Using Weather Forecasts for Extreme Cold Risk to Newborn Livestock

Feb 12, 2021

By Laura Edwards

Calving and lambing during a winter season with extreme weather swings can be concerning when caring for newborn livestock. The Cold Advisory for Newborn Livestock (CANL) forecast at the Aberdeen National Weather Service website can be a useful tool for livestock producers when preparing for new newborn calves, in particular in the first 24 hours after birth.

The CANL tool was designed to help livestock producers prepare for extreme cold temperatures.

Created with input from Northern U.S. ranchers, experts in animal science and those who study biological responses to extreme weather conditions, the CANL forecast takes into account five factors:

Wind chill;
Rain or wet snow;
High humidity;
Combinations of wind chill and precipitation; and
Sunshine vs. cloudy days.

As a result, it is a science-based method to combine several weather factors together to determine the hazardous weather risk to your newborn calves and lambs.

To access CANL for Central and Northeastern South Dakota, visit the National Weather Service CANL website.

Risk Scale

When viewing CANL, producers will see a six-category scale which was developed to identify the risk of hazardous conditions for newborn livestock, ranging from None (green color) to Extreme (red color).

The categories are described as:

None: Wind chill above 41 degrees Fahrenheit
Slight: Wind chill less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 or more hours
Mild: Wind chill less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 or more hours
Moderate: Wind chill less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 or more hours or Wind Chill less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit and .02-inches precipitation
Severe: Wind Chill of -9 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for two or more hours, or wind chill of less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit and .05-inches of precipitation
Extreme: Wind chill of -18 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for two or more hours, or wind chill less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit and .1-inches of precipitation

Forecast Map

These risk categories are displayed on a map of Central and Northeastern South Dakota, and they are updated at least once-per-day.

Figure 1. Example Cold Advisory for Newborn Livestock (CANL) map.

An example of the CANL forecast map looks like the map in Figure 1. This map, published on February 4, 2021 at 3 am, shows mild risk in green to extreme risk in red over the next 24 hours.

The CANL and related maps are only available for some regions in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Source : sdstate.edu

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