Our weather is ridiculous
 This has gotten ridiculous.  We woke up this morning to so much fresh snow that for the THIRD TIME in a month we are literally snowed into our house  . NOT our driveway mind you...our house. We have taken to keeping a snow shovel inside, for occasions like this, when we have to DIG our way out the damn door  . Our plow guy has run out of places to dump our snow, so the driveway is gradually shrinking. Shoveling has become increasingly difficult, as there is nowhere to shovel the snow TO...the sides of our stairs and walkways are piled up over my head  We've had numerous power outages, there have been many (sometimes damaging) avalanches, and the roads are getting scarier (and narrower) by the day. Even Anchorage's big plows are unable to keep up enough to keep them clear. Lucky for us, we have no where we need to be today, so we are indulging in a few hours of curling up on the couch with the dogs and reading before we drag ourselves outside to start digging.  |
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| There has been just two states getting unusual moisture: Alaska and New Mexico Ours is microscopic compared to what you are getting........in other words, you are getting everyone's snow! Time you start sharing................ but we aren't coming up to carry it off. We are still chin deep in drought.....so even these passing spits and flakes aren't really solving problems. Just looked at your Cocorahs reports.......you have a better average snow pack that most ski areas down here. Ski downtown Anchorage! |
| I have relatives in both Alaska and New Mexico - and I agree - they are the prime snow land locations this year! We are pathetic - 3 snow falls. And even MORE weird, is we have been ABOVE freezing and it melts!  MN never stays above freezing. Never...this is so odd. We most often get a week in January that the temps for a high get above freezing - now we are almost every single day. |
| We are having the same warm weather and I'm not complaining because it does help with the heating bills. We just have a small amt of snow in the driveway and patches in the grass. As much as I like this it's not good for our water tables so suppose we'll have to hope for some pretty soon. Still going to be in the 40's for the next 3 days and then a couple days of normal or below and back up to the 30's. |
No snow here in the Chicagoland area and I'm thrilled about that and the mostly warmer winter we are having. I've been able to walk Teddy almost every day. I'm sure at some point we might get some snow but it won't hurt my feelings if we don't. And yes, it sure helps on the gas bill with the warmer winter. Maybe I wouldn't care as much if I didn't have to drive to work in the snow with the idiots that are on the roads.  How about some pictures of that crazy high Alaska snow you have?  Cindy |
So sorry you are having such a hard time up there. Last year at this time we were buried with ovr two feet - ALOT for us down here on Long Island. This year its been 50 degrees and like Spring I like snow but this year I am glad there is none so far. Between my back and my husbby's health issues, we have no one to shovel us out! Keeping paws crossed it stasy this way for us a few more weeks  |
These photos were taken earlier...so the snow is actually a good bit deeper now  The view down our "stairs"  The upper driveway  The lower driveway (stuckway?  ) Here's where I realized I didnt actually KNOW where my studio steps are...I dug in the WRONG place for 15 minutes!  The house and studio...this was taken on Xmas morning...mid dig-out  Snow-sheepies...and one beagle who is gratful she can follow in the larger dog's "wake" |
| We will gladly take some of that off your hands... and roads. We are in a Stage 4 drought restriction - ummm, this is Winter! Texas is losing millions of trees. We expect to lose the rest of our grass (some didn't make it from last year), shrubs and some trees over the summer. |
| WOW! Yep, that's a lot of snow! It's very pretty but I think I'll let you keep that up there! Cindy |
| omg living in fla i would love my boys to see that snow |
| I am so very jealous.... I know it's a pain for you, but we have had NO accumulation at all this winter. Just rain and warm, and I hate it! Do a little snow dance, and send some to Ohio. Please! |
Abuckie wrote: I am so very jealous.... I know it's a pain for you, but we have had NO accumulation at all this winter. Just rain and warm, and I hate it! Do a little snow dance, and send some to Ohio. Please! As long as the "snow dance" doesn't involve falling on my butt on the ice, sure!  |
| I'm sorry Laurel, that is how I felt last year with the abundance of snow we had in NJ (albeit, didn't have to shovel to get out of the house)! As far as the weather in NJ here this winter. It was 65 here yesterday!! Crazy temp for the middle of January (although I love it!). We dipped down to 45 degrees today, but it will be in the 50's Tues & Weds. All I can say is I doubt we will have any snow here in NJ this year. Want to know why??? Because we broke down and finally bought a snow blower!! |
got sheep wrote: I have relatives in both Alaska and New Mexico - and I agree - they are the prime snow land locations this year! We are pathetic - 3 snow falls. And even MORE weird, is we have been ABOVE freezing and it melts! MN never stays above freezing. Never...this is so odd. We most often get a week in January that the temps for a high get above freezing - now we are almost every single day. Tell me about it. BUT I have to say that I am grateful for a mild winter this year. Last year was awful. I commute >50 miles each way to work. Last year, I got snowed in at work over the weekend. Ended up not getting home for 2 days. This was 2 weeks before Christmas, so lovely timing. I was grateful to be warm and dry, inside and with bathrooms, running water and vending machines, but it was awful. We had so much snow and so much cold weather and ice, I was just grateful for spring to finally arrive. This year the wind has been brutal. If we had ice as well as wind, I would definitely end up not just in a ditch but halfway across some field. |
| Story in today's web news on Cordova, Alaska........you guys are really getting buried! |
ravenmoonart wrote: Abuckie wrote: I am so very jealous.... I know it's a pain for you, but we have had NO accumulation at all this winter. Just rain and warm, and I hate it! Do a little snow dance, and send some to Ohio. Please! As long as the "snow dance" doesn't involve falling on my butt on the ice, sure! I love the pictures. it just looks pretty to me. ...of course I'm not the one shoveling it, so I'd probably change my mind when it was time to take yuki out to pee. I remember always trying to keep a spot clear even while the downpour of snow was coming ...just so she'd have a small square she could pee in w/o sinking. |
| Wow, that is a lot of snow. It looks very pretty from here in the tropics looking at it on my computer. I don't miss shoveling snow even with a snowblower. I don't miss the cold at all. I hope the rest of the winter is kinder to you. |
SheepieBoss wrote: Story in today's web news on Cordova, Alaska........you guys are really getting buried! Cordova Valdez and Juneau are all in bad shape. There had been talk of sending Scott to Cordova and Bethel this week for his job, and Im very relived they sent someone else  |
| WOW! I love looking at the pictures of your home! It's soooo beautiful! It's unbelievably quiet here in Chicagoland. No snow, not even much rain...and as warm as spring! I think I'm happy about this  but ask me again in a couple of weeks when winter hits... |
| Holy Cow! Your home and study look so lovely covered in snow. I know its no good to have to dig out, but it sure makes for some pretty pictures! Are you able to use your hot-tub this time of year? (I can't recall where you ended up installing it). I bet it would feel good after all that shoveling! |
Darth Snuggle wrote: Holy Cow! Your home and study look so lovely covered in snow. I know its no good to have to dig out, but it sure makes for some pretty pictures! Are you able to use your hot-tub this time of year? (I can't recall where you ended up installing it). I bet it would feel good after all that shoveling! Im glad everybody likes my house!  I love it too, which is a damn good thing, since it doesnt look like Im going anywhere anytime soon  The studio is unusable at the moment as it is out of propane and frozen up solid  . Hopefully we can get more in soon, once our street and driveway get plowed  Well...this is the hot tub at the moment  We have been soaking in it a lot...so this is only 2 days accumulation The biggest issue at the moment is...we are out of wood Between power outages and firing up the tub, we have used up a whole winter's worth already. Getting more brought in is going to be a pain with our driveway so clogged with snow. We even cut up and burned the xmas tree already Here's a few more snow pics:  Our beehives have a...  Beehive hairdoo! Believe it or not, this is a shed. Um...under there somewhere...its where I store all my framed, finished artwork. Not sure what Im going to do if I get any orders! |
| Oh my gosh - that is amazing! I'm sure you're well-stocked for winter but wow!! I've never been snowed into my house...growing up in MT we were snowed onto our property, but never into the house. Keep taking those pics!! |
| The good news for Laurel is that the trough that has kept the cold air bottled up over Alaska and the storms moving up the Gulf of Alaska is showing signs of breaking down. The bad news for us in the northeast is that cold air will become stuck over us with the jet stream funnelling cold air & weather systems over the Great Lakes & into the northeast. Winter should be starting by this weekend. |
| We are set to break records today in MN - in the 50's. But then it is supposed to get cold (er...normal! ) Thursday and Friday...but then back to 30's by the weekend??!This is really odd weather! The only thing I like is that the heating bill is getting a break!! |
| Gorgious pictures Laurel, know not for you but it compliments your beautiful home nicely. We are going to be in the upper 40's today and tomorrow a little cooler than down to the teens/20's on Thurs with possible snow. Of course they're wrong most of the time so we'll see. I just keep tracking the heating costs, the lower the better. |
No snow last night!  and still clear this morning, plus our plow guy came!!!!  So things are looking up.  Several Alaska towns have been declared disaster areas. Cordova in particular has had numerous buildings collapse (including large public buildings) and avalanches blocking all road access. There are concerns that there may be people trapped in houses that are so buried they are not even visible at this point. The National Guard has been sent in to help. Northwestern Alaska towns and Villages (Nome, for instance, and my mother's home town of Platinum) are in trouble due to thick sea ice preventing ships getting in...so no fuel oil for heating. Since they have been dealing with months of extremely low temperatures, this is getting scary. Shelves in grocery stores all over the state are getting a bit barren, as trucks cant get through on many highways. Its been a really bizarre winter from the start. Before the huge snow dumps started (around a week before X-mas) we had several HUGE windstorms...with up to 80MPH winds ! There were several horrible melt-down/refreeze cycles which left the roads unbelievably icy as well. Spring is a loooong way off...but Im already dreaming of it! |
| Glad to hear you are plowed out and snow free ( kind of !) today. I do have a question about the logistics and overall movement of the state when snows like this occur. How do people get to work? Are they penalized if they can't make it to their employment? In Ohio, we have "levels" of emergencies. Level one and two are "be cautious, roads are bad". Level three is "Stay off the roads or you will be arrested". Just curious about how you function, with 300 feet of snow at your doorsteps  |
| Not good, with an already not-so-accessible area getting even worse than usual. Please remember us in MN (OK, most in MN!) would dearly love some snow. Send it down!I have a sled race fun event that was cancelled this weekend d/t no snow, and even the normally frozen river is not an option, as the warm temps have opened up the water here. Todd has only ice fished by walking out - not even ATV's (and no snowmobiles as no snow to get to the lake edges) or the light portable fish houses. I am doubting they ever will get the permanent houses out at all at this rate. They are even talking they will have to cancel the John Beargrease sled dog race in Duluth and along Lake Superior's north shore at the end of the month due to lack of snow. I think they have about 2 inches.... |
| We've had lots of warnings about thin ice but that doesn't stop people from wandering out and then wonder why they get in trouble. |
Abuckie wrote: Glad to hear you are plowed out and snow free ( kind of !) today. I do have a question about the logistics and overall movement of the state when snows like this occur. How do people get to work? Are they penalized if they can't make it to their employment? In Ohio, we have "levels" of emergencies. Level one and two are "be cautious, roads are bad". Level three is "Stay off the roads or you will be arrested". Just curious about how you function, with 300 feet of snow at your doorsteps Employers as a rule tend to be understanding, although it really has to be extreme for most people to not make it in to work, since we are expected to be prepared for most levels of awful weather here . Our poor kids rarely even get "snowdays" off from school, although there is also a "no recess under -20F" policy statewide. Over this past weekend the police did put out a "stay off the roads unless its an emergency" notice, due to white-out conditions. Most people have 4 wheel drive and studded tires, block heaters etc, so its rarely that much of an issue. Some employers will let you take sick days or personal days if weather makes getting to work really hazardous.In some communities, people have to make special accommodations for the frequency of avalanches (that cause road closures). Folks in Girdwood, a small very mountainous community near us, will sometimes have to send their kids to their pre-arrainged "avalanche home" (ie: a neighbor) when they get stuck at work with no way to get home. Luckily for us, Scott's job is nearby. he works on Fort Richardson (a military base) which is only about a ten minute drive away from Eagle River. he hasn't had any days he just couldn't get to work at all, although there have been several days when he got out quite late due to having to dig out. He has been parking at the bottom of our driveway, and walking up, so as to not get stuck. They did close down the Glenn Highway (our road in to Anchorage) a few times this past week, but fortunately not at times that we needed to be anywhere. Ive been pretty well stuck, because our policy in this sort of weather is "if its not necessary, don't risk it", and being self employed, I haven't HAD to be anywhere since my last x-mas art fair. Hello cabin fever  |
got sheep wrote: Not good, with an already not-so-accessible area getting even worse than usual. Please remember us in MN (OK, most in MN!) would dearly love some snow. Send it down!I have a sled race fun event that was cancelled this weekend d/t no snow, and even the normally frozen river is not an option, as the warm temps have opened up the water here. Todd has only ice fished by walking out - not even ATV's (and no snowmobiles as no snow to get to the lake edges) or the light portable fish houses. I am doubting they ever will get the permanent houses out at all at this rate. They are even talking they will have to cancel the John Beargrease sled dog race in Duluth and along Lake Superior's north shore at the end of the month due to lack of snow. I think they have about 2 inches.... Dont worry Dawn...we have Iditarod and the Nationals coming up in February...so undoubtedly we'll melt down and be back to bare earth, and YOU guys will have all the snow! |
| We just reading about the many difficulties that all this snow has brought you guys up in Alaska. Please stay safe and try and keep warm! You're in my thoughts! |
| http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... rc=nl_most |
| High winds again now . Its totally WHITE outside from blowing snow (coming off of the roof, trees, etc). The whole house is shaking, and every once in a while there's a huge bang as something (tree branches, maybe?) hits the outside walls. A friend just called to tell me the Seward Highway (the only road South out of Anchorage) has been shut down with multiple large avalanches. The "snow shovel shortage" mentioned in Guest's link made me chuckle...we've had to buy several new ones, as we have managed to break a few over the last week. I heard the National Guardsmen were issued one snow shovel each before being sent into Cordova |
| Another news story this morning on GMA about the snow situation you are experiencing! Sounds serious--take care and stay warm! All of our schools are closed today because we had 1/10th of an inch of snow yesterday--no kidding!! The news stations have made a big deal!! |
OK, I had to go take a picture. It's flurrying now, but you can still see the bare ground.  It's cold enough (6F), but now we need some snow. Laurel, you should send half your snow to MN, and we BOTH will be happy!! |
| Incredible Dawn........Minnesota in January |
| Ours looks just like Dawn, they weren't correct on the amt we were going to get. |
got sheep wrote: OK, I had to go take a picture. It's flurrying now, but you can still see the bare ground. It's cold enough (6F), but now we need some snow. Laurel, you should send half your snow to MN, and we BOTH will be happy!! I would LOVE to send you half of ours Dawn! If only it were possible !Your light dust makes your property look really pretty though...like its been powered-sugar coated!  |
| Laurel, your weather made the top spot of our eveing news all the way here in New York Our thoughts are with you...Please stay indoors, safe and sound....Keep us posted and thank goodness for the internet! Thinking of you and sending our happy ( warm) thoughts  |
Ashley wrote: Laurel, your weather made the top spot of our eveing news all the way here in New York Our thoughts are with you...Please stay indoors, safe and sound....Keep us posted and thank goodness for the internet!Thinking of you and sending our happy ( warm) thoughts Thanks for the good thoughts Ashley!  We are fine, really...just a bit whiny Scott is being flown in to Juneau this weekend by his job, due to the weather problems they are having (much worse than here in Eagle River/Anchorage). He's lucky, as some of his co workers are on their way to Cordova and Bethel . One of our friends is going to trade vehicles with him at the airport so she can use our big truck to come out here and stay with me while he's gone. I'm thinking Sci-Fi movie marathon and lots of hot cocoa  |
| Our temperatures here in England UK have barely dropped below zero & you can keep your damn snow! We are SO unprepared for our annual couple of days of snow which usually brings the country to a complete standstill. Last year there was no grit for the roads & as our snow is wet, it became thick ice sheets everywhere I hope you stay warm & cosy. Hot drinks & movies sounds like a great idea! |
| WOW i would llove to be in aaska right now!! We hardly ever have snow!! we havent had snow for a year now i am really dissapointed and when we do its slushy and yukk. |
| While it's nowhere near as bad as interior Alaska, it's taken a dive here in MN. Actually, more "normal" than what we've been having, but we are not used to it! Woke up to -8F (-22C) and still dropping. The high is maybe to get a bit above 0F. Good thing is I have today off...bad thing I need to go out and do chores (Todd's at work), get new tires and have little Bond's debut visit to the nursing home. That's not until noon, so the wind advisory should be over by then (oh, I never mentioned the 20-30mph winds we have with it! ) The windchill is -30F right now. Look out, you to the east! |
| Alaska sure is getting hit!!! I crave stuff like tht when we're having temps reaching low 80s ...in JANUARY. |
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