Emergency plan activated in North Dakota amid fall snowstorm
https://www.yahoo.com/news/blizzard-war ... 48525.html
"The extraordinary intensity of this early winter storm threatens to test the limits of local response capabilities across a large portion of our state," Burgum said of the plan that places on standby all agency resources, including the National Guard, to respond to weather-related emergencies.
Carl Jones, a weather service meteorologist in Grand Forks, said the storm likely is historic. He said up to a foot (0.3 meters) of snow already had fallen through much of the state by Friday to be topped by up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) more later in the day.
"These are unheard of amounts for any time of year," he said.
"I'm expecting massive crop losses — as devastating as we've even seen," said Jon Nelson, a state lawmaker who farms several hundred acres near Rugby in north-central North Dakota.
Unharvested wheat in the region probably will be a total loss, he said.
"A lot of the standing stuff is flattened to the ground," Nelson said. "It's shot and some guys are putting their combines away and won't bring them out again."
Erika Kenner, who ranches with her parents in Leeds, North Dakota, said she felt helpless Friday as she was unable to check on the family's herd of several hundred cows due to deep, drifting snow.
"I just hear the wind howling and think of those poor cows out there," she said. "Cattle are tough but this kind of weather just wears on them."
As I've suggested before, my own working definition of when we've crossed the threshold from "climate instability" to "climate chaos" is when our ability to reliably raise food is compromised.
When I last checked US forecasts (did I check global forecasts? I forget.) for crop production, they were in line with recent historical averages, even after the "bomb cyclone(s)" and millions of acres not planted due to wet soil. It will be interesting to see how the harvests in the US pan out at the end of this growing season.
What would constitute a significant reduction in crop production? A consistent 10% decrease from recent historical averages, and falling?