winter....

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING HAS EXPIRED
......WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AST SUNDAY...


TODAY...CLOUDY. SNOW IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. LOCALLY VERY WINDY. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE LOWER 20S IN THE AFTERNOON. NORTH WIND TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH...STRONGEST IN EXPOSED AREAS AND NEAR DOWNTOWN JUNEAU..

TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE EVENING FAR SOUTH PART. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. LOCALLY VERY WINDY. LOWS 3 TO 9. NORTH WIND TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH IN EXPOSED AREAS...BECOMING NORTHEAST LATE. WIND CHILL TO 20 BELOW.


It's been a funny winter for us. Not too cold. Not too much snow. But it's been consistent with snow, wind, rain, and cold temps. We received about 10" of snow yesterday and everything is pretty today. Tonight it's supposed to get down to 3-9 degrees with "gusts" to 55 mph. This would make the wind chill factor -20, or 20 below 0. Brrrrrrr!

But Alaskans, we're tough! We just put on an extra layer of clothes and grab the wool socks, bundle up, and head out the door as planned. Inclement weather doesn't stop us from doing much of anything. We still run our errands, go for our rides. The outdoor enthusiasts are thrilled more than ever. We even know how to drive in more than an inch of snow!


I love sitting, looking out my window at the snow and I even don't mind shoveling it. These pictures were taken early this morning when it was still still a little dark out. It's so calm right now. No matter which window you look out of, it greets with you serenity and calmness. Hardly a bird is fluttering about. They're all home, tucked safely in their cozy nests, waiting for the snow to fall off the tree boughs. Chippy, well, I don't see Chippy when there's this much snow on the trees. But not to worry. He won't go hungry. He's been busy squirreling away peanuts all summer long. In fact, my husband found a bucket half-full of peanuts in our shed! I told him just to leave them there until spring.


Moving out of Juneau is constantly on our minds but then I think about our weather versus your weather, and it doesn't seem so bad here. Yes, last year we had over 200" of snow and it was a horrible horrible winter for our bodies, minds, and souls. We can also get minus temperatures but not too often. We get an occasional minor earthquake and have even had thunderstorms half a dozen times in my 30 plus years living here. But we don't have hurricanes or tonadoes or ice storms. We don't have the flooding or mud slides like you do down south. Our weather here is pretty consistent: a lot of rain and winter conditions we can live with. We don't have natural disasters. So for now, I guess we'll stay.