Okay, I am a child of the South. Born in Florida and currently living in Alabama. I did once 20 years ago spend a winter in Colorado and swore never again. Sooooo...
We had 4.5" of snow over Sunday/Monday and most of it is still here. Temps are in the high teens and the high for today is supposed to be 32. Humidity is 64%. Today is our first look at the sun since Saturday. When I look out across my fields, they look snow covered. However, when I go out there and try to walk, what I actually have are fields covered in a sheet of ice. I fell just walking up to the barn this morning. At spots like the gates, the ice is so bad that I cannot remain upright unless I hang onto the fences.
My horses are stalled for the 3rd day because I am afraid to let them out. Since I cannot walk on the "snow" without falling, I am seriously afraid of them falling and breaking legs out there, so they are up again.
What I am trying to figure out is if the sun will melt this stuff even though it is below freezing? Is the humidity low enough that it can just evaporate?
Next, if it is not going to evaporate before the temp goes up above freezing, is there anything I can do to make it safe enough to let the horses out? For instance, is it safe to "salt" the paddock area or will the runoff kill my grass or poison my horses?
Any advice on how to deal with this sheet of ice will be GREATLY appreciated.
Rusty (whose boots were frozen to the porch floor this morning!)
edited to add that my farm is rolling to steep, not flat anywhere, which is a large part of my problem today!
We had 4.5" of snow over Sunday/Monday and most of it is still here. Temps are in the high teens and the high for today is supposed to be 32. Humidity is 64%. Today is our first look at the sun since Saturday. When I look out across my fields, they look snow covered. However, when I go out there and try to walk, what I actually have are fields covered in a sheet of ice. I fell just walking up to the barn this morning. At spots like the gates, the ice is so bad that I cannot remain upright unless I hang onto the fences.
My horses are stalled for the 3rd day because I am afraid to let them out. Since I cannot walk on the "snow" without falling, I am seriously afraid of them falling and breaking legs out there, so they are up again.
What I am trying to figure out is if the sun will melt this stuff even though it is below freezing? Is the humidity low enough that it can just evaporate?
Next, if it is not going to evaporate before the temp goes up above freezing, is there anything I can do to make it safe enough to let the horses out? For instance, is it safe to "salt" the paddock area or will the runoff kill my grass or poison my horses?
Any advice on how to deal with this sheet of ice will be GREATLY appreciated.
Rusty (whose boots were frozen to the porch floor this morning!)
edited to add that my farm is rolling to steep, not flat anywhere, which is a large part of my problem today!
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