Feels Like Summer

Good morning! It was a hot one, yesterday. With a high of 79 degrees, many people were sweating and feeling the effects of the heat. It was such a beautiful day that I decided to step out on a limb and plant my vegetable garden. In Alaska, the rule of thumb is to not put anything in the ground until June 1st. Hopefully, my tomato, cucumbers, peppers and broccoli will be okay!

Current Conditions at 5:30 a.m.:

Skies: Partly Cloudy
Temperature: 50
RH: 82%
BP: 30.23 and steady
Sunrise: 3:50 a.m
Sunset: 11:48 p.m.

Tuesday, May 25th

Good morning! It looks to be another gorgeous day here in North Pole! The National Weather Service is calling for highs around 80 degrees and plenty of sunshine. There is a 40% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and I sure hope we get it! The fire threat is extremely high. With gusty winds and low humidity, there were 3 new fires reported yesterday, alone. The Toklat fire has now grown to over 45,000 acres. We need rain!

Current Conditions at 5:00 a.m.:

Skies: Partly Cloudy

Temperature: 44

RH: 83

BP: 30.11 and rising

Sunrise: 3:54 a.m.

Sunset: 11:45 p.m.

Conditions from around the state:

Anaktuvuk Pass: Partly Cloudy and 39

Anchorage: Mostly Cloudy and 45

Barrow: Light Snow and 26

Bethel: Partly Cloudy and 34

Bettles: Mostly Cloudy and 51

Chicken: Mostly Cloudy and 52

Cold Bay: Overcast and 34

Deadhorse: Fog and 30

Denali National Park: Overcast and 41

Junuea: Partly Cloudy and 44

King Salmon: Overcast and 35

Kotzubue: Overcast and 26'

McGrath: Partly Cloudy and 44

Nome: Overcast and 32

St. Paul's Island: Overcast and 31

Valdez: Overcast and 43

The Heat Is On!

Good morning! This weekend was a warm one here in the Interior. Temperatures have been
in the upper 70's and plent of sunshine and smoke. Yes, I said smoke. Most people do not think of Alaska as a desert, but our area of the state is exactly that!

Last summer the skies were filled with smoke due to several hundred wildfires burning across the state. At this point, we have over 8 active fires in the Interior. On Thursday of last week, one the fires hold-over from last summer sprang to life. It is located 25 miles southwest of Nenana. As of 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, it had grown to over 29,000 acres. The winds have been blowing smoke up towards Fairbanks and North Pole.

This week will hopefully bring a chance of rain, according to the NWS. High should be in the upper 70's to low 80's with lows in the 40's. Should be a beautiful week!

Current Conditions at 5:30 a.m.:

Skies: Clear
Temperature: 40
RH: 82%
BP: 29.93 and rising
Sunrise: 3:57 a.m.
Sunset: 11:41 p.m.

Other Conditions from Around the State:

Anaktuvuk Pass: A Few Clouds and 30

Anchorage: Mostly Cloudy and 39

Barrow: Freezing Rain and 26

Bethel: Fog and 32

Bettles: Mostly Cloudy and 46

Chicken: Mostly Cloudy and 54

Cold Bay: Overcast and 33

Deadhorse: Fog and 32

Denali National Park: Mostly Cloudy and 39

Juneau: Overcast and 50

King Salmon: Overcast and 31

Kotzubue: Overcast and 28

McGrath: Mostly Cloudy and 44

Nome: Overcast and 35

St. Paul's Island: Drizzle and 34

Valdez: Overcast and 39

Catching Up

It's been a week since I've posted anything. This is because it has been a very sad week in our house. Our beloved kitty of 13 years, A.C., passed away. We are greatly saddened by his death and it has been a week of grieving.

The weather this week has been incredible! It feels like summer. We have had an abundance of sunshine and temperatures in the mid to upper 70's. The trend should continue through the weekend. As I am writing (3:30 a.m.), the sun is on the horizon and I feel ready to start my day!

Current conditions at 3:30 a.m.:

Skies: Clear
Temperature: 38
RH: 83%
BP: 30.12 and rising
Winds: Calm
Sunrise: 4:07 a.m.
Sunset: 11:31 p.m.

Conditions from around the state:

Anaktuvuk Pass: Cloudy and 21

Anchorage: Fair and 43

Barrow: Light Snow and 24

Bethel: Partly Cloudy and 40

Bettles: Overcast and 38

Chicken: Mostly Cloudy and 39

Cold Bay: Light Drizzle/Fog and 34

Deadhorse: Overcast and 28

Denali National Park: Fair and 37

King Salmon: Fair and 35

Juneau: Overcast and 47

Kotzubue: Fog and 27

McGrath: Partly Cloudy and 37

Nome: Fair and 35

St. Paul's Island: Overcast and 32

Valdez: Fair and 39

Friday, May 15th--Last Day of School!

Yippeeee! Today is the last day of school until next August 11th. It is going to be a beautiful day for our end of the year school picnic. While yesterday was rainy and temperatures in the 40's, today is going to be nothing but sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60's!

As I am sitting here this morning, the sky is an incredible hue of blue and rays of sunshine are streaming through the window. One benefit of living in Alaska are the long summer days. At the moment, we are receiving 18 hours and 35 minutes of daylight. With all the daylight, our plants and trees are starting to bloom. Our trees now have almost full leaves on them and our grass is slowly starting to turn green.

This weekend should be as nice as today. Forecasters predict highs between 65 and 70 with ample sunshine!

Current Conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Clear
Temperature: 29
BP: 30.34 and rising
Sunrise: 4:31 a.m.
Sunset: 11:36 p.m.

Wednesday, May 12th

Good morning! It is another beautiful day here in the Interior. We are starting the morning in the low 30's and abundant sunshine. Today should see highs in the 60's and blue skies. With the warm weather comes pollen. Our birch trees and willows are budding. We even have the beginnings of leaves on most of the trees. Thus, resulting in a sea of yellow coated cars. Many people are struggling with allergies. I am one of the blessed few. I'm not allergic to anything!

Current conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Clear
Temperature: 33
RH: 74%
BP: 29.22 and rising
Sunrise: 4:38 a.m.
Sunset: 11:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 11th

Good morning! Tuesday is going to be a beautiful day in North Pole! The NWS is calling for partly cloudy skies and highs in the upper 50's. This morning is already starting out on the mild side with temperatures in the upper 30's.

This past weekend marked the opening of the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market. We had a great time selling candles. Many vendors were there selling plants and flowers. There should be some of the great Alaskan vegetables by the end of June or first of July! Check out the Farmer's Market website at http://tvfmarket.com/.


Current Conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Partly Cloudy
Temperature: 40
RH: 61%
BP: 29.24 and falling
Sunrise: 4:41 a.m.
Sunset: 10:56 p.m.

Monday, May 10th

Good morning! This past weekend was beautiful here in the Interior. We had highs in the 60's and plenty of sunshine. Today is starting off with mostly cloudy skies. Highs should be in the mid to upper 50's with a slight chance of rain. The NWS is calling for highs in the upper 50's and low 60's throughout the week with lows in the 30's.

Current Conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Mostly Cloudy
Temperature: 39
RH: 71%
BP: 29.45 and steady
Sunrise: 4:45 a.m.
Sunset: 10:52 p.m.

We are receiving 18 hours and 7 minutes of daylight and are gaining 7 minutes each day.

May Snow

Good Morning! Most people would call yesterday absolutely miserable. Snow started to fall around 9:00 a.m. and continued until after 7:00 p.m. The temperatures hovered between 32 and 34 most all day. So, the snow that did fall did not stick to the ground except in grassy areas.
I, personally, was quite disgusted with the snow. It is May. Everyone knows that the month of May should be sunny and warm. Snow is not really an option.

To top it off, this morning we are under a Dense Fog Advisory for freezing fog. However, the NWS promises that it will burn off by mid morning and warm up to 55 degrees. I am holding them to this!

Current conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Freezing Fog
Temperature: 30
BP: 30.38
Sunrise: 4:59 a.m.
Sunset: 10:38 p.m.

COLD Start to the Day

Good morning! It is certainly a cold start to Tuesday, May 4th. In fact, it almost feels like late March. With clear skies and temperatures in the low 20's, it seems almost frigid. The NWS calls for increasing clouds today with highs between 50 and 55.

Thursday appears to the our most hopeful day of the week with plenty of sunshine and highs in the 60's. The weekend should turn cloudy and wet with temperatures back in the upper 40's and low 50's.

Saturday, May 8th, is the start of the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market. The Market is open on Wednesday's, Saturday's and Sunday's. Vendors range from artists to craft makers to farmers. Fresh vegetables will not be available until late June. However, many farmers bring in plants to sell for people to use in the own gardens. We have a table at the market. We make and sell hand-poured candles. So, we are praying for warm weather this Saturday!

Current Conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Crystal Clear!
Temperature: 24
BP: 30.04 and steady
Sunrise: 5:06 a.m.
Sunset: 10:31 p.m.

This is a gain of 7 minutes and 1 second of daylight!!!!

Monday, May 3rd

Good morning! Wow! This was one wet weekend. Rain started last Friday and continued through Saturday and Sunday. Since I don't have my rain gauge set up, it's hard to tell just how much rain we got. However, it was definitely a soaker! Highs stayed in the upper 40's and low 50's for the weekend. Most of this week will not be much better. We are expecting cloudy skies and highs between 45 and 55 through Wednesday. On Thursday, we are expecting a trend to more sunny skies and highs in the upper 50's.

Current Conditions at 6:30 a.m.:

Skies: Mostly Cloudy
Temperature: 34
BP: 30.14 and rising
Sunrise: 5:10 a.m.
Sunset: 10:28 p.m.