And this is a two story house!
Posted on 01/04/2007 10:53:22 AM PST by george76
It's been snowing all day in Anchorage and it's still coming. A combination of snow, fog and ice contributed to more than 100 cars becoming stuck in ditches and snow berms across the city.
The Anchorage Police Department said accidents occurred at a pace of a collision every 10 minutes today.
A snow advisory remains in effect and the job of digging out is only beginning.
Midtown resident Linda Rinard just returned from vacation.
"I just flew in at 9:00 a.m. from Las Vegas; two weeks and sunny Las Vegas," she said.
Sherri Stein picked up Rinard from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and brought her to Stein's driveway. Rinard and Stein are among the army of folks with shovels and snow blowers digging out, but only making room for more snow to take its place. The constantly falling snow and fog make it difficult for drivers to see the road.
Some ended up stuck in a snow bank like Jennifer Alger.
"I was just driving down the road and everything all looked the same, just all white. And my tires caught the snow bank, just went right through it, so my car's completely stuck," she said.
The worst of the snow-related accidents happened on the Glenn Highway this morning. Five cars and two people were taken to the hospital. Traffic was forced to reroute on the Hiland Road exit.
Some of those in the ditch say they dove for it as they tried to avoid other cars.
"I just decided to get in the ditch rather than hit them in the middle of the road," said Shannon Overstreet, who was stuck in a ditch.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktuu.com ...
And this is a two story house!
Anchorage, Alaska
January 4
Snowfall last 24 hours: 11.0"
Snowfall month to date: 11.0"
Snowfall normal month to date: 0.9"
Snowfall season to date: 57.6"
Snowfall normal season to date: 35.9"
http://www.adn.com/news/weather/
Saturday (24 hours): Mostly cloudy. Highs 0 to -4F and lows -6 to -10F.
Live Web Cam of Anchorage Port - from the Hilton Hotel:
http://www.borealisbroadband.net/vid-hilton1.htm
Whoa....looks nasty.
A cheechako is a newcomer to Alaska. They bring all their lower 48 driving habits and haven't a clue that it takes longer to stop in the winter and that a snowbank can grab you.
In the time I've been here it is rare to get so much at one time. We got sent home (I don't work for the State) mid afternoon, I'm thinking partly because it was getting so deep in our parking lot and conditions were approaching whiteout. My car was covered with almost 8" of snow. I had to drive from the west side, C Street, to the east side, Boniface, and it was an interesting drive, mostly bumper to bumper and max 20 mph (which was fine with me) as snow continued to fall. Home got almost 21".
California, too - the West has been below normal since mid-November.
It's winter ... it's Alaska ... it's snowing ... do you think that will win a Pulitzer?
LOL
We first got stationed at Ft Richardson (I was in the USAF, go figure) in 1980 and we are still here. Raised our kids here - and they and their children are here.
Not for the faint of heart, but the summers more than make up for the winters.
Anchorage is the kind of town where folks will hold the door for you if your hands are full. Now, if we could do something about the gangs.....
Close to half of those who retire and stay in Alaska are former military. It might be advantageous to have that kind of thought process and be mentally self-sufficient. A lot of people aren't willing to take Alaska forever. A lot of apparently lifetime Alaskans leave for Outside when they retire. If they were originally from Minnesota, Montana, they might be better disposed to stay in Alaska.
And another live web cam showing midtown Anchorage from the Denali Towers.
http://www.borealisbroadband.net/Vid-DTN1.htm
1/3 of Alaskan's population is new comers since last summer?
A real cheechako would know how to drive in snow.
Most cheechakos, however, arn't from cheechako.
Hi Kathy! We're at 59F and sunny in beautiful Laurel, Maryland - we've had uncharacteristically warm weather for late Dec. - early Jan. Glad you made it home safely.
Not me. I like the moderate temperatures we've had this year.
Connecticut has had a 30 degree difference between winter and summer this year. Not the usual 70 degree difference that we're used to. Nor the 100 degree difference that I had growing up in Minnesota.
Yeah, seems like a lot, but it's been like that as far back as I go.
I hope the cars were OK. I guess anybody can be a reporter these days. No schooling needed.
"It's a term of endearment for those who come to Alaska to teach Alaskans how it is done."
Spoken like a true Sourdough.
Heck, the flat-landers from Florida do that when they would come up to the mountains of Boone, North Carolina where I grew up learning to drive on snow covered narrow mountain roads.
Remember a year or so ago that Raleigh, NC was gridlocked after 1" of snow then thawed and refroze?
I was laughing my a$$ off as I took the back roads home that day and left early from RTP to north of Raleigh because I new just how impatient folks in the RTP area are. A $40K 2WD SUV and they think they are invincible. LMAO!! Several students had to spend the night at the schools because the roads were clogged with idiots.
I had no problems with a 2WD Ford Ranger and no snow tires or weight in the bed, then again, I don't have any Cheechako blood in me. I just let 8 lbs of air out of each tire before I started. Stay warm!
Sounds like an evening for some good stew!!
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