Good morning, world. It's -17* with freezing fog outside ... as opposed to indoors. Duh, Paul.
I just saw an article in the Anchorage paper which says Valdez (apparently not wanting to be outdone by Cordova) has received 322 inches of snow this winter. The average depth of the snowpack, there, is 78", and that column of compacted snow weighs 112 pounds per square foot. The article also states that it's 44.3" more than the previous record.
And of course, since it's January, we're going to get more snow before all is said & done. This is only the half-way point in our winter.
For those who wonder what life is like, here, it's like most other places in the States ... apart from differences in weather. It's a bit slower-paced, I suppose, and the big "buzz" around town right now is that the first Olive Garden in Alaska will open here on the 24th. I can guarantee that a body won't be able to find a seat there for the first three months, so I suppose we'll try visiting in early summer.
I have missed those bread sticks.
Anyway, the coffee is hot, and breakfast is calling. Have a great day!
*I just told my mother that it was only -10, but then checked the temp again before starting this report. Sorry, Mom. :)
Psalm 22:27-28: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he ruleth among the nations.”
8 comments:
Stay warm my friend...make a snowman. It's getting hot out here, 50 now.
OK. How the heck can snow weigh 112 pounds per square foot?
What are they dropping on y'all up there?
(Olive Garden bread sticks. Ummmm .. :)
Snowman ... heh. At this temp, the snow is dry & crunchy. Won't stick together.
Cathy, the compacted 78" tall column of snow weighs that much at its base.
Whew !
Do the building codes up there have special spacing requirements for roof rafters to hold the snow load? Or are folks having to shovel their roofs to keep them from collapsing?
A friend in the UP showed us the inside of a garage. The roof had a fairly steep pitch, but even with that the roof rafters were on 12" centers instead of the usual 16". Of course, many of the houses there also have exit doors on the 2nd floor just in case the snow gets really deep. They look really funny in the summertime; that first step could be a real surprise.
Hopefully, the food at the Olive Garden will be good; by summer it will either still be busy or out of business.
Mrs. S: both, and there are companies here which specialize in clearing roofs in the winter.
The Olive Garden won't go belly up; it's located in the newest shopping center in Anchorage, and literally only a quarter-mile from the main gate at the air force base.
"Enjoy" the day... and stay warm!
I cannot believe that you guys received that much snow and we haven't got anything to speak of.
Be safe as you continually dig out.
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