Record Cold in Alaska

<–Barrow,  Alaska – where they already have 2″ 0f snow on the ground.  At Barrow, they’ve had light snowfall eight days in a row.  As I write this, the visibility at Barrow is five miles in light snow with a wind west at 20 mph.  Northway, Alaska also reports 2″ of snow on the ground.  I’ve been on record for several months saying this winter was going to be colder than last winter over Alaska and a good portion of Canada (and warmer from Texas to Florida and up at least as far as Washington, D.C.) and that the cold would start early…and it has.  Bettles reached ZERO on Monday, tying the coldest temperature ever recorded there in September.  Eielson AFB near Fairbanks was +3°, and that was the coldest temperature they have ever had in any September (the average low for Fairbanks now is 28°).  Daily records were set at Eagle (0°),  Gulkana (3°), King Salmon (17°) and Cold Bay (31°).   St. Paul Is. reported a north wind at 33 mph with gusts to 46.  Juneau (named for Joe Juneau, an occasionally drunk miner) had a cold rain and an east wind at 28 mph with gusts to 38 mph as I write this.  Enjoy the mild air today (70° this Weds. PM).  The Alaska cold is going to meet the southern warmth over the Great Lakes this winter.  The fun should start in November.

courtesy http://blogs.woodtv.com/category/bills-blog/