Objects in Mirror Are Closer ... Well, You Know

 Okay, third time's a charm ... stupid corporate 'puters at work won't let me save this text. Typed it twice already, so here we go:

Winter is coming. No, that's not a blurb for yet another go-round of Game of Thrones.

Our leaves began falling promptly on August 1st this year, which is not an encouraging sign. We've had snow on the nearby mountains, down to about the 5,000 foot mark - twice in the last week. And it was only 41° here this morning.

This is our fourth consecutive colder-than-normal "summer" season, with LOTS of rain since around the 1st of May. I think we've had 23 days of 70°+ weather this year, in total. I don't have the season's total rainfall in front of me, but 2023 is in the top 5 or 6 wettest summers on record. 

We had 70 mph winds that lasted for nearly 24 hours, last week, and lost yet another tall tree. It's worth noting that we purchased this place, some 7 years ago, largely because of it was heavily-wooded (emphasis on was). But now we've lost roughly 40% of the trees which were here. 

Between the 7.2-magnitude 'quake in 2018, a complete septic system replacement, and lots of heavy rains/snows and wind, there's a lot more daylight - and correspondingly less privacy - than when we moved in. I have faith that God knows exactly what He's doing, and this is not a complaint. Rather, think of it as a chronicling of what's happened during our tenure. 

And then there's this: fireweed, a fairly-reliable indicator of each upcoming winter's snowfall, is signaling another year of heavy snow. Well, okay then. 

I have a large snowblower, and am in better health now than I have been for several years. Bring it.

The Snow is Teasing Us

AccuHunch keeps telling us that there are heavy snowstorms just to the north ("just" meaning 100 miles or so. That's a stone's throw in Alaskan terms.) But our temps keep edging up to the upper 30s and low 40s, just a bit too warm for the white stuff.

Meanwhile, we wait. Snow tires are installed on all four vehicles, and air filters have been changed out for the winter season. Summer, while relatively short, is extremely dusty here: sandy soil, glacial silt, and volcanic ash are all a permanent part of ground cover.

The snowthrower is oiled and lubed, and a fresh supply of fuel is waiting. So we're as ready as we can be.

The long-range winter forecast, always involving guesswork, varies. One says heavier-than-normal snowfall, another says icy snow and freezing rain. It depends on the temps, but all the forecasts are calling for "normal".  That means the white stuff.

Bring it!

God's Word for Thursday, 9/26/19 (and other things)

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:30-31 KJV

If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.

Hebrews 10:30-31 MSG

Note: this is NOT "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (the famous Jonathan Edwards sermon of Revolutionary/Great Awakening times). This passage refers to Christians who renounce their salvation in word or deed, and turn their backs on the sacrifice Jesus made. 


* * * * *

It was 29° this morning with 100% humidity. Frosty windows, leaves frozen like huge confetti all over the vehicles, and all that. Even with the SUV warmed up, it took a long time for the windows to clear. 

Fresh snow is now a third of the way down the tallest peak which towers over our little town. It's probably safe to say that winter will be early this year, even though we could still see a brief return to warm temps before that happens.

But all accounts indicate we could see another season of record snowfall. We're good with that. Given current conditions, the summer we've just had, the signs provided by nature, and hearing what the old-timers are saying, this winter will be a doozy.

Strange Weather

This is going to be a week of strange weather, up here. 29° and raining lightly, going up to 35 today.
Temps in the mid-30s all week, or so AccuHunch predicts, and Weather Underground is calling for 10+ inches of snow on Wednesday.

Good thing we got that new snowblower; 10" of wet snow will give it a workout.

I'm looking forward to it (insert evil grin, here).

Could Be An Interesting Winter

The National Weather Service, Farmer's Almanac, NOAA, and the Old Farmer's Almanac are all calling for a colder and more-snowy winter this year, although some say the really heavy snows won't hit until February.

Come to think of it, you don't have to be a professional prognosticator to figure that out.



* Ed. Note: I'm speaking here about Alaska's weather. The northern tier & New England areas of the U.S. are forecast to receive heavy snow all winter long.

The Questions Have Stopped

Strangely enough, I'm not getting any questions of "How cold is it in Alaska?" these days. Go figure.

Y'all have our weather, and we apparently have yours: it's 34 & foggy this morning, and the temps won't drop back into the teens (normal for early January) until this weekend.

But we're no strangers to really cold weather, so ... dress in layers, wear gloves, and limit exposure on your face. Be careful out there!

* * * * *

One other note this morning: there's some inflammatory info being promulgated on certain websites (no, I won't provide links) about Alaska salmon being contaminated by Fukushima radiation.

Not true, folks.


I hope to have more, later, but thanks for stopping by, and stay warm!

Friday in the A.M. (Updated)

Hit-or-Miss Dept:  AccuHunch Weatherguess ("Now with 2nd Generation Nexrad Radar, just like everyone else!") told us we'd get snow & lots of freezing rain overnight.

We didn't.

To be fair, there are icy roads to the south, and schools are closed in Girdwood, Moose Pass, and Seward. But Anchorage received only about 1/8" of light snow yesterday afternoon. Since then, nothing.

But not to worry: AccuHunch still says today will be icy, before changing to heavy snow, later. Really. They promise, this time for sure*.

It's winter in Alaska. If they keep predicting snow, they're bound to be right ... sooner or later. Then they can say, "See? We were right!"

UPDATE:  The rains moved in about 30 minutes ago, and now it's icing over quickly. Lovely. 

Harrumph.


* Those of my generation will remember Bullwinkle making the same promise while trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat. In the words of Rocky the Flying Squirrel, "That trick never works!"

So We Came Back to This

Statement as of 6:34 AM AKST on November 21, 2013

... Winter Weather Advisory for snow and freezing rain remains in effect from midnight tonight to midnight akst Friday night...

* snow... 2 to 6 inches.

* Ice accumulation... a trace up to one tenth of an inch.

* Timing... precipitation will begin as all snow late this afternoon and continue through late tonight. Warm air aloft will overspread cold air at the surface and lead to a transition to freezing rain beginning early Friday morning. Areas of freezing rain will persist through Friday afternoon before more cold air arrives and allows precipitation to change back to all snow Friday evening. Snow may be heavy at times Friday evening before tapering off to showers Friday night. Southeasterly winds of 30 to 40 mph will lead to localized areas of blowing snow along Turnagain Arm. [The route southeast out of Anchorage, to the Kenai Peninsula - Ed.]

* Impacts... travel may be difficult.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow... sleet... or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities... and use caution while driving.

A Quick Note About That Snow in the Forecast

Our buddy Mitch at Channel 2 Weather has backed way off on his prediction of snow.

Of course.

Looks like the bulk of the late-season snow will go well north of Anchorage, although we could see flurries and/or snow showers next week ... or so he's saying this morning. Meanwhile, I'm hearing angry muttering about tall trees and a short rope. One friend said, "We need to have a talk with ol' Mitch."