Birthday Weather

OK. I’ll admit to being a shameless hussy when it comes to my birthday. Today’s snowstorm is only a pathetic excuse to announce to all and sundry that Today Is My Birthday! Since I was a small child, I have thrilled to the approach of March the 29th; it was right up there with Christmas in terms of a child’s anticipation (thanks, Mother, for making it so special!).

So anyway, since moving to Alaska I’ve experienced a significantly different kind of birthday weather than any other place I’ve lived. Even in northern Montana, the end of March was more springish. About half of my birthdays in Bethel have had weather well below zero, sometimes as much as 20 degrees below.

It is much warmer than that today; this morning dawned quite snowy and about 14 above. It must have snowed much of the night, because we now have about three inches of fresh stuff on top of the several feet of old snow. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. As the photos show, visibility is limited and the flakes are huge.

The rapidly lengthening hours of daylight tell the tale of spring’s approach more than anything. It is light outside now from about 8 in the morning until nearly 10 at night. The willow trees are starting to show fuzzy buds at their tips. And the cold snaps, when they hit us now, don’t have the same ability to intimidate as they do in December; -20 in March won’t last more than a week, but in December it may last for a month or more. Though it will still be another six weeks or so before all the snow melts and the river breaks up, spring is coming. There are tides in the blood that can feel it.

And I’m having a wonderful birthday! I hope each of you do the same, whenever yours may fall. It is a lovely day to honor ourselves.

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Photos from our front deck by The Tundra PA. They don't really show how hard it is snowing, or how big the flakes are... And thanks to Dr. Dino for the birthday email!