01 March 2017

-10° & a Coming Cold Snap

It was 2 degrees at our house, -10 along the river, and -4 in midtown Anchorage when I got to work. Tonight, AccuHunch says it will turn cold.
 
In fact, it's supposed to be pretty crunchy on Saturday morning for the Iditarod's ceremonial start. The dogs will love it, and so will the crowds. As one old sourdough told me, our first year here, "You haven't been to the Iditarod until you've frozen your butt off."
 
There's something about standing along the race course, with a coffee pot and some breakfast burritos on the fire, as the mushers come by. You high-five the mushers, sip on your cuppa, and take another bite. By the that time, the next team is coming by.
 
 
 
But if you're going to stand alongside the track in subzero temps, you'd best dress warmly. It gets cold in wide open flats in the low part of Anchorage. :)

4 comments:

LindaG said...

Winter finally arrived? Will you go to Anchorage for the start? Or is it like Mardi Gras? Once you see one, that is enough for a life time?

Rev. Paul said...

Linda, winter's been here since November. :) We're well above-average on snowfall, and had temps in the -20s in January. It's just that the forecast for this week includes several straight days of subzero lows again, to include the start of the race. That's a good thing.

Re: the start, I'll stay home & watch it on local TV with friends. Might even light up the ol' fireplace. And each person experiences it a bit differently. Some go once, some every year, and others - like me - only go every few years. It's fun, whichever way.

Suz said...

So, have you gotten enough snow not to move the re-start to Fairbanks was it?

Rev. Paul said...

Suz, we have more than enough snow in this part of the state, but the route they follow from here through the Alaska Range, 125 miles northwest, is still scantily covered. The Fairbanks route takes them well west of that before it rejoins the main course.