The storm damage was out on the west coast of Alaska - more than 500 miles from Anchorage and south central Alaska - where most of the Alaskan GW'ers seem to be from. About 1000 miles from where this Alaskan GW'er is from.

Good to know! My husband said he saw on the internet that there were much stronger winds today, then they reported yesterday and that roofs were being ripped off homes. Glad to know you're nowhere near that.

Here's an article from yesterday...I think Melaska lives in Nome, which is part of the area that's had flooding.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Google article

I'm good, here in Anchorage. Thought we just got another big snow dump. It's early November and already feeling a bit claustrophic with all the snow mounded on the street and yard. I have a feeling it is going to be a white Christmas...

This is so not the place to experience a weather catastrophy or homelessness and my heart goes out to all in those position. brr...

Melaska is in Valdez - a long way from the storms - but I think they've had a bit of snow already this year...as in 3-4 feet!

Steph- Glad to see you're okay. Do you have 3' to 4' of snow, too? Wow, that's half of our snow for the entire winter!

Melaska is in Valdez...I talked to her on the Building forum and she's okay, too. We've been seeing a lot about the storm on the news, since Alaska weather affects our weather, here in eastern Washington...especially this time of year.

Looks like it will definitely be a white Christmas, but I'm hoping for an earlier spring, this year. Last spring, everything was a month later than the average. No daffodils until the end of April...when do you all have spring?

Spring? Usually happens in late May or June. The glorious thing about our Alaskan summers is the way they burst upon the scene - the long days and short nights sparking an almost frenetic level of activity. And then sadly, fall starts again in August... But winter too can be glorious. "There's no such thing as bad weather - only bad gear".

I'm not sure how much snow we have in Anchorage year to date, but a lot. Enough for the neighbors to start bickering about who the snow plows should be gifting the snow piles to on our narrow little street... Ugh. Plenty less than Valdez, though, I bet. They are known for their precipitation. Practically famous for it, really. It's my understanding their streets become snow tunnels in the Winter.

We've probably had 2-4 feet here at sea level in the past 2-3 weeks, and more up in mountains surrounding Anchorage. We call that residential area "Hillside", because Alaskans minimize like that. You should see what it takes to get a snow day around here! lol

Ahhh, Spring. I am known to say Anchorage doesn't get Spring. Usually the snow is off the ground by late April but that's not always true. I think of May as Spring here and June as Summer. July, August and September are Fall (rainy season), though the first part of July is Summer and the last half of September can easily be Winter. That leaves 8 months for Winter... Some people call me a pessimist. ;)

I hope you get your early Spring. I'm trying to be grateful for my late Fall (first snow at the end of October this year).

Hi all - I'm above the snow! :) I'll just copy what I put in the building forum:

Hi lavender and all - yes...we are buried in snow but we are surviving :) The harshest weather is northwest...we are much further south. Valdez gets the most snow in Alaska.

We usually get 3-4 'snow teasers' that melt the next day before it finally decides to stay for the winter. On October 30, we had our first teaser...OK, you'll be gone tomorrow. Woke up...we were buried...I was so shocked when I opened the front door. "BAM! Hello Valdez...I'm here to stay!" It's unusually early for us this year - I guess Alaska didn't get the global warming memo??? :)

We have great snow removal crews - in fact, we've never had school closed because of snow - only because of winds, which can be hurricane force at times.

A common sight:

I remember the first time driving through the town part of Valdez in 1977 - I really couldn't 'see' the town as it was just a maze of snow tunnels. I remember one year's snow was so high, some people could walk right outside their 2nd story windows.

Here's a little trivia:

Average Annual Snowfall (in city): 325.6 inches
Average Snowfall in Thompson Pass: over 600 inches
Record Snowfall (in city): 556.7 inches (1989/90) (That's over 46 feet!)
Record Snowfall in Thompson Pass: over 900 inches (75 feet! A few miles out of town).

Thanks for asking about us, lavender :)

Here is a link that might be useful: 2009 article on snow in Valdez

Steph - LOL - we also say "We have Winter & the Fourth of July!"

We do have our nice weather as well. Even though we get enough rain - I love our Alaska summers. Only trouble is...it lulls you into a stupor & you wake up one morning & your summer is gone.

Those same mountain passes that take us to Anchorage become death traps...it's like you've landed on a white-out moon & you are lost in space.

I remember driving in white-out conditions in a ravaging storm several times BY MYSELF to Anchorage. I look back on that & declare myself insane! I would never do that, now!

Here's a photo of Thompson Pass just a few miles up the road. It's a bittersweet place since this is also where we lost our son in an avalanche. He grew up on a snowmachine (snowmobile to those in the Lower 48) and traversed these mountains & glaciers all the time. I'm fine - I know I will see him again someday & that keeps me going. :)

Hi there, Melaska! Guess us Alaskan girls can talk about weather. ;)

You know, I was just talking to a client about Thompson Pass. And, I saw a show a month or two ago where they were following the snow removal folks who keep the pass clear. They were literally using GPS to find out if they were about to fall off the road...visibility was zero. I so could not do that, even as a passenger!

I've never been to Valdez, but I was down in Whittier one Winter doing some work and got such a kick out of those snow tunnels the streets became. It was just nuts! The bar was very popular.

Your pictures - and your personal loss - are so illustrative of the best of the Alaskan spirit. Rugged and beautiful, tenacious and independent, harsh but full of life. I'm so sorry about your son.

Thanks, Steph :)

I lived in Anchorage 5 years before moving to Valdez in 1977. It was a totally different place in 1972! I remember Dimond Blvd was so deserted looking - we used to have a bumper sticker saying "I drove Tudor Road"...remember that? How long have you been there?

Those Thompson Pass clearing crews have my bow...they are amazing & BRAVE. You'll have to come to Valdez sometime - maybe you should try our summer first ;)

Your description of Alaska in your last sentence is so right on. I call it a "Terrible Beauty".

Did you hear about the accidents here 2.5 years ago? There was another death that same day along with Jordan. It was during the annual Snowhill Climb (why they call it 'hill' is beyond me!) It's a mix of snowmachines & snowboarding (& probably other stuff). I think they are bringing back WESC, too. (World Extreme Skiing Championship). I'll post a link below.

Here's a photo from the competition - steep enough for you? :)

Here is a link that might be useful: World Extreme Skiing Champtionship

Melaska- I'm so sorry to read about your loss, but I agree with Steph that you really represent the independent spirit that is necessary to survive in such a harsh, but beautiful place.

In our area, western Montana is the 'tough place to live' in the winter and we're kind of western Montana 'light' if that makes sense. It can get down to -27 F. we have lots of snow (for us LOL) and the roads sometimes close and you can't get into Spokane. This area is mostly farmers and they're pretty independent, too.

It's so different than living in town, let alone a big city. And Alaska is such a bigger challenge...I thought our area was a challenge, until I started reading about all of your situations, on the forum. Even on the building forum, I'm always being asked...do you really need all that pantry space and a freezer? Then I saw Melaska's plan and it's got twice as much storage as mine! :)

Hi Mel, It's so sad about your son, I hope you are coping as well as can be expected.

Do you remember when I told you about me starting a facebook page for my brother searching for info on the men responsible for his death? Well the good news is that I have gotten some clues and two of the names of the American Indians guys. The bad news is that it happened up in the Soo where there are two different political forces that feed off of each other for funds so no one will look at what I have. Plus the guys have about a million kids up there that everyone knows. Granted all I have gotten is rumors and one who claimed to have over heard a conversation from one of the men describing the murder to his friends when drunk. However, not a peep back from the investigators even though I gave them info that they knew but didn't make public. I can't believe its been 24 years all ready, but still, people are starting to talk in that close knit town so you never know.

They do have lots of murders up there and I think some are starting to talk because they are sick of the justice system and how so many murders are listed as suicide. I had several people tell me of one case where a guys head was blown off in different parts from two shots and he was listed as suicide. I just need a few more people to come forward before I try an get some good TV coverage on one of the cold case shows.I did have a small upstart newspaper near the Soo called the Paradise Eagle run a feature story on him a few months back.

It's taken me a few years just to get part of a foot into the ole "crowd" up there, I have added many of them to his facebook friends list. I don't know any of these people so its a bit risky and I did have ban one nut.I also have a few behind the scenes retired policeman helping. Although they are more into guiding me in a direction then coming right out with the juice. Over and over a connecting keeps coming up with a state policemen who was later forced into retirement(I have lots on him). He also had and has a construction company that gets much of the road pavement and other jobs till this day.

Some day...

I could not survive a week up in that snow lol. It was 71 today and I felt chilly in my shorts and tank. Tonight it's going down in the sixties so I put another blanket on the bed.

What happened to your kitchen plans? Did you finish it and I missed the post?

Thanks, lavender. Believe me, I have my days...I have a couple smashed plates to prove it!

Montana is no light weight in the snow dept, either! We have higher temps than you all & Colorado at times.

But...there are days. I remember driving through MINUS 65 degrees. Our destination was minus 35 so we thought it was a 'heat wave' lol. The -65 was near Glennallen, AK - more Interior, which is called the 'Hub' of Alaska since it's the spoke of the wheel to turn in several directions to Canada, Fairbanks, Valdez or Anchorage. Valdez doesn't usually get that cold but we've had our days in the -20's.

LOL about your pantry & freezer. I'm worried I won't have enough! ;) Living 300 miles from civilization does that to you. Although, I'm finding Amazon is shipping more & more grocery items to Alaska...free for $25 orders. I'm getting my bamboo strips 50 cents cheaper a can than Anchorage. A lot of people in the Bush buy from Amazon.

Jordan used to live in Spokane...I liked it. Hubby has a sister in Kennewick.

I linked a page of my blog from Jan 09 about my adventures without running water in the house for several days in case you'd like to read it. What fun! =:-0

Here is a link that might be useful: Adventures of Pioneer Woman

jterrilynn,

Thank you - I'm doing ok.

I'm so sorry about your brother! My memory is not what it used to be so I'm kinda vague about the details.

What town are you referring to? Do you mean the Alaska Native population? I pray you get resolution soon.

I had a lot of help from Summerfield in our drawings...I'll link the thread below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our plans