Nogger's Blog

08/02/11 -- "The most substantial snowstorm of the season is hitting the Central and Southern Plains today, with 6-16 inches of snow and near blizzard conditions from Colorado to Arkansas. It was only a week agio that the Midwest saw similar conditions and now it's the High Plains' and HRW crop's turn," say QT Weather.

Martell Crop Projections say: "Moderate to heavy snow is falling in northern Kansas and Colorado at this hour. It is very welcome both for the moisture it brings and to protect wheat from subzero F cold. Temperatures at this hour are hovering near zero F and will drop to minus 8 F tonight in Goodland, northwest Kansas. Last week, protective snow was not present when a bitter cold wave occurred, dropping temperatures to -16 F on the northern High Plains. Temperatures stayed below 0 F for 50 consecutive hours, increasing worries about winter kill in the region."

"Moderate to heavy snow will follow the polar front south into Texas, insuring good snow protection from the coming cold. Sub-zero F temperatures are predicted tonight and again Wednesday. Winter kill worries are less due to a thick layer of snow, 4-7 inches. Resolving drought is a much bigger challenge. Snowmelt from this storm would be .50 inch, at the top end, compared to hard red winter wheat moisture deficits of 1.5 to 3.2 inches in the past 12 weeks," they add.