Expect at least three more wet days in Girdwood

This morning it is 35° and drizzly rain yet again. My coworkers that drive in from Anchorage tell me its cooler and drier there, so be prepared for wet roads when you round the bend on Turnagain Arm. Our forecast is for this same warm weather at least through Wednesday. Who can believe this low pressure is hovering for so long?

For those who love fresh snow, there is some, 11 inches worth, at the top of Alyeska. The resort opened chair 6 yesterday and it will be open again today. Check the snow report for the most accurate information. Winds are very light so there should be no stopping the lifts. The poor aerial tram, however, is going to be closed for a long while. These tram cars are made in Switzerland so that should give you an indication that they and their parts are not items you just go to town to buy. Just a warning to expect a wait for Alyeska to have repair the tram that suffered an accident in high winds.

The skies really tried to give us snow today. The precipitation was back and forth, rain, snow, rain, and at one point big fat flakes. Sadly, they turned to liquid upon landing in the puddles all over the base of the mountain and in the parking lots. The temperature this evening is still 35°. The snow is trying to stick, here we can see the snow piled up from the driveway that was melting and turning to ice. It has a nice layer of snow settled on top. Reports from the active ones, it was like spring skiing today.

Snow at high elevations and a little blue sky in Girdwood

There has been light snow fall at sea level in Girdwood the past two nights, however, no build up. The top of the mountain though has been blessed with over a foot of fresh snow. Anywhere over 500 feet elevation is cold enough to retain snow. The snow has been building up so much, Alyeska's snow safety has been hard at work to clear avalanche dangers. The howitzers started at 8 am. There will be no danger for skiers at the top of the mountain as the tram remains closed due to the accident earlier this week.  It still remains above freezing at 34° in Glacier City today at the base of the mountain. 

I drove into Anchorage yesterday and saw the ice and snow had melted in all the marsh areas along Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm. The sides of the mountains look good where the snow has stayed on the trees. It was nice to be just 40 miles down the road and experience some blue sky and sun shine. Today in Girdwood we are seeing a bit of blue sky between the fluffy clouds, a nice reprieve from the rain.

If you have indoor plants, be sure to check their soil for moisture. Winter care for indoor plants is important because the environment is quite different from the summer. Its easy to forget about their water needs when we people feel so warm. Our central heat systems and gas heaters really lower the humidity in our homes in the winter. Stick your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle after your finger tip. If the soil is dry, water your plants until water runs out the base. Or, if your houseplants are sitting in saucers, fill the saucer full so the soil can absorb from the base. 

A gorgeous sunset toward the Cook Inlet. This photo does not do it justice. Will be working with a better camera in the future.....

Above freezing in Girdwood with a break in the rain

Glacier City is receiving a nice break from precipitation and ultra-grey skies. The temperature, however, is still above freezing. It is 34° at the T this morning. As of noon, the resort is still firing rounds from the howitzer to try and clear potential avalanche danger. They started at 8 am this morning. There was a fair amount of snow on the upper mountain, snow looks like it held steady at about 5-700 feet elevation. At sea level, not so snowy. 

I like seeing the snow stuck on the trees on Max’s shoulder. That gives a better feeling of winter, which it should be! 

Thankfully there were no drunk driving accidents on New Year’s. There were some calls for cold exposure, which in a way was a drunk accident. Drunk kids not realizing they were too cold because they were so inebriated. 

The Resort had an accident due to high winds. A gust blew a tram car into the tower carrying the cables. See more about it on this news website. Everyone made it to the base safely and there were no major injuries. Quite an exciting way to begin a new year! 

Parts of the earth remain exposed to the air today in Girdwood. If you planted new trees this past year, you would do well to mulch around their bases to protect tender roots from freezing the next time the temperature drops. Trimmed tree limbs with needles still on them make good mulch, or you can purchase shredded wood mulch at any garden center. 

Here is a view up Glacier Creek toward Raven Glacier. There are areas on the creek where the water is melting over the snow, seen in the center right. Normally the snow and ice would be covering more of the creek flow and the flow under the bridge. There is no snow under the bridge.