Alaska weather harming sheep?

[VernAK]

I hope this thaw and rain don't harm our Dall Sheep population.

The North Slope of DCUA ia about 50% bare to 5M ft. Donnelly Dome is nearly barren of snow.

 

[Stid2677]

Icing kills sheep, snow can be removed with their feet to get feed, ice not so much and it also makes it harder for them to travel on icy slopes. The bad icing we had 2 years ago killed a lot of sheep and I'm afraid this year will be similar.

 

[Yellowknife]

I was poking around in the foothills of 20A on Sun/Mon. Snow pack was minimal and the winds were busy cleaning off the ridges. That's all positive for the sheep.

IMO, bare ground is good as long as it doesn't get a prolonged freezing rain that builds significant ice on top of it. If it is as warm in the mountains as it seems to be (checking Summit and Cantwell weather), the recent rain events seems more like a warm rain and isn't going to be building too much ice I wouldn't think.

I grew up observing the sheep wintering along the Knik River. They would (and still do) congregate there in the winter I believe specifically because of the chinook weather. Rain and wind is a regular thing along those hillsides, and they seemed to travel and feed there in preference to other colder locations. IMO, I think it was because the rain would usually fall when the temps were above freezing and the hillsides would were often snow free because of that.

Another positive is the very mild weather we've been having in the interior all winter. Warmer temps = less calories burned to date.

With this screwy weather, I'm sure some places in the state are getting hammered, but I'm not convinced we have a widespread problem. My opinion and speculation only of course. The sheep may differ.

Yk

 

[60x]

I know the freeze thaw is what kills them but down this way in wasilla it just seems to be a thaw cycle. I'm working in the foothills of 14c and there are lots of open grassy slopes right now. YK I'm looking at those hills out my window and it's crazy to see a definite snow line at the couple k mark this time of year

 

[Akshphntr]

Ak sheep

I was watching sheep in the Chugach and kenais the a the past few weeks. Ice is minimal and the sheep were out in the sun without a care in the world. Unless we get some nasty cold and dumping snow they seem to be loving this warm weather and minimal snow cover. I always heard that late snows don't bother them as much cause late dumps don't last long. I am strongly suspecting a early spring!