Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska You Call This Winter?

Sad but true.

I was hoping we'd get the typical early March dump of snow so I could do some skiing with the boys over spring break, but I'm thinking that's a bust. I don't mind paying for Alyeska tickets when the conditions are great, but the one day we got in over Christmas break was marginal.

At this point, I just as soon not get any.

We sneaked in a beach ride last week. Normally that is an absolute no-go, as the beach would have ice blocks the size of small cabins.

We had to pick our way around spots where fresh water runoff from the bluff was getting a skim, but easy to do at low tide.

I'm getting itchy for the feel of leather!

Have you guys been in Alaska long? I read that the winter temperature in your state has risen 5-6 degrees since 1949. Have you noticed any overall changes?

A little while.

I would call the changes seasonal variations.

I don't know...



.. I don't see anything weird going on...

Then there was this...



.... which wasn't erroneous...

Then again, I was on the slope for the weekend, and the wind kicked up...



When it's blowing a steady 50-60 mph with the mercury at -15, that's some serious chit.

I paid $500 for a seasons pass and $300 for a locker at Eaglecrest. Won't get a single day's use the way things are going. Was hoping that uncovering the boat would make it dump 2-3 feet.

My youngest son was bugging me about getting a season pass this season, I'm glad I didn't! Then again one day at Alyeska with the kids runs close to $300.

One year I got us season passes for Arctic Valley, but on the second day out I managed to get tangled by a buried cable, did a header and was out for most of the season with a bruised sternum.

Maybe next year.

AkmtnHntr bought a new sled this year. Poor bastid.

If you guys will foot the shipping, I'd gladly send you the two feet of white chit I shoveled off the roof yesterday.

If it was Oct, I'd send a check. Not now.

Might be my fault. Last year I bought a new pair of skate skis and alpine skis. First new pair of skis I'd bought in over 20 years. Couldn't pass up the 20% off sales last spring due to that poor winter, didn't figure it would be followed by an even worse one

Notice the round number chosen for the start of the trend? AK weather is influenced by the "Decadal Oscillation" which is the average temperature swings in water temp of the Gulf of AK. Right now we are well into a warming swing... It should last another 3-23 years though there is a looming trend of very low sun spot activity which would indicate a huge cooling coming.

I was not here in 49, but made it 15 years later. Looking back at the Decadal Oscillation it correlates perfectly with weather patterns over that time frame though there is a good question about cause and effect...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_decadal_oscillation

That 'splains the earthquake!

you're on your game today!

Um........thanks?

Other than for a couple light dustings, it's been wet, windy and muddy in Aleutian Hell.

not enough snow here to suit me, though I've been glad to have the break from plowing

it makes travel in the backcountry more problematic and less fun


ahhh the white stuff, you lucky bastids in the NE have no idea how good you've got it!

wax up the skis, fire up the snogos and let the good times roll!

[quote=LostHighway]Have you guys been in Alaska long? I read that the winter temperature in your state has risen 5-6 degrees since 1949. Have you noticed any overall changes? [/quote

About a month longer growing season (usually!) between killing frosts on the Kenai since 1980.

One can fix that just by moving above the Arctic Circle 600 miles north.....

24 now ...wind ...to be 20 below for the low by weds ....3.5 weeks to artic man.....

Well it was in the single digits last night here in East Haddam, CT, Dam cold for the time of year but hey its call the weather! They say it might get to 50 for one day next week!

Places are getting their "makeup" snow today.

Isn't it supposed to snow up here? I guess I am in the tropical part of Alaska, we don't have chit for snow. Good for people but bad for hatcheries that rely on freshwater to raise fish.

It was snowing hard here last night with some big ass flakes, but back to mud and water today. Quickly melting.

I hope you guys don't have a bad fire season.

I delivered the Daily News Miner in Fairbanks in 1955 I believe. 2 trailer courts about a quarter mile apart. I was about 12 years old. I remember the temp.-56 below. The reason I remember is I needed to pee and it just wasn't long enough to get it out. All down my leg. Finished the paper delivery and walk home with real stiff britches.

Icy britches can really chaff one's legs……..



…….and the ones without the 'r' can be pretty chaffing in every other way.

nice

I still have 3-4" on the lawn and driveway sides here. Just heard on the NBC Nightly news that the largest snowfall totals in the states this year fell in upstate NY . One town on the NW side of Adirondack Park had 21 feet so far this year. Better them than me . Haven't seen grass since December probably be mid to late April if it stays the way its been ( warming up this week though).

Here's what our driveway has looked like the past week.



So I rolled out the redneck red carpet for my wife. I've run the snow blower all of two times this winter and won't be surprised if I don't use it again until next winter.

Fortunately the temp has dropped so the driveway is frozen solid again.

You have no idea..........but hey, at least I got it out of break-in mode now. lol

I gots an idea, bud!



I've seen too much grass for an AK winter.
Snow blower= 1
Skis=0
snowshoe= 0
Ice grippers= too many to count
Frozen culvert under DOT control that affects me=4x

I did get in one day of skiing during winter break.

I'm hoping for a couple of those late spring dumps in the sound as I'd like to go for a shrimp and ski trip with the boys. Don't mind hiking for a run, though I'd prefer the snow line to be closer to the beach than at tree line.

I'm DONE with winter at this point.

We didn't get it when we needed it, and now is too little /too late.

Any snow nor interferes with horse riding season and will just piss me off.

That "winter" ship has sailed!

Someone left the HAARP system on too long up there!

we got wet heavy snow the other day here in da banks


plowed for 5 hours yesterday, and broke a tire chain, so had to stop to repair it and reattach it, after having to beat it out between the tire and tie rod.

only got stuck once

then when that was all done, went to a rental unit to do a quick and easy cartridge change on a bathroom faucet...but oh no, the angle stop had gone bad, so had to shut off water at the hot water heater, and of course go to town to get the right stop replacement.

coulda swore I had some of those but must have used them all up or I've put the spares somewhere I can't miss them . (madness I'm tellin ya) but it went smooth after that, damn faucet was really running the hot water and it had been that way for a few days, but tenant made it sound like it was just drippin.

from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m was a really relaxing day off

I was pretty much over any word that started with PL by the end of the day, plowing? yep btdt hate the t'shirt, plumbing...why does one problem always lead to another

I've still got hope for winter, they got a foot and a half of fresh snow this past weekend in Petersville and there's always Arctic Man in April.

All hope is not lost!!

Arrgh, plumbing. We finally got our old house ready to go for the realtor to put it on the market. We had done quite a few upgrades and repairs. In January I replaced the kitchen flooring. Weekend before last I was out of town and my son wanted to replace the kitchen faucet. He managed to drip just enough water out to swell up the brand new laminate flooring, so instead of nice new flooring there is swelled up flooring that looks like crap, two months after installation.

I hate plumbing!

Laminate flooring in kitchens has never been a good idea, though...

we need brand an type to help everyone out... I test flooring as part of my job.......

Yeah, but I can go back to Kotzebue - we are good up there for a couple months yet. We finally got a good snowfall a couple weeks ago.

Tripper Lab likes his snow-baths!

Yeah, but I can go back to Kotzebue - we are good up there for a couple months yet. We finally got a good snowfall a couple weeks ago. Been damned cold since.

Tripper Lab likes his snow-baths!

Leaving OTZ for Soldotna wasn't that much improvement, but tomorrow beckons....!

Holy shyt. You people are tough, tough, tough!

that's Klik, Leighton, he's the tough one


the rest of us live in the banana belt, only saw -50 this year and that was at the cabin last couple of weeks.

Oh, -50F? Is that all? Gulp. The coldest it got here this winter was around -18F, with maybe -30 with some of the brisk winds we had with the temps at times and let me tell you, the whole smoking on the deck in my t-shirt thing was far less enjoyable than usual. Far less!

This winter has been just as "out of order" as the weather station in Saint Michael.