Deborah Wytinck was up to her elbows in sheep Thursday, as the rainy, cool weather persisted, and put her new lambs’ health in jeopardy.
The weather’s forced the Nanaimo farmer to keep her flock inside and out of wet pastures a lot longer than expected.
“The biggest problem is the perpetual non-drying out,” said Deborah Wytinck who has farmed sheep in Nanaimo for 40 years.
“The perpetual rain. I think everybody needs a bit of yellow sunshine and dryness.”
The signs of spring have burst on Vancouver Island with snowbells and daffodils popping up everywhere, but the forecast suggests winter’s not over yet.
Sutton Pass on Highway 4 was covered in snow Thursday and there are flurries in the forecast for Saturday from Nanaimo to Campbell River, with snow possible at higher elevations, as overnight lows dip below zero in the nights ahead.
Nanaimo road crews say they’ll be ready, but are hopeful it will be a short-lived event.
“Usually we feel we’re in the clear by the end of February,” said City of Nanaimo Roads Foreman Gary Davenport.
“But March usually gives us sometimes one of these events. Like I said they’re usually minimal even if we get accumulations it’s usually gone within 24 hours.”
With more lambs on the way, Wytinck hopes the cold weather will soon behind us and that the warmer, more welcoming days of spring, are closer than they seem.
Skye Ryan
