horses will be cooped up, to remain working.

We live on a long, hilly private road so if we get extreme weather, even having a tractor doesn’t mean we will get out. So we stay pretty well prepared if the forecast looks bad, with food for us and horses, and I make sure all meds and such are not running out. And diesel for the tractor! SO was gone last week when our blizzard (an actual blizzard, total white out from blowing snow at times!) arrived last week and I forgot to check on the diesel. We barely made it through the plowing he did get done when he returned, but more thanks to all the neighbors pitching in! Guess that’s another thing we do, check with the others on our road to see who’s around and to work together to get us all out when we can.

Good luck! Been a bad weather winter all around, and not over yet.

[ReSomething]

I can’t tell you how many things are lost under the snow right now that were in plain sight, so tidy up, get things put up. Our driveway is a disgusting mess and needs the box grader run down it (that’s how we plow) but the tractor was dead and DH never did get it running on those 50 degree days - was that really just last week?

Yes to top off water tanks and we have about 8 of those plastic buckets with lids from Lowe’s or TSC, we fill those too, put extra hay down in the pasture plus bring fresh bales down from the loft, make sure we have good stocks of bagged feeds and foods for us in the house - mustn’t forget that milk and bread!

[JanM]

Have enough food that does not require refrigeration to last for a few days. That’s always a good idea, because after any natural disaster they usually have curfews. Charge anything with a battery, and before driving always have a charger, and cell phone with you-first call is to 911, because you may not be able to make another call.

Some people where I used to live left a party during a bad storm, got stuck, and called back to the party to warn the others not to leave, and they never called for help. They were found dead in a snow bank with the cell phone battery out of charge. Have emergency kits in all vehicles, with sand or kitty litter for traction, a jacket, a knit hat, and gloves. Have good ice scrapers in all vehicles, and a snow shovel anywhere you might need one.

[2DogsFarm]

:lol: Chachie - Your list sounds a lot like mine.
You forgot:
Curl up into fetal position and pray for the WeatherGods to leave the power on, at least in the barn.

Last outage (TG only 3h) power out in the house, hydrant in the barn is tied to that so no using it if the house is not up & running.
I watered horses by using snow - which was plentiful - to refill their outside heated trough, then filling stall buckets from that.
Tons o’ Fun when temps were -30F.
Any spillage froze almost immediately.
Mostly on me.

ReSomething - good advice
I feed from rubber pans.
That are now stored outside the stalls when they are done eating.
I lost one for a week when they became horse toys & it snowed 8".

[gumtree]

Going on our 4th storm of the winter, no power for 6 days last week.

So, at this point pay someone well to farm sit and get on the first plane to south Florida.

[chicamux]

I move lots of extra bedding from my sawdust pile into the barn. I get the stalls cleaned good down to the floors and tons of extra bedding piled along the walls because it may be a day or two before I can run a wheelbarrow to the manure pile. Longer before the sawdust pile is dug out.

Chicamuxen

[cutter99]

Fill all vehicles with fuel. We heat our pig barn with kerosene so I made a run for kerosene today as well as gas for our tractor and generator. Stock up on feed for all animals- cats, dogs, horses, pigs. Move vehicles to a place that make it easy to get them out and/ or plow around them.

I bought a pair of Yak Traks this week to get around in the ice and it was the best $18 I spent in a LONG time!

And best of all- move south in 3 months! If we hadn’t already made this decision, this winter would have done it for me!

[Mosey_2003]

A case of beer :lol:

I only have the one horse, my chores get done the same way whether there’s more snow or less.

[JanM]

Cutter-Great idea. Growing up where it snowed a lot, I never go below half a tank of gas. Before our last big ice storm I gassed up on the way home, and I was very glad I did. It took 90 minutes of stop and go driving to get to work, and I used a lot of gas on the way. Getting stuck in traffic or finding out the fuel truck didn’t make it to the gas station is a terrible feeling.

[horsepoor]

[QUOTE=cutter99;7428257]

I bought a pair of Yak Traks this week to get around in the ice and it was the best $18 I spent in a LONG time! [/QUOTE]

:yes:yes! I have some I bought on clearance for just a few bucks a pair, and those are excellent for packed snow and ice. Living on a hill, they’ve literally saved my butt many times going up and down the slippery slope from house to barn. Mine are clean and dry now, optimistically packed away for next winter.

[FitToBeTied]

We fill up all of the water buckets in the barn, so that means about 6 extra buckets. Fill and cover the outdoor water tanks. Make sure the horses have hay in the run in sheds.

One project last summer was to run power to the barn from the house. It had been on a separate meter. NOw when we lose power the barn is also on the house generator which automatically kicks on.

I also make sure that I have extra diesel for the tractors. Check oil on both tractors and generator. Make sure the propane tank has a sufficient amount to last for several days of generator running.

[clanter]

what is the snow load of the barn’s roof ?.. a foot of weight snow can easily weigh 20 pounds or more per square foot

Many/most of the barns in the south are were not built with a consideration of snow load

[MistyBlue]

I also turn a bucket upside down over the frost free!

I do that because sometimes snow or sleet can freeze the handle into the shut position, so it’s easier to just cover it instead of getting the torch out and melting the ice holding it closed.

If it’s going to be wet snow or ice or just deep snow I’ll open the second paddock gate out to the manure pile ad leave it pen wide enough to get the sled and muck bucket through. That way I only have to clear one gateway and unfreeze the shut gate to open it.

I also have a generator, huge one that runs everything. I keep that tested and filled all winter, only thing I need to do to run it is dig a spot for it near the hookup outside and wheel it out there. I do keep 2 sheets of plywood inside that I can drop onto the cleared snow so it’s easier to wheel that thing to the hookup spot, that generator weighs 660 lbs without the fuel in it. Phew is it heavy to roll!

I will add fresh bedding to the stalls and make sure I have backups ready to go because they’re sometimes in for the wetter stuff. And they’ll amuse themselves by seeing how much they can pee. sigh

Not much prep in general, I keep the place ready for Nor’easters all winter long as a ‘just in case.’

Now the house, that gets a little more prep. If the weather comes in overnight and will be going all day then Mr Blue works from home. Some of my friends work for the town and state plowing/sanding, another friend is the town’s tree warden and is often out in storms removing downed limbs or trees, a bunch of kids and young adults on my street are out on their ATVs having fun. So on snow days I have 1-2 crockpots going all day, make sure I have tons of cookie dough made, ovens are kept preheated, etc…because during snowstorms is when I get a lot of “drop ins.” They all seem to know where they can score hot cocoa, hot coffee and a hot meal and sweets, LOL! Plus this is the time we hang out with neighbors the most…you’d think it was summer out there considering how often you see bunches of people standing around outside chatting. Or tractors pulled up next to each other to talk, etc. It’s fun, snow days are like holidays around here.

[Chief2]

The prep actually starts before the prep day, so that everything you need is in place for the storm. Snowbanks plowed back and moved out of the way right after the last storm, ice removed from the tanks and tossed away, hoses rolled, warm and thawed, buckets de-iced and cleaned, correct supply of hay nearby, heated stock tank plugged in, bedding on hand, blankets dry and at the ready, grain and supplements in stock, sand and a shovel in the bucket at the end of the driveway, cat litter on hand for the walkway (or salt). Once it all blows by, clean up, and store things away properly so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot for the next round. We had one winter where it snowed every.single.day throughout the winter. I also had to add shovel out the hayloft to the daily equation, as there was a good size gap between the roof trusses, so what you got on the ground you got in the loft. What a depressing thought to wake up to every morning, but you had to do it to prevent the floors from getting soft. You get plenty of practice in preventing yourself from making your own life difficult each and every morning.
Keep this motto uppermost in your mind: “Clean up this, or put away that. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot for tomorrow.”

[cutter99]

One important thing I forgot- a trip to the local library to stock up on books. That way if we are without power there is still entertainment. My husband is not a reader and it always cracks me up that he has a hard time entertaining himself when the power goes out. We don’t break out the generator until we absolutely have to but I can sit and read for hours by flashlight while he paces about not knowing what to do next!