Wild, wet, windy weather in Alaska

The winds that hit Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska this week brought warm air, heavy rain and played havoc with powerlines, trees, schools, public transport, commuters and several mid-winter festivals.

Temperatures in Anchorage topped out at 51 on Friday, while other Southcentral Alaska locations registered temperatures into the high-50's today.

What little snow remained near my house in Bristol Bay is gone and there's not a trace of white anywhere. (that photo above)

Here's a brief look at some pix taken from the Anchorage Daily News photo collection of the weird, warm mostly-unwelcome weather ::


The billboard marquee for the Totem Theaters on Anchorage's east side
is missing most of its letters after hurricane-force winds swept the area.



Arnold and Dianne Govella of Port Aransas, Tx. negotiate the ice, slush
and water of 4th Avenue Friday afternoon January 16, 2009 downtown.



Colony High students near Wasilla walk through the high winds and driving
rain and wait for their rides after school on Friday January 16, 2008.



This is what remains of one of 14 entries in the midwinter ice-art festival
called "The Freeze Project." The piece, a collaboration between Buck
Walsky, Dave Cole and Rachelle Dowdy, is called "Ice-bound Cadillacs."



The Glenn Highway, the main freeway connecting Anchorage and Wasilla
became a six-lane ice rink as cars and trucks spun out of control.

After being shutdown for several days, People Mover buses began running again on Friday, despite streets that remain a glare of ice.

Traffic accidents were everywhere in Anchorage, but icy conditions didn't
stop some bicycle commuters from continuing their 2-wheeled trek.



Downtown Anchorage streets eventually became a mix of ice, snow and
slush as the warm weather continued on Friday.



Pedestrians had to negotiate icy streets in downtown Anchorage on their
own after the public transit system, The People Mover, suspended service
for three days as unseasonal temperatures and winds over 100 miles/hour
also forced three days of school closures, unheard-of in Alaska.


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