Not The Best Weekend

 We, along with the rest of southcentral Alaska, were awakened around 0330 by a series of earthquakes, beginning with a 5.1-magnitude shaker centered about 40 miles away. There have been well over 30 aftershocks since then, but only a few over 4.0. 

The weather forecast calls for up to 9" of snow, with rain squalls during the storm.

Squalls, you ask? Yes, the snow front will be ushered in by 45 mph winds, gusting to 75 mph, overnight. 

And have I mentioned that there was a dense fog this morning?

Verily, 'tis a great day for staying indoors.

Sad News

Anchorage, despite its size - and trust me, 330,000 people is a lot when the entire State's population is only 710,000 - has not a lot of "big city" crime.

 

Sure there are muggings, break-ins, and car thefts, but those can happen most anywhere. But it doesn't often see headlines like the one this morning:

 

BREAKING: 2 dead, 17 sent to hospital with 'moderate to severe' injuries

A large, fatal fire with multiple victims has dozens of crews on scene in Spenard, according to the Anchorage Fire Department.  

Crews on scene say that 17 people have been sent to the hospital, and two people are confirmed to be dead. AFD says those sent to the hospital have injuries ranging from "moderate to severe." 

Fire crews are still working on the fire. Investigators with AFD remain on the scene, ensuring all hot spots are being put out. 

Units on the scene say investigations into the cause are stalled as the building has still not been declared structurally sound. Due to this, investigators have not been allowed to enter the structure to determine what exactly caused the fire. Witnesses at the scene said they saw people jumping from windows on the third floor.

 

30 34 units responded to the fire, reported as fully engaged (meaning the entire structure was ablaze) by 0230. At 0712 (i.e., now), it's under control, and surrounding streets are reopened.

 

* * * * *

Meanwhile, it's snowing heavily - a wet, slushy snow of a type we don't often get - and there's a winter weather advisory in place. This morning's commute was a real joy.

 

Not.

 

Fortunately, traffic was unusually light, and I only saw one accident - a vehicle on its side - on the way in. But I knew exactly where the warm front was, as I drove. At one point just south of the accident, my windshield was suddenly doused with a heavy load of water (!?!). Twice. And then back to snow again.

 

I've experienced snow/rain mixes in the past, often enough, but never all snow, then all rain for 2 or 3 seconds, and back to snow again. Rinse, repeat.

 

Strange. Anywho, AccuHunch calls for 3" to 6" of this wet, un-fun stuff.

 

All I know is, it would have been a good day to stay home.

That's What I Get ... and a Prayer

... for responding to several comments about weather variables by saying that "Alaska doesn't have those wide temperature swings", or words to that effect.

I hope I was honest (with myself) enough to add "usually" to that descriptor.

Because it's -7° this morning, and by tomorrow afternoon we're to have at, or slightly above, freezing temps with rain. Yes, the wet stuff. That always works out so well on subzero pavement and snow.

And just in time for the commute, too.

Bleah.

* * * * *

A State senator (I'm sure she'd want me to mention her name) has introduced a bill raising the tax on studded tires.

From $5 to $75. Per tire.

With the average winter tire already going for well over $200, these days, this strikes directly at the shrinking pocketbooks of everyday residents.

Still think they're "looking out for you"?

* * * * *

Father God,

We continue to hold up President Trump to You, and ask You to keep strengthening him, and surrounding him with only those who want to help him accomplish Your purpose.

Please continue to expose the lies and hypocrisy of the enemies of freedom, and bring their plans to naught. Open the peoples' eyes to the truth, and cause us to pull together.

Above all, Lord, we thank You for giving us this chance to turn things around, and to put the country back on track, for Your glory. You are the author and finisher of our faith, and apart from you, we can do nothing.

Thank You, Lord.

In Jesus' wonderful name we ask it - amen!

Wind's Gonna Blow

Apparently we're going to have some wind tonight.

High Wind Warning for sustained 30-50mph and gusts to 80 plus...strongest from this afternoon through midday tomorrow.

Alrighty, then. Charge the cell phones, and keep the flashlights handy. There are bound to be power outages.

The local news outlets have all published lists of Things You Should Do Before The Storm.

We have our own list:

•  Fresh batteries in the flashlights and LED lanterns.
•  Put the trash can in the garage.
•  Sit back and enjoy the show.

That's about it; we're ready all the time. It's Alaska, pilgrim. Weather can turn bad without much warning; folks who aren't ready for that are usually called "victims".

Northview Diary: Storm

threecollie has posted a most excellent pictorial display and poem about those sudden summer storms. Please pay her a visit & see for yourselves.

Northview Diary: Storm

The Weather Outside is Frightful

If only it were snowing ...

In an apparent counterpoint to last year's record snowfall & steady cold, this winter has already been marked by unseasonably warm spells, rain, and ice. We hardly ever get ice, except this year.

Today is no different: we're under a freezing rain "advisory", as Accu-Hunch Weather guesses we'll get a quarter-inch of ice this morning before temps get warm enough to melt it all again, later today. Tomorrow, they allow it'll get up to 46.

January is usually our cold month. Oh well, I have to drive Younger Daughter to her job downtown at 7 am, about 10 miles away. Sounds like it could be ... let's call it an adventure due to slick streets. My studded snow tires are on their last winter, but should still be okay on ice as long as neither I nor anyone else does anything stupid out there.

Okay, I won't do anything stupid, and will give everyone else as wide a berth as Saturday morning traffic allows.

* * * * *

U.S. Fish & Wildlife in Alaska had proposed setting aside 187,000 square miles as habitat for endangered polar bears. That's larger than California, for the record.

A couple of problems with that: the Federal gov't already controls over half of our land (don't even get me started), and Alaska's polar bears aren't endangered. In fact, the population is up, here. It's down in Canada's Northwest Territory.

On Friday, a federal judge threw out the plan, saying it was an overreach, citing "substantive and procedural deficiencies."

U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline, in a written order dated Thursday, said the designation was too extensive and presented "a disconnect between the twin goals of protecting a cherished resource and allowing for growth and much needed economic development." He sent the matter back to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ...

The suit was filed by a coalition of Native groups, oil companies, and State of Alaska.

I'm telling you, if the feds get their way, they'd have all of us live somewhere else, turning the entire state into a national park. To paraphrase Capt. Barbossa, I'm disinclined to acquiesce to their desires.

* * * * *

I saw on Fox News last night that Alaska was designated with "widespread" flu cases, like 46 other states. According to local officials, we're only at the moderate level. They're still preparing for the worst, though. That's wise; better to be prepared than surprised.

* * * * *

Ah well, it's 6 a.m. I should probably pour a cup of coffee & start my day. Take care out there, y'hear?

Friday Doldrums

This has been such a strange summer, weather-wise.  We've had cool & wet before ... often, in fact ... but this year has been windy.

Meteorologists will tell you that Anchorage isn't a windy place (tall tales aside) because we're surrounded by mountains on three sides. With the city nestled literally against the Chugach Range, we tend to be dry when all around us is rainy, the infamous "rain shadow" effect.

This year we've had winds, often. Last week's hurricane-force winds, lasting for 36 hours, did a number on this place: thousands of trees down, and much of town left without power for several days.

Now AccuHunch predicts we'll get Round 2, beginning Saturday night into Sunday ...

"Winds... .southeast 70 to 85 mph with possible gusts to 100 mph along Turnagain Arm and the Upper Hillside. For the rest of Anchorage... southeast 35 to 50 mph with possible local gusts to 65 mph."

Yay. This threat is exacerbated by those trees which were pushed over, but haven't yet fallen. With all this rain, the ground is soft ... too soft. One more good push & they'll all go down.

Older Daughter works on Saturday this week, so we planned a range trip for Sunday morning. That isn't sounding like such a good idea now, as the storm is expected to peak on Sunday.

So we'll batten the hatches once more, and settle in for another wet & wild weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

Sunshine on Our Shoulders

makes us happy. At least, it's shining here in south Anchorage. After a long, grey day, it's a welcome sight. We hit 52 yesterday, and could again this evening, if the sun remains long enough.

There are big dark clouds sliding this way, across the Chugach Mountains, and AccuHunch guesses we'll have clouds & sprinkles for the foreseeable future. Jolly.

It was a bit of a crazy day at work, one of those days when everyone around you is in a frenzy about something ... and occasionally, the edge of the maelstrom sucks you into the middle. I did my best to deliver requested reports quickly, ducking back out as soon as I could.

Sunrise was at 6:02 this morning, and sunset will be at 9:53. Add in the 45 minutes or so of light before and after, and it makes for a nice, long day. I wish we didn't have to wait so long for this season to come 'round, but it's nice while it lasts.

I spoke with my parents in southwest Missouri, about an hour ago. They're not directly threatened by the flooding, but local news tells of the water in Table Rock Lake approaching the top of the dam - so authorities are spilling some 56,000 cubic feet per minute downstream. My parents' lot is flat, and Dad said there's water standing in the driveway, and many of the streets are full of water, too.

It could be worse, for them, if they were farther to the east. Having lived in Tornado Alley, we're no stranger to heavy rains and flooding. The "Great Flood of '93" was memorable, as much of our county was under water.

By moving from Missouri to Alaska, we traded thunderstorms, floods and tornadoes for earthquakes, blizzards and volcanoes. Right now, I'm thinking we got the better deal.

The Weather Outside Is ...

not as bad here, as elsewhere. The local weather wonks are calling for 5" to 11" locally, with high winds in the mountains above town, and temps only in the low 20s (which is our normal high).

All y'all down south in the States have our sympathies. We're running studded tires & some serious snow-removal equipment, here in the frozen Northland - which means we can easily keep right on going in the face of a two-foot snowfall. And have, many times over. The last time there was 3' of snow all at once, the city recommended that folks stay off the roads that day, to allow the plows to go through. The airport was closed for 45 minutes, that time. After that? Business as usual.

For those of you who don't normally see that much, please be careful.

Stay safe & warm, folks.

What to do, what to do? (updated)

It's Saturday morning. The temperature is 26, and the skies are mostly clear, with some haze & clouds drifting slowly up from the south. We'll probably get near 40 degrees again today, but the high of the day doesn't happen until around 8 p.m. It'll be in the mid-30s for most of the day.

So ... what to do? The day is before us; we have no projects or plans, and likewise no clue what to do with ourselves. Cabin fever has set in, in a BIG way, and we'll looking forward to hitting the trails again. Just as soon as the remaining foot of snow & ice is gone. (insert dramatic sigh)

We have gift cards for one of the fancier eateries in town, and that's a possibility. Beyond that, who knows? Something will turn up; it always does.

I'm miffed just a bit about the previous post (doggie peeves) ... it had really nice graphics; emphasis on had. I had copied & pasted from an e-mail, and everything looked great. Then I deleted the e-mail, and all the graphics disappeared. I was unaware that there was any sort of link between the message & the post. Live and learn.

I'll probably clean & oil my rifle today, among whatever else we do. Still haven't made it to the range, and have no excuses, other than general sloth. But I want to try out the new sandbag rest, and see if last season's difficulties with the flat-tipped 150-gr. rounds still don't want to load. The ballistic-tipped, pointy li'l 130-gr. rounds went in just fine, so we'll see.

Y'all have a good day. The sun is shining in my face now, and it's time to go enjoy it.

Update: It's clouding up fast, the winds are increasing, and the weather service says we have a 60% chance of a rain/snow mix. Okay, fine. I didn't want to go shooting anyway. Stupid weather.(grumble, mumble, mutter)

Update #2: AJD and Richard were kind enough to forward the e-mail again, so the previous post's pics are restored. Thank you, gentlemen.