North to Alaska!

[asorum]

Do you have chickens now, and are just wanting to add to the flock? Or... are you trying to start up with chickens?

Just looked. Nice coop there. What’s the white stuff?

 

[Alaskan]

Just looked. Nice coop there. What’s the white stuff?

You mean the SNOW??

 

[asorum]

Is everyone holding up to the weather? I think we are on to five weeks of the wind/cold. Supposed to start snowing today. We really haven't gotten much since November. It's all gone to Southeast.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

I am. I feel bad for people in Fairbanks though lol. I heard it's -70 F there! The only thing I have to worry about is the wind, thank goodness!

 

[Alaskan]

I have LOVED not having to shovel. But that time of very little snow is now gone!

It started snowing last night and it is coming down steadily!

We are already past 6 inches just today.

And we are supposed to dip down into negatives on Wednesday! My " Alaska banana belt" living is getting shattered!

And yes, I heard the valley was getting Fairbanks cold... and Fairbanks... I could never live there!

 

[gullinkambe]

I am. I feel bad for people in Fairbanks though lol. I heard it's -70 F there! The only thing I have to worry about is the wind, thank goodness!

-70F? That's bonkers!

I'm not Alaskan (obviously), but I live on the same latitude as Fairbanks, over the ocean. I'm guessing the Gulf Stream does its job, 'cause the coldest I've experienced is -31F (and I hated every second of it.)

What kind of temps do you usually have further south in Alaska?

 

[asorum]

We’ve been in Valdez on the south central coast of Prince William Sound for 25 years. Maybe 350 miles south of Fairbanks. “Normally” it’s around the mid-20s and lots of snow. ~300 inches. This last five weeks has been very windy and temps down to zero. Mat-Su and Fairbanks have been getting the worst of it. 100 mph winds and -40/lower temps. Southeast Alaska has been getting all the snow where they would normally be rainy. Seems to warming up here now. Fingers crossed.

 

[gullinkambe]

We’ve been in Valdez on the south central coast of Prince William Sound for 25 years. Maybe 350 miles south of Fairbanks. “Normally” it’s around the mid-20s and lots of snow. ~300 inches. This last five weeks has been very windy and temps down to zero. Mat-Su and Fairbanks have been getting the worst of it. 100 mph winds and -40/lower temps. Southeast Alaska has been getting all the snow where they would normally be rainy. Seems to warming up here now. Fingers crossed.

Mid 20's and lots of snow sounds like the perfect winter! Add beautiful low winter sun, and it must be a nice place to live.

Cold AND windy, however, sounds miserable! Crossing my fingers too, that you don't have to endure that much longer.

 

[Alaskan]

-70F? That's bonkers!

I'm not Alaskan (obviously), but I live on the same latitude as Fairbanks, over the ocean. I'm guessing the Gulf Stream does its job, 'cause the coldest I've experienced is -31F (and I hated every second of it.)

What kind of temps do you usually have further south in Alaska?

Fairbanks is brutal since it is so far inland. They also get stupid hot in the summer. Personally, I don't know how people handle such extremes.

The Alaskan coast is usually milder, except depending on where you are, there is the wind and snow factor.

Also, South facing, YOU MUST BE SOUTH FACING!!!! I don't understand how anyone can manage to be on north facing land, it is like living in a perpetual hole of cold darkness and depression.

Kodiak, big island south off the mainland of Alaska, it is sheltered from open ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and is usually in the high 30s all winter. It, and that strip of south east Alaska up against Canada are actually the furthest north rainforest. Huge trees, gigantic slugs, lots of moss. Very neat area with lots of rain. And USUALLY little snow.

But... the point I wanted to make is Alaska is a huge state, and being so far north just a little difference in elevation, or a few miles east or west, and you can have an extra month of summer.

My son lives 2 hours drive north of me, we both live close to but not on the coast... and he is usually 10 to even 20 degrees colder.

 

[gullinkambe]

Fairbanks is brutal since it is so far inland. They also get stupid hot in the summer. Personally, I don't know how people handle such extremes.

lol sounds a bit like where I live, we get national cold records in winter and heat records in summer. But I'm betting it's not nearly as extreme as Fairbanks, since we're closer to the coast.

The Alaskan coast is usually milder, except depending on where you are, there is the wind and snow factor.

Also, South facing, YOU MUST BE SOUTH FACING!!!! I don't understand how anyone can manage to be on north facing land, it is like living in a perpetual hole of cold darkness and depression.

Yes! At least make sure you get the 2 hours of direct sunlight there is! I couldn't live above the arctic circle, I need my daily sun. I admire those who do, but I'm not that tough.

Kodiak, big island south off the mainland of Alaska, it is sheltered from open ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and is usually in the high 30s all winter. It, and that strip of south east Alaska up against Canada are actually the furthest north rainforest. Huge trees, gigantic slugs, lots of moss. Very neat area with lots of rain. And USUALLY little snow.

That sounds really nice!

But... the point I wanted to make is Alaska is a huge state, and being so far north just a little difference in elevation, or a few miles east or west, and you can have an extra month of summer.

My son lives 2 hours drive north of me, we both live close to but not on the coast... and he is usually 10 to even 20 degrees colder.

Thanks a lot for the information! Being on BYC, I've been trying to ascertain what kind of climate I have compared to places in america, seeing as that's where most people here are from. Climate can have a lot to say for outdoor poultry keeping, after all.