On Thursday, we were treated to the sight of a magnificent solar halo gracing the evening sky. As is the case with many of the arcs, spots, and lines we are privileged to see in the arctic sky, solar haloes are also formed by sunlight refracting through ice crystals. In this particular case, the ice […]
Inaccurate Weather Prediction! Read More »
Over the past few weeks, we have had the pleasure of watching a pair of robins raise a family. Today’s post will show some of the pictures I took as the chicks developed. The story began in June, when we observed that a mother robin had decided to build a nest near our garage door.
This spring, our lilac trees needed a great deal of attention. The winter snowfall was so heavy that it damaged many of the longer limbs. Rather than simply cut off those limbs, I decided to try propagating the lilacs by air layering. I had never tried this technique, but it seemed worth the risk since
Layering Lilacs and Willows Read More »
This winter, Fairbanks went through a record cold spell and received a record snowfall, the last of which finally disappeared from my yard only a week ago. Correspondingly, the usual spring sequence of greening and blooming has been both delayed and accelerated as Nature hurriedly completes her to-do list to begin summer on schedule. The
The Easter Bunny came a day late this year, which is understandable considering the minimal claim the spring season has made upon the land. While I was making my morning coffee, this fellow came to visit the back yard. He is still in winter color phase, which is the sensible thing, considering how deep the
More Signs of Spring Read More »
The local moose usually leave town during the coldest parts of the winter and return in the spring. We often see them in our field, across the street from our house, nibbling at the tips of the tree branches. This year, though, has been no ordinary one. The snow is deeper than usual and the
The University Presbyterian Church is on College Road and I get a clear view of the University of Alaska Fairbanks on my way there. Today, I noticed an unusual structure in the cloud of exhaust coming from the power plant. It is common to see the hot, moisture-laden exhaust rise until it reaches an equilibrium
Recently, local schools have had three snow days, which, in Fairbanks, is sufficiently rare to be worth comment. Contrary to popular belief, schools here don’t close because of cold weather, alone. If they did, the students would have sporadic days off from December to March. The school district usually only closes schools when transportation becomes
In November, I wrote of the pools of water that have collected on top of the biomeiler. They continued to freeze over and melt open as the weather conditions fluctuated. Their presence hinges on how the weather alters the rate at which heat arrives from below and the rate at which it is removed from
Today, it warmed up to 14F. This temperature, although not objectively warm, is so much in contrast to the temperatures of recent weeks that I felt no need for my hat and gloves while running errands around town. The record cold spell that persisted through December and into January now seems to be over. There
Compare and Contrast Read More »