Anana just prior to crossing the Spur from Joan Street to East Barge Drive; I like this image because the white snow and Anana’s classic Alaskan Malamute black and white coloration is set off by the yellow gold color of the light from the setting sun on the trees
From a distance I thought perhaps this fellow was an eagle but once I moved a bit closer I recognized it as a raven. These birds are just plain big up here as one can see by looking at the bird in relationship to the pole and cross member. In addition this image shows just how still the air is up here; it had been six days since the last snow fall yet the lines remain coated with snow as does the cross member.
Clouds are just beginning to move from the south ahead of some snow; as they mix with air coming off The Alaska Range they can form some interesting patterns
This image was taken Christmas Eve around 14:30 from just shy of the intersection of East Barge Drive and the Spur. The air is so clear because it was -12.9 F at the time with no wind. I like the image because it gives some indication of the depth of the local snow pack and also gives a feel for that invigorating ‘Alaska chill’ that makes winter so enjoyable up here.
Its not uncommon to get brief impulses which pass through the cold air in the lower elevations and generate brief periods of snow; this is just such an event. It was captured just as I was leaving Talkeetna on the Spur around 12:55 AKST on Monday, December 23rd. Three of these bands of snow eventually deposited 1.5″ of snow in Talkeetna and 0.8″ of snow at my place on Mile 7.1 of the Spur.
Mighty Denali in morning Alpenglow as seen from the scenic overlook just as the Spur enters the town of Talkeetna. As it was -17 F with no breeze the air was very clear. To the left the peaks of Mt Hunter are also showing the Alpenglow.
That’s my blue Escape with Anana’s head out the left rear window (Qanuk’s head is doing the same on the right side); we drove to Cubby’s Market to purchase dog food as I allowed their supply to run low and given the ongoing snow (we have about five inches now) and the forecast to snow into tomorrow morning I decided it was best to handle the re-supply now.
This is an image of the lower portion of the east facing window in the NE bedroom located on the second floor. I have shut this currently unused room up to not waste heat and I have also not yet managed to get the windows sealed using the double-sided tape and clear shrink-wrap process. Notice the thick layer of frost on crank unit; the metal on these windows is such an efficient heat conductor that when the temperature drops below -18 F it’s not unusual to see anything of metal construction with contact to the outside air showing a layer of frost on it even with an interior temperature of 58 F. In this case the air temperature was -23 F.
I’ve assembled a few images taken yesterday (Wednesday) morning around 06:00 AKST. The air was crystal clear thanks to no fog and an air temp of -23 F. The images are mainly looking at portions of my back yard. I found it amazing that I could actually read printing on a large bag of dog food by just the light of the moon and through the dining room window at that!
This image was taken from my bedroom on the second floor and is look mainly to the west
A small portion of my lot to the west of the house as back lit by that brilliant moon; the temp was around -23 F when this was taken
The fluffy snow is showing small ‘sparkles’ in the bright moon light; the foreground shows the back porch railing with the precipitation gauge I use to generate daily readings which I send in to CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative, Rain, Hail and Snow) network
Alaskan at Last! 