Cold? Check out our 49th State!
G’morning!
Hope your weekend is off to a great start! Jon Scott pointed something out to me yesterday on his show with Jane Skinner (Happening Now) that if you want to see cold - check out our 49th State. So, I went to the NWS, and once I closed my jaw from dropping, I logged on to share this: (you might want to bundle up before reading!)
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1153 AM AST FRI FEB 8 2008
…ANOTHER COLD MORNING IN INTERIOR ALASKA…
THIS WAS ANOTHER COLD MORNING OVER EASTERN INTERIOR ALASKA. THE
LOWEST OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE REPORTED SO FAR HAS BEEN 72 BELOW AT
CHICKEN. HOWEVER…NO OFFICIAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THUS FAR
THIS MORNING FROM EITHER OBRIEN CREEK OR TOK.
OTHER LOW TEMPERATURES INCLUDE 60 BELOW AT FORT YUKON…58 BELOW
AT BOTH NORTHWAY AND CHANADALR LAKE…57 BELOW AT EAGLE…54 BELOW
AT ARCTIC VILLAGE AND 52 BELOW AT BOTH CENTRAL AND CIRCLE HOT
SPRINGS.
NOTE THAT NO STATION WITH LONG TERM RECORDS HAS ESTABLISHED A
DAILY RECORD LOW DURING THE PAST WEEK. FOR EXAMPLE…THE RECORD LOW
TODAY AT NORTHWAY IS 68 BELOW AND THE RECORD LOW AT EAGLE IS 64
BELOW…BOTH SET IN 1979.
AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…THE LOW THIS MORNING WAS
46 BELOW. THIS IS THE SIXTH DAY IN A ROW WITH A LOW OF 40 BELOW OR
LOWER…THE LONGEST STREAK OF 40 BELOW DAYS AT FAIRBANKS SINCE
JANUARY 2000. OTHER LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE FAIRBANKS AREA THIS
MORNING INCLUDE 44 BELOW AT EIELSON AFB…45 BELOW AT FORT
WAINWRIGHT AND 52 BELOW IN NORTH POLE.
Yikes! Anyone out there that lives in Alaska, I’d love to hear how you do it! (Besides snuggling 
JD
I hunted sheep in Alaska back in the 90’s. The year before I arrived ( in August), the area I was to hunt ( the Alaska Range) was hit with a cold snap. Wind chills reportedly reached 70 below!!!
I called the Fish and Game out of concern, and they informed me that the sheep would have no problems with that…
This proved to be true. Wildlife has the most amazing adaptive abilities.
Carl, thank you for your insight! Sheep rock!
An Alaska portapotty! ( from my bathroom memoirs, North Fork of the Little Delta, Alaska Range, 1993):
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/RFA69er/img019019.jpg
Thought we could use a laugh.
Good stuff Carl. Maybe they should do a “Survivor Alaska!” I would defintely watch that.
Good Gosh now that is cold! I don’t know if I own enough clothes to survive a minute in that weather!
Yes, it is cold here. Even south of Fairbanks, Juneau has been experiencing 80 mph Taku winds. Single digit temps,etc. Actually it would be nice if Alaska (and Hawaii) would be included in the daily weather reports. We are part of the US and it seems the focus is on the 48 states, mainly the eastern states. So when there’s bad weather being reported, it’s like…hello…check Alaska!
I will try to do better Eileen. I understand your frustration. I wish I had 3 minutes instead of 90 seconds to do a forecast if that explains things a little better on my end…
Wowie– that is cold–
Eileen– I hope you all are safe– meaning frostbite- etc– How DO you keep warm?
Carl–
This is our first winter in Alaska. It is -50 where we are. We don’t go outside unless we have to. We have been blessed our car has started everyday not everyones does. The sky is so bright blue in the day . The Mountains are awesome covered in snow. The night sky at night is great with the stars shining so bright and twinkling. It may be cold but we don’t have smog , or traffic jams, no fighting for parking spots. Families here spend time with family and friends. Jobs, School, and church activites are ways most people spend their time in this below freezing weather. When going outside you need lots of layers of clothes, good boots and mittens/gloves.
You definitely want to warm your car up for a long time and people keep them running when going into the store, post office etc… We are from the Northeast we thought we knew what cold was. We are finding out what cold is.
Lorie! Thank you for writing about your experience! I would love to hear more if you have the time! How many people live where you are? What made you leave the northeast? That is amazing. Being from Ottawa (one of the coldest Capitals of the world by mean January temps) I know cold, but not that cold!
We live in an area that has about 800 people approx. My husband and I came up to visit some friends that were working at a clinic here last year. I Received a job offer and accepted an RN position at the clinic this fall. Our kids are both out of the house on their own jobs/college etc… I work with one nurse who has only lived in Florida or Arizonia and she is really piling on the clothes,mittens,hats scarfs etc.. Another nurse just went to Hawaii for two weeks. Smart girl, smart time to go!!!
Hey Lorie. Thank you for your info. I am going to try and get Alaska into the forecast a little more during my reports. I hope you’ll continue to post here and give us updates!
Janice, I have a friend that lives and works there in Alaska, I will forward him your blog. He always writes us with his reports of snow and “heat waves”, when it gets above zero.
Here in Tikrit, Iraq it has been beautiful! Clear skys, Highs in the Mid 60’s and low 40’s at night. But I know this is fleeting. 130+ highs are on the way, and I hope I am back in North Georgia by then.
Have a great weekend.
Thomas
Great stuff Thomas! Thank you. I’m glad the weather is co-operating where you are! Hope you’re doing well, and keep checking in when you can!
Lorie–
800 people– I probably have that many on my block–
Is this a special clinic?
Today here in the Phoenix area was beautiful– I wish I could send some sun-
Hi Janice,
Alaska has decided to share some of its cold air with us……currently in the Twin Cities (MN), it is
-4 with a wind chill of -26.
Heavy winds again on Sunday and we are expected to warm up to -3!
Brrrrr Karen! Keep snuggling!
Good day to stay inside and watch movies.
JD, I had friends livingin Alaska a few years (military), they said they had to ‘plug’ their car into something that kept the car in condition so it would start. Also they had very heavy drapes on the windows so they could block out the light during the 24 hr. daylight times.
Hey Ruth, yup — I know about plugging cars in. We actually had an outlet at every parking spot where I used to live in Ottawa for especially cold winters. But not Alaska cold!
Janice,
I’m the guy Thomas mentioned in his post. I’ve been up here since ‘76 and lived in the interior (Fairbanks, Eielson, North Pole, Moose Creek), the valley (Matanuska in Wassila) and on the Kenai Peninsula (Seward and Kenai city). Here in Kenai we got down to -35 a couple days ago and at 10 PM the thermometer reads -8. Coldest I’ve been up here recorded was -89 I think in 1989 believe it or not, in North Pole (south of Fairbanks). That’s without wind chill. No idea how cold that was but Murphy Dome in a wind storm was cold as was the flats at Cantwell during a blizzard. I climbed out of my van to get gas and although the hood of my parka was pull tight, I could feel the skin under my eyes starting to freeze. Now that’s a freaky feeling, LOL!!!
Larry
Hiya Larry! Thanks for the info. Wowie. Do you enjoy it there? I would like to visit sometime. I’m sure it’s beautiful country.
Holy Shoot I thought we were getting a raw deal here in Chicago where the temprature might be 3 today. wind chill was predicted to be as low as -40. How you brave souls do it in Alaska I have no idea. I’ve been through a -70 wind chill once and I pray that I never do again. Now watch Karma one day in all her infinite wisdom send me to a job there. Keep warm up there. Oh Susan can you send some of that warmth my way I figure with yours and my cousins warmth from Vegas I think that should do me right fine till May hopefullyApril when the temps start moderating a bit
Hey Kelly. Yes, Chicago gets hammered with those arctic fronts, but you know how quickly things will change. I’m glad its happening on a Sunday when a lot of folks don’t have to be outside.
Susan - We bundle up from head to toe and our hats are made to come across our face! No fashion headgear or bootwear! You don’t worry about how “cute” you look, you worry about survival! A winter Alaska Survivor would be good. I worry about the dog, she won’t keep her snow boots on! The 20 hour day light is the reward. But I’m looking forward to heading south. It takes a special breed of people to live in Alaska, but I’m not one of them. Been here, experienced it here, and now it’s time to move on before next winter!