Gloomy December

Starrigavan Estuary

I was once told by someone originally from Anchorage that it was darker here (in Sitka) in the winter than in Anchorage. My first response was to say that didn’t make any sense – Sitka is significantly further south than Anchorage, and so has more hours of daylight in the winter. In discussing the subject … Read more

A Return to Typical

Gavan Snow Level

After nearly two months that seemed unseasonably warm and lacking in precipitation, this week has been a return to what I tend to expect of late winter and early spring weather. Monday’s cooler temperatures with heavy clouds and rain, were followed by a short reprieve in partly-cloudy Tuesday, but Today temperatures dropped again, and we … Read more

Red-breasted Sapsuckers in Winter

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Fairly easy to find around Sitka during spring and summer working their sap wells, Red-breasted Sapsucker abundance seems to drop in the fall and they are rarely reported from November through February along the road system. Most times when sapsuckers are seen, it is during periods with extended below freezing temperatures. At such times, they … Read more

Winter Weather

I had heard this year was going to be an El Nino year, which seems to correspond to relatively mild winters in Sitka, so it was interesting to see winter season getting started relatively early this year, with snow beginning to fall last week. In fact, there is an El Nino developing in equatorial Pacific … Read more