Well, this is what we get for being so cold last week. One week ago when I came into work, it was around -25 degrees. This morning, 45 degrees. What the....!!!!! These kinds of warm ups in the middle of winter are not uncommon but what is uncommon is such a dramatic swing in temperatures. Fairbanks was around -40 to -55 degrees last week and now they're in the 40's!
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "Self, what's the problem? They must be loving the warmer weather up there?" Oh, contrare, my friend. We hate it!!! 20's are wonderful but 40's are problematic. I'll explain:
All but a few of the major roads are coated in packed snow and ice all winter and you just have to get used to braking and driving on snow pack. But, when it gets above freezing this much AND we add rain on top of it all, the streets are nothing short of an ice skating rink. Except that this ice rink has a layer of liquid water on it, making it especially slick. You're better off tossing on a pair of ice skates and getting around that way.
Case in point #1: I was driving in this morning for work as cautiously as possible, when I turned on the neighborhood street getting to the station and found trouble. There was a small mound of snow that had not been plowed away because a car was parked on the side of the road and the plow had to go around it. It's now solid ice. I went over that mound at about 10-15 mph and lost all control. I slid sideways about 20 yards down the street, bouncing off occasional objects and ended up turned the wrong direction. Then I had to try to get traction and turn myelf around...that alone took a while.
Case in point #2: For the last two days, the schools have closed because of the warmth. Sounds wierd, doesn't it?....TOO warm, so classes are cancelled?? Yep! The city and school buses are not running, businesses close, and instead of getting the day off for a snow day, the kids are stuck inside watching the snow melt and run off the roof. Thrilling.
Bring back the cold stuff...this is just too messy!
I'm not complaining. No more cold, school's out, what more could you ask for?
ReplyDeleteIts weather like this that makes studded tires a necessary option for winter driving.
ReplyDeleteWow. You know how I love these stories about Alaska...keep them coming, Mitch. I don't understand why kids stay home when it's warm...what's up with that?
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