Business : Check Grain Bins for Blown In Snow

Much of Iowa experienced blizzard conditions in January. Some producers are finding snow blown in on top of stored grain in on farm bins. If this snow is not dealt with, it will melt and could cause grain spoilage later this spring.

This week should provide a good opportunity to get rid of this snow or moisture left behind by the melting snow. With temperatures above freezing, aeration fans can be run to melt the snow and evaporate the moisture. If the snow is crusted over, the crust will need to be broken up to allow airflow through it. Aeration fans should be run long enough to completely evaporate all of the melted snow. If night time temperatures do not drop much below freezing, fans can be left running at night and moisture will continue to evaporate from residual heat stored in the grain mass.

After the snow has been evaporated, be sure the grain is cooled back down into the 25-35 degree range for storage into the spring and summer. This can be done by running aeration fans when outside temperatures are in this range. The important thing is to be checking grain bins now. Snow problems are much easier to deal with now rather than when spoilage has already begun to occur.