jpshaw wrote:What do you mean - - "about to"?
The data gives a few years leeway. Before it actually begins things will be a bit erratic. Welcome to the climate rollercoaster.
jpshaw wrote:The data gives a few years leeway. Before it actually begins things will be a bit erratic. Welcome to the climate rollercoaster.
Janie - I lived here my entire life. Many would say that I'm used to it - but as time goes on I am getting sick of it. Our position on the lake makes our weather very unpredictable 365 days a year - even in summer - we cannot predict what will happen - it changes so fast.
In Alaska I worked in many various regions. Most folks think of AK as being a deep-freeze everywhere all winter long. But it's not.
90% of Alaska's residents live in the Anchorage area in the south-central part of the state (which is way south) and there the weather isn't honestly a whole lot different than here in Illinois as far as snow-fall or cold- just lasts several weeks longer- beginning in Oct. and ending in May- with remnants of snow remaining high up in the mountains all summer long.
But on Alaska's northermost coast at Deadhorse- which is a wee bit east of Point Barrow, where I worked at several oil camps, Alaska's northernmost point on the Beaufort Sea, the snow flew from Sept to June and temps dipped to minus 70 degrees ambient. (Combined w/ 70+ straight days of darkness).
And WAY south, far out on the Aleutian chain, Dutch Harbor is known as "Birthplace of the Wind". It's severely windy (noisy!) always- even on bright, hot, summer days. There, much as mama describes- the snow flew sideways and piled HIGH! Although temps rarely dipped too cold- never below zero. This wasn't always good though, because at least when it gets THAT cold- it cannot rain or snow. There the temp always remained around that magic 25-35 degree mark which made conditions perfect not only for TONS of snow- but also those dangerous winter down-pours of rain that caused ice-ups on roads, bridges, barges and fishing vessels. Many a crab-boat has tragically rolled and sunk due to severe ice build-up.
In and around Valdez, where the tragic '89 Exxon Valdez oil Spill took place- in surrounding Thompson Pass the year I worked at a tiny ski lodge the annual snow-fall was THREE HUNDRED INCHES! The folks there LOVED it though 'cause they're all extreme-ski-ers and snow-boraders!
And finally in south-east Alaska (which is actually rain-forest) where I worked on Admiralty Island just a 45 minute ferry ride from Juneau, it often snowed in winter- but more typically, it rained- and often quite hard. Temps hardly ever fell below 30 degrees, and when it did snow one day- the next day's rain usually washed it all away.
90% of Alaska's residents live in the Anchorage area in the south-central part of the state (which is way south) and there the weather isn't honestly a whole lot different than here in Illinois as far as snow-fall or cold- just lasts several weeks longer- beginning in Oct. and ending in May- with remnants of snow remaining high up in the mountains all summer long.
But on Alaska's northermost coast at Deadhorse- which is a wee bit east of Point Barrow, where I worked at several oil camps, Alaska's northernmost point on the Beaufort Sea, the snow flew from Sept to June and temps dipped to minus 70 degrees ambient. (Combined w/ 70+ straight days of darkness).
And WAY south, far out on the Aleutian chain, Dutch Harbor is known as "Birthplace of the Wind". It's severely windy (noisy!) always- even on bright, hot, summer days. There, much as mama describes- the snow flew sideways and piled HIGH! Although temps rarely dipped too cold- never below zero. This wasn't always good though, because at least when it gets THAT cold- it cannot rain or snow. There the temp always remained around that magic 25-35 degree mark which made conditions perfect not only for TONS of snow- but also those dangerous winter down-pours of rain that caused ice-ups on roads, bridges, barges and fishing vessels. Many a crab-boat has tragically rolled and sunk due to severe ice build-up.
In and around Valdez, where the tragic '89 Exxon Valdez oil Spill took place- in surrounding Thompson Pass the year I worked at a tiny ski lodge the annual snow-fall was THREE HUNDRED INCHES! The folks there LOVED it though 'cause they're all extreme-ski-ers and snow-boraders!
And finally in south-east Alaska (which is actually rain-forest) where I worked on Admiralty Island just a 45 minute ferry ride from Juneau, it often snowed in winter- but more typically, it rained- and often quite hard. Temps hardly ever fell below 30 degrees, and when it did snow one day- the next day's rain usually washed it all away.