Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Summer in Barrow?

Welcome to northern Alaska. The temperature is 33°F and raining in Prudhoe Bay on the north coast of Alaska. I am sitting on the plane waiting for the flight to continue on to Barrow where I will be spending the next few days. I'll be flying out on Sunday morning so it's a relatively short trip. Since they advised me ahead of time that I will be issued an ATV, I brought some riding gear with me including rain gear. Last time I was here, I just felt too "exposed" riding to town without a helmet or boots even though that seems to be the norm around here.

When I arrived, I was accused of bringing the cooler weather back as it was in the low 70s (°F) last week through Monday. Apparently, I must have power over the sea ice as that had also returned on the morning of my flight.  I missed the festivities of the 4th in Barrow which includes a parade and barbecues around town. But at least there isn't any smoke. This morning (Wednesday) there is beautiful blue sky.

Wednesday Afternoon - After a long morning waiting for AT&T to attempt to fix a performance problem with our circuit to Fairbanks, I went into town on the ATV. The sky and water was really blue so I stopped at the boat launch ramp in town for a quick photo of the ice floating just offshore. It's still only around 40°F but this is summer in Barrow. No sunsets for until August 2nd but it won't actually get dark for quite a while.

Thursday Afternoon - Just another beautiful "ocean view". The blue color was a lot more vivid than what shows up in this iPhone snapshot. There was a slight breeze and the ice flows were slowly moving right to left and away from shore.

13 comments:

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    1. I don't know. When I first saw it, it looked sort of like a rainbow. You may notice from the shadow that the sun is behind me. So I'm not really sure but I thought it looked interesting...

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    2. I believe that would be a parhelic circle- something I photographed in Sturgeon Bay and posted about. And subsequently forgot about it!

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    3. So you have been waiting for AT&T, too? Imagine that. When they get there tell them I'm still waiting...

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    4. The circuit has been up and down so many times today that I'm starting to lose track. We'll see how long it is functional this time and whether or not it is actually functional...

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  2. Tell the truth: I bet you miss sweating in Singapore. A gin sling at raffles. 33 degrees in July is for bear guards not people.

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    1. To be absolutely honest, I love this weather. Perfect weather, clear, sunny and not hot or humid. I definitely like it better when it isn't raining. If there is precipitation, I prefer it to be a bit colder as you don't get as wet when it's snowing.

      And I don't miss sweating in Singapore. Not even a little bit...

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  3. Raining there too? At least we have warm rain, actually somewhat like being in a sauna today :)

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    1. It was raining. Today was a beautiful, clear day and tomorrow promises more of the same. After all the smoke and haze of the last few weeks being able to see to the horizon again is a real treat.

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  4. Such a vivid blue are the water and the sky up there. So pretty.

    Glad you were able to bring some riding gear to keep you warm.

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    1. And today is another of the same. No smoke!

      The riding gear makes me feel better and a bit warmer. Especially when I need to run into town or to the BEO as the flow of traffic on those roads is about 45mph. The only thing I miss is a rear view mirror. BTW, all of the roads here are designated as "private" so it's no problem driving an ATV anywhere in Barrow.

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  5. That near-endless daylight -- almost worth the 33-degree temp. Enjoyed the view of that blue, blue water, the ice, and that barren beach.

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    1. It is a beautiful area and it has warmed up to 42°F. Everytime I go by the beach I feel compelled to stop and watch the ice float by.

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