It is safe to say... the sun is coming back! February often brings interior Alaska a mixed bag of tricks. On the one hand the sun starts rapidly reappearing giving the visual impression that spring is on the way with a gain of over 6 minutes of light a day. On the other hand temperatures often start dipping to record lows. All week we've been waking up to the radio reporting, "..curent temperature -44F at the Fairbanks airport with the highs today reaching between -25F and -20F. No change in sight until the weekend." Sure it's cold being 76 degrees below freezing but it is a dry cold and you tend to get use to it after a bit (or is that the numbness from the cold setting in?). On the plus side, the combination of the sun coming back and the cold temperatures brings an amazing quality of sunrises and sets. This photo was taken at 9 am from the university over looking Fairbanks south toward the Alaska Range. On warmer, clear days you would see the community of Fairbanks just under the blanket of ice fog enshrouding the trees. On cold days like this there's often a temperature inversion where the cold air settles in low areas trapping smog, fog and pollution particalls. It can be as much as 15 degrees warmer on a ridge or hill top and sunny. I'm heading for the hills today. Stay warm.Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Sun is Coming
It is safe to say... the sun is coming back! February often brings interior Alaska a mixed bag of tricks. On the one hand the sun starts rapidly reappearing giving the visual impression that spring is on the way with a gain of over 6 minutes of light a day. On the other hand temperatures often start dipping to record lows. All week we've been waking up to the radio reporting, "..curent temperature -44F at the Fairbanks airport with the highs today reaching between -25F and -20F. No change in sight until the weekend." Sure it's cold being 76 degrees below freezing but it is a dry cold and you tend to get use to it after a bit (or is that the numbness from the cold setting in?). On the plus side, the combination of the sun coming back and the cold temperatures brings an amazing quality of sunrises and sets. This photo was taken at 9 am from the university over looking Fairbanks south toward the Alaska Range. On warmer, clear days you would see the community of Fairbanks just under the blanket of ice fog enshrouding the trees. On cold days like this there's often a temperature inversion where the cold air settles in low areas trapping smog, fog and pollution particalls. It can be as much as 15 degrees warmer on a ridge or hill top and sunny. I'm heading for the hills today. Stay warm.