Climate projections indicate that much of Scotland will see a reduction in the occurrence of frost and snowfall over the next century, however, smaller decreases will be seen in mountainous regions, particularly in the north and west.
Cold weather and snowfall events will continue to be issues that farmers will need to deal with from time to time. Sub-zero temperatures and snowfall conditions can cause damage to infrastructure, crops and livestock. Frost can cause low crop yields by restricting stem growth. At emergence, crops can be vulnerable to hard frost and growth may be restricted. Livestock can suffer from cold stress which can result in injury to limbs and require increased energy to sustain their growth. Additionally, by not preparing for snowfall, there is a chance of reduced access to the farm business and damage to pipes and infrastructure. Extreme cold spells over recent years, such as ‘The Beast from the East,’ wreaked havoc on farms across the country, causing, premature deaths of smaller livestock such as lambs and preventing collection and delivery of milk and other goods.
Download the adaptation checklist to see what additional actions you may want to consider to improve your farms resilience to snowfall and extreme cold weather.
