Snow is Welcome Here!



Far North Bicentennial Park



Winter is setting in here, and it's even more beautiful than I expected.  We've had 2 decent (more than a couple inches) snowfalls in Anchorage so far, and I find myself staring out the window as the snow falls so gently to the ground.  Even though it snows in every location I've lived so far, there are a few differences I've noticed here:

1. The snow falls straight down.  In the past several years, I've only seen snow "falling" sideways, piling up in one area and leaving another area with bare ground as the wind blows strongly from the north.  It's a true "gently falling snow" here.  Every snowfall might not be like this, but at least some of them are!



South of Anchorage International Airport



2. I don't know if it's really true, but the snow sure looks whiter here.  Maybe it's a lack of dirt and pollutants mixed in?  Whatever it is, it looks so pure and beautiful.

3. Overall, people were anxiously awaiting the first real snowfall, were excited to "finally" see the first snowfall in early November, and only want more.  I'm finally in my element!  Snow means people can take advantage of the many winter outdoor opportunities, like skiing (cross country and downhill), snowshoeing, and snow machining.  It's a welcome feature of winter.

After an unusual freezing rain storm earlier this week that left many roads ice covered, it snowed all day in Anchorage on Thanksgiving.  It added up to almost 7 inches near the airport.  Snow accumulated on tree branches and just about anything else that had any sort of horizontal surface.  Anchorage has a great trail system throughout the city, with mushing trails, cross country ski trails, and multi-use trails.  I was able to get out and go for a walk on one of the trails (my only currently available means of using these trails) in Far North Bicentennial Park today, and it was so nice to see so many other people out enjoying the beautiful weather and fresh snowfall.  I can't wait to explore more trails this winter!



Far North Bicentennial Park