Life in Alaska
A reader commented to my last blog entry with a question about living in Alaska. Responding to her comment would have taken up a lot of space, so I decided to address it here - in another blog entry. Here’s what she wrote:
I‘ve been following your blog for awhile now, and I really enjoy your writing and your pictures.
My hubby and I are both military and we are angling to PCS to Alaska with the option of retiring there…any advice? We would also like to plan a trip to Alaska to kinda scope it out. My husband at the moment is in Iraq, but due back next Aug…that’s when the trip would be…
Could you maybe make a post about “Things to know when you think you want to live here?”
First of all, thank you Summer for your comment, and for your request that I write about life in Alaska! I love living here, but Alaska is not for everyone. In some ways, living here is much more challenging than living in other states in the US, but in other ways, it’s not much different at all. I’m going to write mostly about life in Interior Alaska (Fairbanks/North Pole) as I know it, but if you do find yourself in Alaska, courtesy of the Army, you could find yourself stationed at Fort Richardson, which is in the Anchorage area. Life in Anchorage can be much different than life in Fairbanks.
WEATHER
Fairbanks has long, cold winters and short, comfortable summers, with most precipitation occurring in the summer. On average, the season’s first snow falls in Fairbanks in late September, and the first inch of snow accumulates by mid October. The snowpack is usually established by late October and remains until *breakup* in May. When snow does arrive, it usually falls in large amounts. January is generally the coldest month, with lows and highs below zero. Occasionally, it will warm to above zero temps, but remain in the single digits. August is generally our rainiest month, and we joke that the rain comes with the Tanana Valley Fair in early August. In the summer, the average temperature is in the 70s, but we can have periods when the temperature is in the 80s and even the 90s.
Dressing for the cold weather isn’t as difficult as some might imagine. Layers work better than just one heavy coat - although a good parka can’t be underestimated. Layers are perfect if you’re going to be active, as they allow you to peel them off one by one for ease of movement, as well as for comfort. Layers help trap warm air near your body for the best possible insulation. The stuff those layers are made of is very important. In general, avoid cotton; it holds moisture and will eventually start to chill you.
Although it can get very cold here in Fairbanks, there isn’t much wind, and the cold is dry. Imagine standing in a freezer, as opposed to standing near a lake with gusting wind. Winter in Philadelphia seemed much more severe than what I’ve experienced here. Likewise, the cold in Wisconsin where my kids live. The cold seems to cut right through you in those places. While I’m not denying that it gets extremely cold here, having a good layering system can make it possible to be outdoors and remain comfortably warm.
Frostbite is a big concern here, and when the temperature is -40F, it only takes a few minutes to get frostbitten. It is important to keep all skin covered to protect yourself against this. In the winter months, at severe temps, the only thing that shows on me (and most everyone else) is our eyes.
By not being careful, I got contact frostbite a few years ago, when I grabbed onto my metal tripod with a bare hand. In a matter of seconds, I felt a severe burning sensation, and within minutes, I had a raised blister on my palm. You can bet I will never do something that senseless again!
