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Possible rain-out this Sat---What does your outfit do?


Mustang Gregg

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Match Directors & TG's:

 

Our Lincoln Area Regulators club adopted a 2019 SOP for bad WX cancellations:

1.  On Friday evening, if predicted temp is below 40 degrees F for Sat AM shoot time = NO SHOOT will be held.

2.  On Friday evening, if there is rain, snow, hail or storms predicted for Sat AM shoot time = NO SHOOT will be held.

3.  Always call the TG or MD before driving any distance to our match.  They will give you the decision.

 

I don't reckon these rules are too far out of line.  Heck, it's a safety thing.

So----

Until YOUR shooters get acquainted with your risk rules; WHAT DO YOU DO TO PUT THE WORD OUT AND WHEN?

Or just let them figure it out on their own?  We really can't email or phone everyone who might show up. 

BTW:  We will post it on the website and FB.

 

Here's the situation for our 1st 2019 match in 2 days: 

We have an 80% chance of thunderstorms at the range on Saturday which will be our 1st shoot of 2019.

 

Last year on the first 2018 shoot, we had 6 shooters show up and it was 6 degrees F and we were standing on packed snow.

So we had a match...BUT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT AGAIN.

 

Any helpful info will be appreciated!

 

Mustang Gregg, 

LAR MD

 

 

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We've canceled two monthly matches since I can remember. Both cancellations were due to flooding. Emails, club web page and Facebook announcements made in advance. 

 

We've shot in the rain, freezing cold and humid sweltering summer heat. 

 

As long as there's no lightning in the area the match will go on, though maybe with changes to the scenarios or even changing which stages we will shoot. 

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My rule of thumb is if we have to cancel a match, it will be done by 8pm the Friday night before the Saturday Match. Folks know that I will post it on the our website, Facebook, SASS Wire and Club Email gets sent out. I also call a handful of people I know that do not get on the computer.

 

Weather doesn't hinder us much. If it rains we have the ability to setup under cover. Typically the only reason we cancel is because of temperatures in the low 20's or below or if the Wind Chill is going to be crazy. Or if the range conditions or parking lot is dangerous, mainly due to ice.

 

We typically have to cancel at least one of our Winter Matches.

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Hi MG,

 

     We use the SASS Wire as soon as we know of the cancellation.

 

We encourage everyone to read "the wire" on a regular basis so they will know if there is a cancellation.  

 

We also send a message to everyone on the mailing list ASAP.  There are still folks that don't get the message no matter how hard you try to reach them.

 

What Bubba said sounds like a pretty good idea.  

 

Mo

 

 

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Most of the local clubs rarely cancel matches with one notable exception which cancels three or more days out based on the forecast.  The clubs have webpages and email lists and use both to notify shooters.

 

If you're interested, one of our local clubs has a neat way of dealing with rain problems.  They have covered shooting areas available and set up multiple bays with identical stage setups.  Each posse stays on their bay, under cover and they all shoot the same stages without having to move.  For example the first stage might have 5 rifle, 5 pistol and 4 shotgun.  You might shoot that array twice with different scenarios, then remove a rifle and pistol target and shoot twice more with two different scenarios. 

 

We did this last month.  It was pouring rain all day, but we were able to shoot the entire match without ever getting out into the rain other than to load and unload.  I backed my car right up to the covered area and was able to load and unload without getting wet.  Kudos to the MD and his crew for their foresight. 

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Cold and wet are the break points around here.    I'll set up under cover with modified stages if it's warmer but showery.  I will cancel if it's freezing and windy, or the forecast has heavy rain and thunderstorms.  If I cancel,  it's usually Friday afternoon and I send it to my distribution list and post on the North Carolina wire.

 

We've been in a very wet pattern and footing has also been an issue.  When the Sandhills are so wet that they don't drain and the footing turns to slime, I'll also call it.  We can stay dry under cover, but the rivers coming off the berms underfoot are not safe.

 

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2 hours ago, WymoreWrangler SASS 46187 said:

So let me know on Friday night so I don't have to pack up the truck....  

How would I reach you?

You should contact me.

mustanggregg74@neb.rr.com

 

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Where I live if you rely on TV or Radio for what the weather at the range will be they will be dead wrong 99.9% of the time. They give the weather for Dallas and Ft Worth which rarely is accurate for points 30 to 50 miles to the east of the metroplex.

 

For weather I use the NOAA point forecast. It is usually updated by 0800 in the morning and by 2000 in the evening every day.

What I do is type in the closest city and then scroll down the page to the map and click on it as close as I can to the actual range location. Once the page refreshes then scroll dow to the Hourly Forcast Link and click it.  It gives the forecast hour by hour for Temp, Wind speed/direction, what the Chance of rain is and about how much you can expect.  Past history has shown this to be significantly more accurate that the forecast given by a weatherman that is only interested in the DFW area and not people 40 miles away. 

 

Here is the webpage for Lincoln NE

Here is the Hourly forecast for Saturday and Sunday


If you look you will see that as of today the greatest chances for rain Saturday are before 0600 and after 1800. Also note that no real rainfall amounts are expected until after 1800. Also note the times for potential thunderstorms.  If you change the point forecast to Waverly NE the times and chances are different. Sometimes this difference is significant.

 

If everybody uses the same source for information then everyone uses the same criteria to see if the match is happening.

 

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We patterned our WX call after CCC of Topeka.  We'll see how it works.

 

I can't send an eblast any cowboy shooters at this time.

Recently Time Wienie/Spectrum killed our business emails when they got bought by Charter. :angry:

There went 200+ cowboy email address and phone numbers off into cyber hell.

They said it was going to be recoverable.  BUT IT AIN'T!!!  :angry:

 

So if we call it off, I will post of the Wire, CAS City, our website and several CAS pages on FB.

 

In order to drive up with the gear and set the range up, it's a 60+ mile drive for me and probably more miles for Tucker.

 

Mustang

 

 

 

 

Keep your comments coming!

 

 

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Website. Website. Website.

If your club is in an area where weather cancellation rears it's ugly head regularly; make it policy to post the night before on your website.

 

The Doodley Squat Rangers 

WILL 

or

WILL NOT

be shooting tomorrow.

 

Then everyone simply checks your website the morning of the match and they know whether to hop up and brush their teeth or roll over and pull the covers back over their heads.

 

This also assists those out of area shooters that are not on anyone's mailing or phone list.

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We shoot the first Saturday of the month barring life threatening conditions. Even then some of will probably show up and drink coffee in the clubhouse. But the shoot must go on. Can only remember two times since 2006 where we didn't. 

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i appreciate that , it keeps folks from driving to a cancelled match , ive seen it , ive done it and its no fun , if im on site and it comes about after we start its up to me to decide 

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Canceled match or not, we're going to be more of a fair weather shooters.  This is suppose to be fun.  I'm getting to where if it's cold enough to need a coat, it's not fun. If the heat index gets much above 90 it's not fun. If it's precipitating enough to get get wet, it's not fun.  If we have to drive 2 hours in thunderstorms coming or going,  it's not fun.

 

Our match directors are good about sending out emails.  Not many of our gang use Facebook and our club does not have a FB page.

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I appreciate a club that is going to hold the match unless it’s unsafe, that way those who don’t mind a little heat/cold/moisture can still shoot and those that do mind can skip it.  Canceling on Wednesday based on the forecast for Saturday often leads to a cancellation that doesn’t reflect what the weather actually turns out to be.

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I'd think it would depend on the range having plenty of cover or no cover at all. 

 

We have shot improvised matches by setting up under the roof at the bench rest range that is attached to the club house.  Not many people showed, and some left when it was clear the rain was not going to stop.  But enough wanted to shoot to make up one small posse. So we set up one set of targets and revised them as needed.  

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My club (the club where I am/was an officer) has canceled the last four matches due to rain. Other clubs using the same venue may not cancel. They use the one berm that has three stages undercover on it and write two scenarios for each stage (set of targets). Still, there isn't enough room for everyone to back up and keep dry loading or unloading guns from their cars. 

 

This is something that is very personal to the venue and shooters (age and health).

 

Once, during mild weather in the CA central valley, a bunch of us shot at Chabot Park (on the coast near Oakland) and we got snowed on. Our last stage was a Mulligan and I messed it up. I chose to go to the car, turn on the heater, and take off my shoes; rather than reshoot.

 

Gregg, I am an no way discounting your very good question. My bottom line answer is it "depends" on many variables.

 

Maybe have a plan B, which includes a nearby restaurant that can accommodate a bunch of disappointed shooters for brunch. ;)

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If you live in an area that gets rain nearly every day, you have to adapt to it.  Just as those in the frozen north forge on in the winter. 

 

Our club starts late in the year - April.  And ends early - October.   So we avoid about all tne winter cold and short days.  I'm sure we've canceled a match, maybe two but not often.  We have shot under the bench rest cover twice. 

 

Another safety consideration is that we are in tornado alley.   Mess with mother nature and you'll loose.  Storm cells can come up quicky. 

 

Range access is another thing to consider.  Several of the clubs in our area have low water crossings to get to the range.  We're prone to flash floods.   Guys tell of having to spend the night because they got caught on the wrong side when the stream flooded. 

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You cancelled because of a little snow!!!!

We glory in it!*

Pictures from the Winter Camp Match

 

*Yeah, we're masochists!

DSC00181_zpsxhscx9o8.jpg

DSCN0031_zpsq5cxxckw.jpg

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