Arctic blast provides frightful winter nightmare for High Plains

An arctic blast of cold that led to record low temperatures up and down the High Plains region for nearly two weeks has thankfully left. A return to more seasonal weather helped residents feel some relief but many questions—most notably on power disruptions and higher utility bills—will take time to be answered.

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for much of Texas over the past weekend. He also approved a winter disaster declaration for Oklahoma.

Wholesale natural gas price hikes led to unannounced rolling power blackouts for the first time beginning in Kansas as early as Feb. 15. Other states reported similar problems as the Southwest Power Pool, Little Rock, Arkansas, directed member utilities to start controlled interruptions of service across the 14-state region it serves. The SPP manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for the central United States. The SPP and member companies coordinate the flow of electricity across 60,000 miles of high voltage lines in the 14 states.

As explained in a High Plains Journal web story, the situation developed into not just an issue of high priced wholesale natural gas, but also a shortage of electricity. Andrew French, chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission, explained the extreme weather impacted electricity-generating resources in Kansas and the surrounding states. Coal plants faced freezing coal stacks, wind turbines froze up in freezing fog, and natural gas electric plants were competing with gas utilities for the “adequate but scarce supplies of gas at high prices.” This all contributed to the need to vastly limit power in the region at a time when all customers had extreme demands for power to deal with the arctic blast conditions.

Customers from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa all reported problems.

Tragedy in Arkansas

A Logan County, Arkansas, rancher lost his life trying to save a calf, according to a news release from the county sheriff’s department. Jessie Roberts, 69, of Magazine, died Feb. 16 after falling into his frozen pond while attempting to free a calf from the pond. Roberts was alone when this happened. The accident was discovered by a friend who went by Roberts’s house to check on him. When the friend did not locate him at the house, he saw the rancher’s truck down by the pond. When he couldn’t locate him he called friends and family to find him. The sheriff’s office was then called when it was determined that he may be in the pond.

Jessie’s body and a dead calf were located in the frozen pond, according to the sheriffs department. Jessie’s family said he loved farming and loved his cattle and they have no doubt that when Jessie saw the calf get stuck in the pond, he went in to get the calf out. It is a heartbreaking loss for his family and friends and our thoughts and prayers go out to them. They have released a statement thanking all who were involved and all the people who have reached out to them.

Livestock producers were faced with additional struggles in making sure cattle were fed and breaking ice in ponds so cattle could drink water, according to Oklahoma State University experts.

“Fortunately, the mid-February storms resulted in snowfall that was relatively dry,” said Derrell Peel, OSU Extension livestock marketing specialist and holder of the university’s Charles Breedlove Professorship in Agribusiness. “That has helped mitigate problems and associated operational and health costs that would be present if the livestock had wet hair coats.”

Livestock losses eligible for compensation

The 2018 farm bill authorized the Livestock Indemnity Program to provide benefits to qualifying producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, including extreme cold. LIP payment rates are based on 75% of the market value of the livestock as determined by the U.S. secretary of agriculture. LIP also provides assistance to producers who must sell livestock at a reduced price because of an injury from an eligible loss condition.

To qualify for LIP payments, livestock owners must file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days of when the loss first became apparent. It is critical producers take time- and date-stamped photos or videos of any livestock losses to meet the proper documentation requirements. It also is highly advised to record livestock losses in personal records. Producers should contact the local Farm Service Agency office for more information.

Wheat crop concerns

Wheat producers in the Great Plains have seen sustained temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, which is low enough to cause serious concern about the crop’s ability to survive dormancy, said Claire Hutchins, a market analyst for U.S. Wheat Associates, in an update posted online by the organization. “Typically, snow cover and adequate soil moisture would help insulate the dormant crop, but this year has been anything but typical as severe to exceptional drought conditions persist from western Kansas into western Nebraska and eastern Colorado.”

Unlike lighter freeze damage, from which the wheat can bounce back under the right conditions, this year’s freeze event has the potential for winterkill in some regions, and ultimately challenge the final production volume, Hutchins said.

“Today, there’s no way to tell the extent of the damage, but by mid-March when fields start to green up, we will know what we are facing,” said Justin Gilpin, CEO of the Kansas Wheat Commission.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of late January 2021, Kansas’ topsoil moisture supplies were 21% very short and 34% short, 15 points worse than this time last year.

“We got the wheat up and growing, but do not have enough moisture to set brace roots,” said Gary Millershaski, a Lakin, Kansas, farmer and a U.S. Wheat Associates director. “We had a couple of inches of snow, but temperatures of 19 degrees Fahrenheit below zero tell me half the tillers might not make it.”

Though conditions are drier and colder in western Kansas, wheat farmers in the region were able to get the crop planted on time, which will help its ability to fight low temperatures, said Romulo Lollato, wheat and forage specialist at Kansas State University. Later-planted wheat will have a harder time fighting the freeze.

“Right now, our main concern across the region is winterkill which could limit harvest potential,” Lollato said.

“In Nebraska, our concerns are poor emergence, weak stands and drought conditions,” said Royce Schaneman, executive director of the Nebraska Wheat Board.

According to USDA, just 30% of the state’s wheat is rated good to excellent, down from 70% good to excellent this time last year due to substantial drought conditions.

The wheat is extremely susceptible to sustained freezing temperatures as parched soil and limited snow cover offer little protection.

“Moving forward, we need a good warm-up in spring, no late freezing and many timely rains,” said Schaneman. “If we have the perfect growing conditions throughout the season, we can expect an average harvest. We are off to such a poor start so given the current outlook, this could be a tough year.”

Colorado producers are facing the same scenario. “Winterkill has now become a major concern with last week’s extreme temperatures, down to 15 to 25 degrees below zero,” said Brad Erker, executive director of the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers.

Looking ahead, Erker said the best weather for producers in Colorado would be a “big, wet snow” by the first week of March.

Power concerns

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, has sent a letter to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin and Ranking Member John Barrasso requesting the committee conduct a hearing to exam the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid in extreme weather events like the arctic blast.

“I appreciate the dedication of officials in Kansas to ensuring our businesses and residents have the natural gas and propane needed to continue powering their homes and businesses through this cold weather. While we continue to do all we can at the federal level to confirm no foul play or price gouging has occurred and to support our utility companies and community leaders as they work diligently to keep Kansans warm, I believe it is prudent to exam the reliability, resiliency and affordability of electricity and natural gas when the system is stressed,” Marshall said. “The Midwest and Great Plains have seen cold weather before. Electricity generators and natural gas producers in the north consistently operate in extreme cold weather. The ultimate questions become, “Why weren’t we prepared?” and “What can we do to ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take all necessary and possible steps to investigate the causes of the system failures during the recent extreme-weather event in Kansas and protect Kansans from natural gas and electricity price surges resulting from increased demand.

French, Commissioner Dwight D. Keen, and Commissioner Susan K. Duffy also signed onto the letter urging a federal investigation.

“The recent energy pricing and supply emergency will have serious financial implications for all Kansans and the KCC will take every action within our authority to ease that burden,” French said. “However, our jurisdictional reach is limited. We need swift and decisive leadership at the federal level, as well.”

Specifically, Kelly and the KCC called for the FERC to: examine the circumstances that reduced the supply of natural gas and compromised pressures on interstate pipelines; exercise its authority under Sections 4A and 23 of the Natural Gas Act and take all actions within its power to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of natural gas price indices; and work with North American Electric Reliability Corporation to investigate whether additional reliability mechanisms are needed to respond to similar events like this in the future.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].