The Weather in Fairbanks, Alaska: You Have Been Warned

This from yesterday’s Daily News Miner

The upside of this past month’s bone-chilling temperatures is that the Ice Park is extending its days of operation by a week.

The park’s icy entrance will be open to visitors through the end of the month, officially closing at 10 p.m., Sunday, March 31. Park hours will be slightly shortened from 12 to 10 hours, opening daily from noon to 10 p.m.

Ice Park officials made the decision Wednesday night to extend the park’s operation for only the second time in its 17 year history of competitive ice carving exhibits. The last time was 2004.

Not good news. Even with all our wonderful daylight, despite the passing of the Spring Equinox, we’re trapped in winter here. Yes, we should expect it. We do live in Alaska after all, but March is supposed to the beginning of above zero weather. We’re not having a normal year. Take a look at these statistics.

Subarctic parents are used to snowsuits and layering, but we thought we’d have some relief by now. Today the extra cold added an extra layer of worry to my snowshoe trip with Coral. Bundling a seven month old for a trip in the backpack is an exercise of faith. She can’t tell me she’s too cold or too hot, so I have to guess. Once I heave her up on my back, I can’t see her. I ask, “Coral, are you ok?” but she just yawns.

Today I stopped on the trail to listen to her sleepy breathing every so often. Bright sun slanted through the trees. The snow sparkled in filmic perfection. All I could hear was the occasional jingle of the toy I had hooked to the pack. It was quiet enough to hear a baby sleeping. That’s why we live here. Quiet. Space. Sun. All available on a trail into the woods that starts on the back porch.

I started this post with the idea of complaining a bit, but now I’m feeling grateful. Fairbanksans complain about the weather–too cold in winter, too hot in summer, recently too smoky as well–but that kind of complaint is a luxury. Outside everyone has to waste all their complaining on something as boring as traffic. Here in Alaska it may be difficult to go sometimes, but outdoors is a place actually worth going.

I still can’t wait for the Ice Park to melt into a giant puddle. Perhaps someone can use this wordy warning sign at the entrance as a raft once it’s all gone.