Prep for Winter

Yesterday I got my studded tires on my car. There has not been much snow but there has been ice on the roads especially up to my house on 10% grade with 6 switchbacks. Driving with studded tires the sound is different. I can tell which cars have studs on and which ones don’t in the parking lot or driving on the highway. It’s an intense clicking sound as the metal studs hit the pavement. Studded tires are legal in Alaska from September 15 until May 1, unless otherwise instructed.

This fall I’m told has been rather moderate and by this time last year there was already several snowfalls. This morning I woke up and it was 16 degrees outside. I wake up and it’s still dark out. This morning was no exception however by the time I left for work there was a beautiful image of the moon (still up) over Mt. Susitna...

8:45am

8:45am looking out my door: I have a gorgeous view!

Sunrise today was at 8:24am and sunset will be 6:57pm. We are losing an average of five and a half minutes of sunlight each day and I can really notice it. Looking back to Saturday when we had Moonwalkers it was light until almost 7:30pm when the walk started. I remember the group waiting around for it to get dark. Yesterday it was dark as I drove back from the town of Palmer just a little after 7:00pm. What a difference 4 days make. As you can see on the chart below the increase of darkness is upon us.

Click on chart for larger image:

Sunrise/sunset in the next week; I will lose 5 minutes and 39 seconds each day

The cold is upon us, as I mentioned it was 16 degrees this morning. I am really beginning to appreciate the luxury I had back home of being able to park my car in the garage. Each morning I have to scrape the frost of my windows. It's not terrible but just annoying. I filled my windshield washer fluid up with de-icer good for -50 below and I got some de-icer spray. It works well on the frost but I'm told does little to the ice once it comes. Perhaps I shall buy a windshield cover, but we will see how things are once the snow really comes more than just flurries.