Temperatures tonight are expected to be around two degrees above zero with wind chills between minus four and minus eight degrees.

The expected temperatures are no where near record lows for Geary County according to Chuck Otte, Geary County Research and Extension Agent.

“Minus three, minus five, even minus seven isn’t going to quite cut it when it comes to record lows,” Otte said.

Otte mentioned that in 1989 Geary County saw back to back nights of -21 degrees on December 21st and 22nd. More recently in 2011 temperatures did get down to around nine below and in 2010 the temperature got down to eight below.

“This isn’t that out of the ordinary or what we should expect in a typical Kansas January.”

The cold temperatures will still be an issue for ranchers but not necessarily their livestock.

“As long as the cattle have plenty of feed out there and a place to get out of the wind a little bit their going to be just fine,” Otte said. “I would be more concerned about a cold wet snow in late February or early March when their trying to have calves.”

The issue for the ranchers will be keeping an open water source available for the livestock,”Even in cold weather like this a cow is going to drink eight to ten gallons of water a day so we’ve got to make sure there is something other than ice out there for them to drink on.”

Temperatures are expected to get colder heading out of the weekend into early next week with lows Sunday night at minus five and Monday night at minus three.