What is the winter Severity Index?
The Winter Severity Index, or “WSI,” is a measurement used throughout the north to determine how brutal a winter has been for a given year. It tracks snowfall and temperatures from the beginning of December through the end of April and gives each a numeric value that is used to quantify the impact on deer.
What are the levels of severity of blizzards?
Quantifying the Severity of Snowstorms in the U.S. Northeast
| Category | NESIS Value | Descriptions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1—2.499 | Notable |
| 2 | 2.5—3.99 | Significant |
| 3 | 4—5.99 | Major |
| 4 | 6—9.99 | Crippling |
Is there a rating scale for winter storms?
While the National Weather Service does not officially recognize the practice of naming winter storms, it does assign snowstorms a 1-to-5 category rating somewhat analogous to the Saffir-Simpson Scale for hurricanes and the Enhanced Fujita Scale for tornadoes.
What is a severe winter?
Description. A severe winter storm is defined as a prolonged event involving snow or ice. The characteristics of severe winter storms are determined by the amount and extent of snow or ice, air temperature, wind, and event duration (National Weather Service, 2009).
How cold can whitetail deer survive?
In addition, they grow an extremely dense undercoat with hollow “guard hairs” that provide exceptional insultation. Thanks to these adaptions, deer can survive in temperatures up to 30 degrees below zero.
How do deer survive in deep snow?
A deer’s winter coat has hollow guard hairs over a furry undercoat that helps keep its body heat inside. Deer are so insulated that their body heat doesn’t even escape enough to melt the snow on their backs, so they don’t feel the cold from the snow.
What is a Category 4 blizzard?
A Category 4 winter storm on the RSI scale is classified as “Crippling”. The impact of the storms is assessed in six different regions of the United States: the Northeast, Northern Rockies and Plains, Ohio Valley, South, Southeast, and Upper Midwest.
What is classified as a cold winter?
Cold weather, therefore, can be a little tricky to define. Cold weather is usually anything that requires a jacket or coat. What is freezing temperature? If you want to get technical, the temperature at which water freezes is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing temperature is also 0 degrees Celsius and 273.15 Kelvin.
What do deer do in extreme cold?
They are generally less active, sometimes dropping their metabolism by half, which allows them to save energy and eat less. Deer may physically hunker down during particularly harsh weather—not moving for days, even to eat— which is made possible by relying on their fat stores.
Where do deer go in extreme cold?
They also tend to shelter in areas that provide more cover from the conditions but are near a good source of food. When the weather is particularly harsh, deer act just like we do: They hunker down, sometimes staying in place for days.
Where do deer go in heavy snow?
Deer also typically seek areas that are more sheltered in which to rest and eat, such as stands of coniferous trees that maintain their needles during the winter and allow snow to build up, both of which help provide some wind resistance and possibly cover.
Is it OK to feed deer apples in the winter?
You should try to load up deer feeders with apples near the end of winter. They’ll benefit more from easily digestible foods during the winter months. Deer naturally eat apples, and apples are perfectly safe for use in a deer feeder. Apples provide deer with a sweet treat that gives them a large nutritional boost.
What was the strongest winter storm?
Contents
- The Great Blizzard of 1888, Northeastern United States.
- The Storm of the Century, 1993, Eastern United States.
- New York City Blizzard of 2006.
- Lhunze County, Tibet, 2008.
- Mount Shasta, California, 1959.
- The Eastern Canadian Blizzard of 1971.
- The Iran Blizzard of 1972.
- The Great Snow of 1717, New England.
What state gets the most blizzards?
What state has the most blizzards in the US?
| State | Place | Average annual snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington | Paradise Mt. Rainier | 645.5 inches (1 640 cm) |
| 2. Oregon | Timberline Lodge Ski Area | 551 inches (1 400 cm) |
| 3. Utah | Alta | 456.9 inches (1 161 cm) |
| 4. California | Soda Springs | 411.6 inches (1045 cm) |
What is the most famous winter storm in US history?
The Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 remains one of the most devastating storms in US history, with a death toll of over 400. In March 1888, the Great Blizzard of 1888 hit the Atlantic coast.