Posted on 03/03/2016 3:29:12 PM PST by George - the Other
You’ve probably heard all the clucking about trucking in snow for the Iditarod Sled Race, but you probably haven’t heard this -
“The climate of the interior of Alaska is best described as extreme and is the best example of a true subarctic climate.” – Wikipedia
“Most subarctic climates have very little precipitation, typically no more than 380 mm (15 in) over an entire year. Away from the coasts, precipitation occurs mostly in the warmer months.” – Wikepedia
1) In other words, the interior of Alaska, where Iditarod runs through, is a desert. To help visualize this, imagine California’s Death Valley, then move it some 1500 miles north.
2) Looking at a climate map of Alaska, you’ll see that most of Alaska’s climate is subartic. And remember, Alaska is more then twice the size of Texas. The lack of precipitation, all natural, covers a huge area.
3) Also, we are currently still in winter, and not the warmer months when most of the precipitation occurs. In other words, snow in Alaska’s interior is rare.
4) Most astounding is that there is a region of Alaska, Kobuk Valley National Park, north of the Artic Circle, which has “Undulating golden sand dunes as far as the eye can see.”
Sorry Al …
[Iditarod[
She hit the finish line....Just kept going.
And they are melting!
The race route is in the Southern part of the state which has snow. The route is changed to areas which do have enough snow to support the race.
This author doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Images are of the Kobuk Valley National Park
4) Most astounding is that there is a region of Alaska, Kobuk Valley National Park, north of the Artic Circle, which has “Undulating golden sand dunes as far as the eye can see.”
...
I checked on the satellite map and it’s a small area compared to the rest of the state, about 25 square miles.
Deserts are found on the lee side of high mountains and rain is rare because of the rain shadow effect mountains have on lower elevations.
Except for the one that is of Utah.
Opps - they were all labeled Kobuk - even the one with the broken/eroded rocks w/mountains in the background - there is a lot of places in AK and the Yukon that look like they could be in Montana, ND, or Utah.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.