The harsh winter weather was supposed to let up in the Northern Plains this week, but it moved to the East Coast with a devastating storm and plenty of ice. As I write this, more than 250,000 people are without power in the Southeast. In fact, to illustrate how serious the situation is, it even forced a postponement of the Duke vs. North Carolina basketball game.
If there’s anything positive about the unusually harsh conditions and bitter cold that we’ve experienced, it’s that they have set the global warming alarmists scrambling to rationalize them. This week, there was a conference scheduled on how global warming was causing declining ice at the earth’s poles. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes are experiencing more ice than they have seen in decades. In fact, one prediction calls for Lake Superior to freeze over, something that hasn’t happened in decades.
And, of course, I still like to reminisce about that ship full of global warming enthusiasts who planned to document the lack of ice in the Antarctic a few months back. Apparently they were unaware about the conditions at the South Pole, and their ship ended up being stuck in the ice. After a handful of failed attempts to be extricated, the world’s most powerful ice breaker finally broke the ship free.
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I saw a report on Thursday morning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that said 49 out of 50 states had snow on the ground in some part of the state that day; only Florida was free of snow. The fierce winter weather has also exacted a toll on beef demand. The HRI (hotel, restaurant and institution) trade has especially been hard hit, with even McDonald’s announced disappointing sales for the month of January.
Storms like the one currently engulfing the Southeast up the coast to the Northeast aren’t good for beef clearance, either. Of course, there is always a little latent demand released when weather conditions improve but, for the most part, any demand lost due to weather is never recovered. Yes, warm weather will be welcomed in cattle country for more than one reason.
More practical resources for you:
CattleFax Outlook: Better Weather & Higher Prices In 2014
10 Cattle Records Worth Keeping On The Ranch
Are You Increasing Your Cows Feed Intake In Cold Weather?
60+ Stunning Photos That Showcase Ranch Work Ethics
Open Cows? Lepto Might Be The Culprit
Why Your Ranching Operation Should Be Business-First, Not Family-First
