hazardous driving conditions in northwestern Minnesota

BEMIDJI, Minn. – (9:00 p.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation advises no unnecessary travel in Polk County due to heavy blowing snow, icy conditions and reduced visibility.

The no travel advisory includes Highway 2 from Bagley to East Grand Forks.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has also posted no travel advisories across most of the state.

MnDOT snowplow operators are doing their part to make highways safe. Motorists should remember to:

·         Turn on your headlights, don’t rely on automatic lights.

·         Drive slowly on bridges, overpasses and tunnels.

·         Use a safe speed for winter driving conditions, regardless of the posted speed limit.

·         Keep a safe stopping distance from the vehicle in front of them.

·         Keep both hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road, and stay alert.

For additional tips on safe winter driving, go to www.mndot.gov/workzone/winter.html.

For updated road condition information, call 511 or visit www.511mn.org.

Travel advisory lifted in NW Minnesota

BEMIDJI, Minn. – (3:45 p.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation has canceled the no travel advisory for the Red River Valley area in northwestern Minnesota.

Current driving conditions remain difficult as roads are completely covered with ice and blowing snow.

Motorists should remember to:

• Turn on your headlights; day or night if it’s snowing.
• Check road conditions at www.511mn.org or call 511; it takes time to get roads back to good driving conditions.
• Be patient and remember snowplows are working to improve road conditions for their trip.
• Stay back at least five car lengths and preferably 10 behind the plow, far from the snow cloud.
• Stay alert for snowplows that turn or exit frequently and often with little warning. Plows may also travel over centerlines or partially in traffic to further improve road conditions.
• Slow down to a safe speed for current conditions. Snowplows typically move at slower speeds.

For additional tips on safe winter driving, go to www.mndot.gov/workzone/winter.html.

For updated road condition information, call 511 or visit www.511mn.org.

MnDOT’s 511 system adds real-time road condition cameras

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Motorists driving throughout the state this winter will benefit from the addition of cameras displaying real-time photos of road conditions from 92 locations to help them plan their travel. The photos are available on the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 traveler information website at www.511mn.org.

These camera locations are in addition to the more than 800 traffic cameras already displayed on MnDOT’s 511 system.

The Road Weather Information Stations or RWIS are located along state roads and interstates. The stations are used by MnDOT’s maintenance crews but now the public also can take advantage of the live rotating camera shots. Various weather data is also available with the photos.

“RWIS is perfect for Greater Minnesota, where camera images were lacking in the past,” said Kelly Braunig, 511 program manager. “Seeing is believing, so the photos will help motorists know what the road conditions are for where they are traveling.”

The RWIS are among several recent enhancements to the 511 system. Other updates are:

·         Metro traffic map - Uses Google Speed technology to show congestion levels caused by crashes, closures, construction and maintenance projects within the Twin Cities metro area. Users can zoom in to specific incidents or events. This feature can be viewed by clicking on the quick link “Metro Traffic Map” on the left side of the full-featured version of the 511 website.

·         Greater Minnesota traffic speeds – Uses Google Speed technology to show congestion levels along Minnesota highways. Users can zoom in and out to specific cities. Users can view this by turning on the “Traffic Speeds” layer from the dropdown list on the full-featured version of the 511 website.

·         Weather warnings – Show warnings imported from National Weather Service sites. The warnings are displayed as a shaded overlay on top of the full-featured version of the 511 website in the areas that are affected. These warnings reinforce the message about the road condition report. For example, if a blizzard warning is issued for St. Louis County, a user would see that county shaded along with a weather warning icon. The user might also see “completely covered” or “travel not advised” road conditions in that area. This feature is available year-round and also shows severe storm, flash flood, high wind and tornado warnings.

·         Traffic delays – Is a Google Speed feature that recognizes when there is a backup due to an existing traffic event on 511. The events are highlighted with an orange glow. Clicking on the glowing icon will show details about how long a delay is expected. This is available only on interstates statewide.

·         511 smartphone app – Shows a detour route as a blue line. Detours can also be seen on the 511 website. This feature is available statewide.

“These improvements will give users more quality information,” said Braunig. “The more information we can give the public, the better chance they have to make good decisions on their travel.”

Help Cattle Cope With Cold Weather

While humans are able to cope with this winter's pattern of relatively warm temperatures followed by extremely cold temperatures in the northern Plains, cattle are not so lucky.
"As we prepare for another cycle of warm followed by cold, it is important to keep a few cattle management tips in mind," North Dakota State University Extension Service beef cattle specialist Carl Dahlen says.

Mammals are inherently equipped to deal with extreme temperatures. Within a range of certain temperatures, their body does not need to use any energy to stay warm or cool. However, when temperatures get below a critical temperature, animals must begin to use extra energy to stay warm.

The critical temperature for cattle depends on their hair coat. From fall to midwinter, the hair coat continues to grow and the critical temperature for cattle decreases. With a heavy winter coat, the critical temperature for cattle is around 18 F. Below that temperature, the energy demands for a cow to maintain her body temperature increase.

With temperatures this winter easily reaching below minus 30 at some point, livestock producers need to make some adjustments to their management schemes to protect their cattle.

"To deal with the increased energy demands, we can simply increase the amount of feed delivered to the herd," Dahlen says. "However, if cows are being maintained on relatively poor-quality feeds or temperatures get too extreme, altering the amount of feed will not meet the increased requirements for the cattle. Feeds of higher nutrient quality (more energy dense) must be included to achieve the needed level of nutrition during cold spells."

Another strategy for dealing with the cold weather is to feed cattle at night. The heat from digestion peaks a few hours after a meal, so offering meals in the evening can help cattle cope with the cold nighttime temperatures.

Keeping cattle protected from the elements also is important. Cattle usually can deal with cold alone, but the combination of cold, wind and moisture can be deadly.

"Take steps to ensure cattle are out of the wind," Dahlen advises. "If natural windbreaks (trees, draws, etc.) are available, take advantage of them for choosing wintering sites. If no natural windbreaks exist, producers will need to take steps to make permanent or portable windbreaks to protect cattle from the wind. Portable panels are good options for producers maintaining cattle in relatively open country."

Once the wind is blocked, producers need to take active steps to combat moisture. The current weather pattern has moisture falling in the form of rain immediately prior to the extreme cold fronts moving into the area.

A bit of snow on the backs of cattle usually is OK, but if precipitation has the animals wet all the way to the skin, the critical temperature in most cattle is only 59 F. This means that a wet animal having to face a night of minus 30 temperatures is experiencing a cold that is almost 90 degrees below its critical temperature. In cases like this, the combination of cold and moisture easily could end up being deadly.

"Bedding may not always be necessary for wintering cow herds, but in cases where cattle are wet, bedding is a must," Dahlen says. "The purpose of bedding is to help keep cattle dry."

Moisture also can be a problem for animals at birth. Newborn calves are born wet and are very susceptible to frostbite, hypothermia and death as a result of cold temperatures. In mild cases of cold exposure, calves can lose the tips of their ears or maybe have hoof problems later in life. In severe cases, calves die.

A small proportion of producers in the region are just starting their calving seasons. The Cold Advisory for Newborn Livestock (CANL) forecasts, available through the National Weather Service website, are a tool that can help producers anticipate short-term weather patterns to ensure they are taking the right steps to protect calves born in extreme conditions.

The CANL is forecasting conditions for the next six to 36 hours that will impact newborn livestock. To learn more about the CANL for eastern North Dakota, visit http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fgf/?n=canl. The CANL for western North Dakota is available at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bis/?n=canl.

Dahlen also urges producers to take care of themselves, their families and their employees during extreme weather conditions.

"The type of weather we're receiving is very dangerous and, at a minimum, can cause permanent damage to exposed skin," he says. "We all want to make sure our cattle are fed and properly bedded as soon as a storm breaks or the temperatures plummet. Just take a few moments to make sure you are dressed appropriately before heading out the door."

12 lakes opened to spearing

Twelve lakes scattered throughout Minnesota, including two in the metropolitan area, now are open for darkhouse spearing, the Department of Natural Resources said.

Spearing restrictions were repealed effective Dec. 2 on the following lakes: Beers and West Battle in Otter Tail County; Big Mantrap in Hubbard County; Deer, Moose, North Star and connected Little North Star and Spider in Itasca County; Lobster in Douglas County; Cross Lake Flowage in Pine County; Eagle in Hennepin County; Owasso in Ramsey County and Sugar in Wright County.

Darkhouse spearing is limited to northern pike, catfish, whitefish and other rough-fish species.  Other game fish species such as muskellunge are illegal to spear at any time. Anglers ages 18-89 need both an angling license and a spearing license to spear, unless otherwise exempt.

All other regulations related to spearing, angling and shelters apply to these waters. Additional information is available on page 77 of the 2013 Minnesota Fishing Regulations handbook and online at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing.

For more information, contact the DNR area fisheries office nearest the lake of interest using the online directory at www.mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries.

Minnesota Winter Hazard Awareness Week – November 7-11, 2011

Minnesota winter is just around the corner and the question is – are you ready for it? Getting ready for winter doesn’t always take a lot of work. Sometimes it’s just a few little things that can make the difference between safety and suffering: having a survival kit in your car, changing the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector, staying well-hydrated during outdoor fun.

To help everyone minimize the risks and hazards of winter, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety – in collaboration with the National Weather Service and other state, and federal agencies– sponsors “Winter Hazard Awareness Week” each fall to educate and reinforce in people some simple behaviors and actions that lead to a warm, safe and enjoyable winter season. The week-long event includes a media campaign and other informational materials posted on our website: hsem.dps.mn.gov. The campaign targets specific information each day and can be used in conjunction with school, church, or civic programs.

2011 “What’s Your Winter?” Photo Contest
Along with this information, Minnesota Winter Hazard Awareness Week also sponsors the annual “What’s your Winter?” photo contest for both adult and youth. The contest, which runs from November 2011 to March 2012, invites members of the public to show us how they enjoy their safe winter by sharing their best digital photos throughout the season. This year the contest will be hosted on the HSEM Facebook website which is: facebook.com/MnHSEM.

Viewers will be able to upload their photos to the site and then vote for their favorites at the end of the contest in March. Prizes will be awarded to the top vote getters in four categories in both adult and youth divisions.

Educators and youth group leaders: We are especially looking for creative images from young people! Encourage your students and young shutter bugs to participate! Get all the details on hsem.dps.mn.gov.

This year, Winter Hazard Awareness Week, is November 7 - 11, 2011. Each day of the week is devoted to highlighting a specific topic of information.

Monday, November 7:
Winter Weather Overview – Ice storms, blizzards, sub-zero temperatures, winter weather watches and warnings and wind-chill

Tuesday, November 8:
Outdoor Winter Safety – Safety on ice, snowmobile safety, hypothermia and frostbite

Wednesday, November 9:
Winter Fire Safety – Winter and holiday fire safety, alternative heat sources, smoke detectors, cooking safety, candle and decorations

Thursday, November 10:
Indoor Winter Safety – Carbon monoxide, radon, asbestos, mold, winter travel and general home care

Friday, November, 11:
Winter Driving – auto safety, snowplows, road conditions, using 5-1-1, winter driving tips, car survival kits and calling 911 on a cell phone