Walking to class this afternoon I stopped and took pictures of ice in various configurations.
weather
Weather Observations
Continuing Cold
The weather remained quiet chilly. The low temperature early this morning did appear to break the record low for the day at 6F (previously 8F). Although there have been strong winds elsewhere, it’s been relatively calm right in town – which has certainly been nice. Out on the water in some places there are white … Read more
Weather Quiz
Part 1: During which month of the year is Sitka least likely to have a clear day? During which month of the year is Sitka most likely to have a clear day? What about Clear/Mostly Sunny days? Part 2: During which month of the year is Sitka least likely to have a day without precipitation? … Read more
Clear Skies
A couple of days ago when I saw the forecast for the clear and cold weather that is now upon us, I reflected on the fact that we hadn’t yet had a cold snap this winter. It seems like in most years we get some cold weather in November or December (though I think most … Read more
Wind, Rain, and Birds
Today was the Christmas Bird Count for Sitka. Unfortunately there were strong winds and heavy rain for most of the day. Despite this I managed to walk over 10 miles and tallied over 30 species of birds. I’ve had a bit of computer trouble this evening, or I would offer a better summary of my results. I didn’t really find anything unexpected, but it was nice to find the things I figured were around but would be easy to miss, such as the two coots.
I may write up a more thorough account later, but right now I think it’s probably time to get some rest and let my body recover (it’s been quite sometime since I walked so much in one day).
Snow and Clearing Skies
The clouds broke up over town this morning after snow overnight. By around noon, it was again completely overcast and the snow started shortly thereafter. Coincidentally, the kids and I headed over to SJ since someone had suggested frisbee for those college students back in town for the holiday. A couple of other people showed up, and Connor and I played catch with them for a while (Rowan joined at the end, but spent most of the time helping other kids with a snowman and doing a little sledding). I was impressed that Connor was able to keep his hands warm without gloves on – he told me they only got cold when he took a tumble as we were walking back toward home, and I had given him a long throw to chase after. It snowed pretty hard the whole time we were there, with a decent breeze blowing in from the west or northwest (it was a little hard to tell, as it didn’t seem very steady).
Around 2pm or a little after, the clouds started to break up again, and we were treated to some nice light as the sun was going down.