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Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the Homer newspaper quoted in the article. It is the Homer News.
Unlike the rest of the U.S., there's no shortage of winter in Alaska, where 60-mph winds shut down one town overnight, avalanches cut off a main highway outside Anchorage on Tuesday, fuel supplies were running low in at least three places and National Guard troops were helping a snow-smothered town dig out.
In fact, much of the vast state was under some kind of winter advisory into Wednesday -- areas just outside Anchorage were warned of 95-mph gusts and blizzard warnings extended across the southcentral coast, where the wind chill could make it feel like minus 50.
Two avalanches cut off a stretch of the highway from Anchorage to Girdwood and the Kenai Peninsula. And avalanche hazards were issued for several areas, including Cordova and nearby Valdez.
In Homer, where 60-mph winds and a couple inches of snow overnight led to 4- to 5-foot drifts, "people were out shoveling, operating front-end loaders" during a break before "more of the same" moves back in Wednesday afternoon, Homer News reporter McKibben Jackinsky told msnbc.com.
"Not typical at all" was how she described winter so far. "It's been pretty cold weather for this early in the year."
Most of Homer shut down on Tuesday, including schools and city offices. Jackinsky said she was able to drive in after clearing snow around her home's heating vents and then digging out of snow drifts.
Spc. Balinda O'Neal / Alaska National Guard
An Alaska National Guardsman clears snow from a roof in Cordova on Monday.
For some areas, the cold has meant fuel shortages. A seafaring convoy is trying to get fuel to Nome, while two smaller towns were hoping to get supplies flown in soon.
Kobuk Mayor Edward Gooden Jr. told msnbc.com that the town's airstrip was being cleared, but no exact time for a shipment was set. "Soon, I hope," he said at midday. The isolated town of some 150 residents relies on aircraft for deliveries of food and fuel.
In nearby Noatak, the town's store manager said a brief let-up in the cold Tuesday should allow a flight to land with enough fuel for two months. It had been minus 40 degrees in recent days, and by Thursday it is expected to be minus 50, added the manager, who declined to provide her name.
In Cordova, where 57 National Guard members were helping locals dig out, 6 to 14 inches of snow was forecast for Tuesday, as well as gusts up to 55 mph.
Cordova, which typically gets 100 inches of snow over an entire winter, has dubbed this one "Snowpocalypse 2012." How bad is it there? "Since November 1st we have received 44.24” of rain and 176” of snow," the city stated on its website. "Do the math!"
Other areas are also way ahead on their snow averages. Anchorage, for example, has already seen 81 inches, double the norm.
"Is this the winter of Mother Nature's discontent?" asked AlaskaDispatch.com. "Those living in Alaska have to wonder. It's like the poor old gal has gone schizophrenic. There really is no other explanation for the weather extremes witnessed in the north this year."
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Leave a Comment:
This is how the winters were when I was their except they did not shut the schools down for -60 F. We had 6 feet of snow by Christmas, so that is what you expect when you live up there. You learn to be tough and things like this don't phase you one bit. Now people think omg how can you do that with -60 and I tell them I have been through -90 F with the wind chili and let me say that is something terribly cold.
removed dup.
Can't have this. The glaciers will begin to grow again.
Will Palin be able to see Levi sneaking into Bristols' bedroom for some *warmth* ... from her front porch ?
LOL.
Well, it is winter...I do find it ironic that two politicians who have used and abused the name of God come from states now being hard hit by extreme weather...I'm of course speaking of Silly Sarah and Perry...God may be speaking to these false prophets
They're all false prophets but make hellacious profits. 'God' specializes in abusing innocent victims-meaning the residents of those states. 'HE' loves doing that.
Or it could be all those elder deities who have been making good on their threats because Christians aren't worshipping them. Christians were warned time and again, but ignored the warnings.
Burrr.. Put more Dogs on the bed tonight.
Five dog night, huh?
Churches , their property are tax tree. This is strictly B.S.
But it seems that alaska is getting colder during winter but warmer during summer. Alaska is home for sooo much migrating wild life. Sooo much wild life and sea life are dying off. Hey 2B people in 1930, 7B today, 25B in 2090. Santorum 7 children. Wants 300B in 2090.
Santorum also wants to TRIPLE the amount the government pays him per child. Sounds like welfare to me.
It wasn't nicknamed "Seward's Icebox" for nothing! If Alaska had been called "Seward's Oven" we might have a justifiable reason for suprise. But lets face it- its the door-step to Santa's Workshop, where Superman goes for a tall, cold one after a day of Mr. White's never-ending criticism and where one goes to fall into the hollow earth.
Also, they can all huddle underneath the oil pipeline to share the radiated heat and practice a little animal husbandry with the caribou. That ought to keep them busy until spring arrives in July. ;>)
To all of you who do not live in Alaska or have never been here please keep your negative comments to yourselves. Believe it or not, we feel sorry for the states that are supposed to have snow and yet are getting none. And I really do not think we would be poking fun of them and throwing the names of politicans aroung. I have been in Alaska over 33 years and this is not a normal winter for us. And as for Merlin-420455 your response is totally out of line! Yes we do know how to deal with winters and the cold and do not shut a town down for 2 feet of snow that happens to fall overnight, but this year has been snow everyday and cold to -55 and that does not include the windchill. This has been going on since the beginning of November and has not let up. Yes, even us Alaskans who are used to winters are getting a little tired of this. Yes, the forcast for tonight in Anchorage is another 18" of snow. This is our home and if you have ever been here you would understand why we call it home but as I stated before this is the strangest winter I have seen and really do not ever what one like this again. Good luck to all the states that are snowless.
Hey exotix:
You hung up on Sarah Palin's daughter getting pregnant? How about Pres Bill Clinton getting kicked out of Oxford for raping a student? How about Sen Ted Kennedy killing his secretary in a druck driving accident? How about Rep Anthony Wiener senidng nude photos to little girls?