Air February 4, 2004

Thank you Gary, and good morning everyone.

And for everyone who missed it, yesterday was February 3, 2004, or to put it numerically, it was 2-3-4! Strange things intrigue me! A bit of snow Sunday night and more may well be on the way - but we all know how difficult those winter storms are to predict. We could get 9 to 12 inches or we could get 1 to 2 inches. But if we get a second big storm look out because we've all seen these winter storms get stuck in tracks and just keep coming.

Winter driving brings its own hazards. Not only do we have hazards that can move us off the road, sometimes violently, but then even just a slide into the ditch can become deadly because of the cold weather. Don't assume that you can stay in your car and keep warm, the car may not be able to keep running, or in severe cases, you may not have enough gas. So always keep your car at least half full of gas - don't push it down to a quarter tank or less like you might in the summer. Secondly, keep emergency provisions in your car. Extra clothes, blankets, stocking caps, gloves. A candle in a coffee can can provide adequate heat to keep fingers from getting frost bitten. A few chocolate bars for energy and even a few bottles of water. If they freeze you can always thaw them with your candle and coffee can. Remember that while 4-wheel drive and front wheel drive can make it easier to get going on slick roads, they don't do a thing to help you stop or manuever quickly. Keep your speed down. Treat the accelerator and brake as if they had an egg between them and your foot. In other words, easy does it. I couldn't believe how many people I saw on Monday who were flooring it every time they left a stop. A little lighter on the accelerator would have sure got them going quicker. Keep your lights on so that others can see you more readily. And unless it's an emergency, just stay home. The fewer vehicles that are on the road, the less the chance of accidents and the easier it is for road crews and emergency responders to do their job . And finally, why does snow do so much good for the wheat and lawns? Is it nitrogen in the snow? No, many analyses have shown very little nitrogen in snowfall. It's the insulation and the slow release moisture that protects the plants and slowly soaks the ground when it melts!

This is Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent, with Ag Outlook 2004.

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