Big Wind's Gonna Blow

Much of Southcentral Alaska’s coast is under high wind warnings Monday, as the first of two major wind events passes through parts of the Interior near the Alaska Range.

Turnagain Arm and higher elevations of Anchorage, as well as much of Prince William Sound's coast, are under high wind warnings from the National Weather Service until noon Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. Thompson Pass near Valdez is under a blizzard warning until 6 p.m. Monday, calling for 10 to 14 inches of snow. Courtesy NWS Anchorage

As of 6 a.m. Monday, the weather service’s Anchorage website listed warnings in effect until noon for Turnagain Arm and higher elevations of Anchorage as well as the coast of Prince William Sound, a region extending from the Cape Fairweather area in the east to the vicinity of Homer in the west.

In affected parts of Anchorage, including the Hillside, top wind speeds were expected to reach 75 to 80 mph before subsiding Monday afternoon. The Prince William Sound areas were set to see winds from 35 to 55 mph, with gusts up to 75 mph.

Rebecca Duell, a forecaster at the weather service’s Anchorage office, said Monday that the current weather system is the first of two expected to produce high winds in Alaska, with a stronger one expected overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

“It’s looking like it has the potential to affect the city of Anchorage more, the Anchorage Bowl, with stronger winds,” Duell said.

The Thompson Pass area near Valdez is under a blizzard warning until 6 p.m. Monday, with 10 to 14 inches of snow forecast amid sustained winds up to 30 mph and gusts of up to 45 mph.

 

None of the above is nearly so bad as what's happening in the Lower 48, with blizzards, tornadoes, and massive flooding. 

Please continue to pray for those in harm's way, and for the families of those who lost their lives from the horrible weather over the weekend.

There's a Sense of Calm

Perhaps it's an odd sense, up here, but still ...

The national news is full of the cackles and crowing of the progressives, over the impending destruction of the U.S. economy, and the dire predictions & stern bleating from the ineffectual Republicans. Meh.

It all seems to be so far away, these days. The more frenetic the events in the Lower 48, the quieter it is here. It feels much like the scene in Titanic when the ship is about to slip beneath the waves for the last time: there's a hush that occurs at such a time, as people are suddenly reminded of the transience of our existence. The U.S.A. may or may not survive this wrenching turn toward socialism. It's a lead-pipe cinch that it won't look like it used to, because it has already changed into something our grandparents wouldn't have recognized. Soon we may not recognize it, either.

So why are we insulated? I'm not saying we'd be unaffected, but we do have a bit of a separate economy (though based on the same currency), and our power grid is of the stand-alone variety. We'll give it a go, if needs must, as we have always been isolated to a large extent from the rest of the states. I don't imagine for one second that it would be easy, comfortable, or desirable. But we would struggle on.

In the meantime, we go about our daily existence. Snowy roads, cold temps, northern lights, moose in traffic, and all the other things that make life in Alaska an adventure.

In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes on my God, and not on elected officials 4,000 miles away.

There's an Odd Sense of Calm

up here. The national news is full of the cackles and crowing of the progressives, over the impending destruction of the U.S. economy, and the dire predictions & stern bleating from the ineffectual Republicans. Meh.

It all seems to be so far away, these days. The more frenetic the events in the Lower 48, the quieter it is here. It feels much like the scene in Titanic when the ship is about to slip beneath the waves for the last time: there's a hush that occurs at such a time, as people are suddenly reminded of the transience of our existence. The U.S.A. may or may not survive this wrenching turn toward socialism. It's a lead-pipe cinch that it won't look like it used to, because it has already changed into something our grandparents wouldn't have recognized. Soon we may not recognize it, either.

So why are we insulated? I'm not saying we'd be unaffected, but we do have a bit of a separate economy (though based on the same currency), and our power grid is of the stand-alone variety. We'll give it a go, if needs must, as we have always been isolated to a large extent from the rest of the states. I don't imagine for one second that it would be easy, comfortable, or desirable. But we would struggle on.

In the meantime, we go about our daily existence. Snowy roads, cold temps, northern lights, moose in traffic, and all the other things that make life in Alaska an adventure.

In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes on my God, and not on elected officials 4,000 miles away.

Freezing Rain, Travel Discouraged

Good morning! Quite a few of you awoke to the arctic blast that was sitting on top of Alaska for the last three weeks, and are facing dangerous wind chills. If I may: dress in layers, and avoid cotton clothing. Alaskans have a saying: "Cotton kills; wear wool."

We have 30 degrees and light to moderate rain, which is freezing on contact with the roads. Having been below zero for such a long period, the ground is well-frozen.

So now the streets and highway (we only have the one) are ice-covered, all the schools in these two boroughs - comprising almost 22,000 square miles - are closed. The State troopers and local police are advising people to stay off the roads if possible.

That's nice, but as usual, the employers are the sticking point: they have an unreasonable expectation that people will show up for work! Oh, well ... many are going to be a bit late, today, Mr. Employer. Deal with it.

Stay warm & out of the wind, if you can. We have warmer air than we like, so we'll send it on down to you, too. It make take a few days ...