This afternoon a pair of SDR’s arrived at the farm. SDR is Software Defined Radio. It is a broad range radio receiver that uses software on the computer to operate it. It allows a graphical display of the frequencies on the radio spectrum. This gives the user a better idea of where to look in order to get a signal, and it allows far more than just broadcast radio reception. It is interesting and seems fun.
I got it set up pretty easily and started tuning it to find some familiar stations. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I found the local National Weather Service frequencies, and got bombed with the first I had heard of a coming storm. The regular Internet sites I use for weather said there was a chance of snow for tomorrow, and that it would probably snow on Wednesday. The National Weather Service alerted me to a storm positioned north of us and heading our way.
The Winter Storm Warning in effect calls for about seven inches where we are, though that could be higher or lower. There is wind called for up to 65 miles an hour, though I am not sure it will come here, or go East of us to Wyoming. It is not promising. The mountains will get clobbered. Of course, we have a kid on the road right now, trying to get to his house before the storm overcomes him. He will be home at his current rate before there is much accumulation, though he is already getting hit with some wind and snow where he is at.
All of the NWS stations are playing the same warnings in our area. It is currently 35F on our farm, which no doubt means snow. One more degree drop, and any precipitation can convert to the white stuff. I have to get up at 3:00AM tomorrow. I’ll see then what it looks like. It may be a tough day of work for the tractor. One thing for certain, we are better prepared than ever for this.
We have the hay covered and the wood in for the night. Let’s hope it is enough! Time to hunker down.