December Blizzard and Birds -- a No Travel Advised Entry
Christmas Blizzard 2009 Hits Rapid City: We're holed up in the house -- even canceled our trip out to Christmas dinner with friends. Hard to give up a prime rib dinner, but -- the winds are howling at 45 mph with gusts near 60 mph. Combine that with light snow, as in the kind that blows easily, and open country on the plains, and we have a blizzard.
Snow Howls Past Pines In Front of House
The pine siskins, American goldfinches, and juncos have to eat to stay alive in this cold. So we've filled the feeders and scattered seed on the ground for the juncos. They're out there, clinging to the feeders in the wind, with snow on their faces.
Goldfinch Ready at the Feeder
Goldfinch Dives In
Goldfinch Scores a Sunflower Seed
Picking a Sunflower Seed Off the Rail
Sunflower Seed Sticks to the Tongue
A call to 511 confirms that I-90 is still closed to the east of Rapid City and travel is not advised west to Wyoming. The wind chill is -13.
When I moved back to the West from Germany, I noticed how much people here talk about the weather. Now I remember why!
Blizzard Blur Across the Back Yard
Louise with photos by Brian
text and photos copyright GoinMobyle, LLC 2009