http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_re_us/alaska_extreme_cold

Extreme Alaska cold grounds planes, disables cars

By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer Steve Quinn, Associated Press 
Writer – Thu Jan 8, 5:59 am ET

JUNEAU, Alaska – Ted Johnson planned on using a set of logs to a build a 
cabin in Alaska's interior. Instead he'll burn some of them to stay 
warm.

Extreme temperatures — in Johnson's case about 60 below zero — call for 
extreme measures in a statewide cold snap so frigid that temperatures 
have grounded planes, disabled cars, frozen water pipes and even 
canceled several championship cross country ski races.

Alaskans are accustomed to subzero temperatures but the prolonged 
conditions have folks wondering what's going on with winter less than a 
month old.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Brown said high pressure 
over much of central Alaska has been keeping other weather patterns from 
moving through. New conditions get pushed north or south while the 
affected area faces daily extremes.

"When it first started almost two weeks ago, it wasn't anything 
abnormal," Brown said. "About once or twice every year, we get a good 
cold snap. But, in this case, you can call this an extreme event. This 
is rare. It doesn't happen every year."

Temperatures sit well below zero in the state's various regions, often 
without a wisp of wind pushing down the mercury further.

Johnson lives in Stevens Village, where residents have endured close to 
two weeks of temperatures pushing 60 below zero.

The cold has kept planes grounded, Johnson said. Food and fuel aren't 
coming in and they're starting to run low in the village, about 90 miles 
northwest of Fairbanks.

Johnson, whose home has no heater or running water, said he ventures 
outside only to get more logs for burning and to fetch water from a 
community facility. He's been saving the wood to build a cabin as a 
second home, but that will have to wait a few years now because the heat 
takes precedence.

"I've never seen it this cold for this long," he said. "I
remember it 70 
below one time, but not for a week and a half."

In Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, residents are used to lows of about 
10-degree temperatures in January — not 19 below zero, which is what 
folks awoke to Wednesday morning.

Temperatures finally settled to about 10 below at midday, but that was 
cold enough to cancel races in the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships.

Skiers won't compete unless it's warmer than 4 below zero, but the 
numbers have ranged between 10 below and 15 below.

That has led to four days of canceled or postponed competition with 
organizers hoping to get a set of races under way on Thursday, the 
event's final day.

Meanwhile, in Juneau, the state's capital is enjoying balmy weather by 
comparison with lows in the single digits.

CMPQwk 1.42-21 9999 
Patriotism is not who can leak the most Secret documents to the NY Times ...


--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10