John and Petra's Alaskan Diary
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8th August, 2001, Alaska
Living in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) in Fairbanks, where Peta works
The Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks, where John works
Petra ready to ride home from work
Normal day-to-day life in Fairbanks, Alaska brings its challenges. By late June we enjoyed warm summer days and nights (daily maxima range between 20° and 30°C; daily minima range between 4° and 22°C). It rained on and off and occasionally there was a thunderstorm.
During the height of summer my outdoor experience is severely restricted by the shear abundance of mosquitos. Fairbanks' location near the Chena River and within a very boggy area provides the ideal breeding ground for all kind of insects, but especially for mosquitos. By June it takes about 5 seconds after stepping outside our cabin until I feel the itching of the first mosquito bite. A short walk usually results in a fair share of bites over arms, legs and face; and a visit to the outhouse can quickly turn into a mosquito hunt. Unfortunately I am still having allergic reactions to most of the mosquito bites, although most reactions recede on the same day.
Now, in early August, we are in the middle of the ``rain season''. For most days during July we had rain fall, and it has been rather overcast. This weather pattern usually lasts all through August. The air temperatures have been dropping since late July, and currently we are experiencing daily maxima at around 10° to 15°C, and minima around 2° to 6°C. The usually rather wet and grey August is the reason why many Fairbanksians cannot wait for winter and the first snow to arrive. The fresh snow blanket really lifts one's spirits after long rainy summers.
It is not unusual to have snow fall during September, and by mid October the seasonal snow cover has established itself. Air temperatures may reach around freezing temperature during day and well below that during night and early morning. By November it is not unusual to have daily maxima of -30°C or much colder. Being outside, and especially doing physical exercise at such low temperatures can be problematic. I learnt the hard way, that I shouldn't go out skiing or ``racing'' on my push bike once it is colder than -25° or -30°C. The air one breathes in is so cold that the airways hurt and may even suffer frost damage. On the other hand I found that the human body, perhaps under some pain, functions better during such cold events than any mechanical/motorized equipment. I much prefer to use my push bike to get to work than spending 5 - 15 minutes getting the car ready for take off.
The latter involves unplugging the battery and oil-pan heaters, starting the car and letting it idle for 5 or more minutes so that the engine oil can warm up, defrosting all the windows, and removing all snow and ice from the outside of the car. It is not unusual for people here to have two sets of car keys, so they can leave the engine running, while doing the shopping. And lots of cars are now equipped with remote starters, which allows the driver to have the car engine and interior warming up for 5 - 30 minutes before they actually get into the car. Yes - don't be surprised to walk across a Fairbanks parking lot during winter and find that 50% or more of the cars are idling without any in them.
And as one can imagine everything takes sooooo much longer during winter. Dressing involves several layers of everything. Riding a car or bike on snow covered streets slows travel. Wrapping fresh vegetables/fruit and milk and eggs into several layers of insulation to protect them from freezing on the way home takes time. And so does clearing snow and ice from the pathways, around the car/bike and from the entrance doors to the cabin....