The Snow Continues with Chinook Winds Coming

Yesterday we got another 6-8 inches of snow, on top of the already foot of snow the day before. Oh my lanta, have we ever got snow! My host parents get home from Tanzania tonight so this afternoon I went to scoop the sidewalk and path so they wouldn't have to when they got home.

While this was a good thought I was discouraged to see that all my work I had done the day previsous was for not. The path that I had scooped was now all, once again, drifted in. How discouraging. At any rate I grabbed my shovel and began to scoop.

This was a cleared  path two days ago!

This too was clear two days ago!

You see these pictures above, now go look at my post from January 6, I just cleared this path out. Alas, it could be worse. The temp was -8˚F outside but I was SWEATING.  I started with the deck, and moved on to the sidewalk and then, the killer, the path to my door. I was in snow up to my waist scooping down to my door.

It was slightly frustrating because it was slow progress and with each scoop mini-avalanches would fall down onto the path and fill in what I already had gotten rid of. After an hour of work I made it.

I have a clearing!!

It is finished

Click on the video above

I went inside to take a shower only to find Beanie the kitty sleeping on my bed. Oh to be a cat, I doubt she has any idea of the snow outside.

After my shower I went to update my blog only to find that the national weather service of Anchorage has issued a "High Wind Warning"

Statement as of 5:00 AM AKST on January 09, 2012

... High Wind Warning in effect from midnight tonight to 6 PM akst
Tuesday along Turnagain Arm and higher elevations...

The National Weather Service in Anchorage has issued a High Wind
Warning... which is in effect from midnight tonight to 6 PM akst
Tuesday. The high wind watch is no longer in effect.

* Location... along Turnagain Arm and higher elevations.

* Wind... 40 to 60 mph with gusts to 80 mph.

* Timing... winds will increase tonight continue through Tuesday
afternoon before diminishing Tuesday evening.

Oh, boy high wind it looks like this particular wind storm is what  this is known to Alaskan's as a "Chinook Wind". A Chinook wind brings warmer than normal temps. While one would think this a good thing, but it actually can be devastating. Warm temps brings freezing rain, melting snow turning to ice and a downright mess. I'll have a report for how things things are in the morning, unless we lose power which is likely.

What an "unusual" year of weather everyone keeps telling me. Well if it has to do with adventures, i'm all for it. I love this internship!