The original forecast for today was rain and temps in the lower 40’s but a cold front suddenly dropped from the north with an advancing wet warm front from the south, even just in the last 5 minutes the radar is actually showing rain over Anchorage which is about 35 miles SW of me.
At least its not coldf cold like in the minus digits.
I have to keep a 2000 gallon water tank at work heated to 100F 24/7 for any loads to go out, plus I keep two trucks in the massive in floor heated shop that could hold more if needed. I really hope I don’t have to chain up, hardly anyone uses chains here in the Mat Su valley and they are such a bear to put over 11R 24.5 radials.
But at least its a pump job I hear, all I have to do is back up to a pump truck and just keep the hopper filled.
Yes I could humbly say I earned respect, honestly I am of the very few that has repeatedly driven all through the winter when the other batch plants shut down. Its a delicate game of speed or lack of, inertia and center of gravity on curves and just staying out of the way of the ditchdivers, I suspect today may break a record as many have started to replace their winter tires early.
I wish I had a Go Pro camera in the mixer truck, I have seen all kinds of winter fanatics on the roads up here. Really, Alaskans just don’t quit when the snow falls and we get the usual first winter newcomers up here that do NOT have any winter driving skills, gonna be a fun day I expect, keep an eye on the www.adn.com or www.ktuu.com websites for the details.
I have friends who live on the Hillside in Anchorage. One winter I tried driving up the gravel road to their house and made the mistake of slowing to a stop on a bend in the rental car and could not get traction to get moving again. My buddy’s wife drove him down to us where he got in the rental and drove it up the hill like it was nothing. Yes, driving in Alaska is not for amateurs..
Hey man, us lower 48'ers have a natural respect for our American brothers and sisters who live in the frozen North. Especially those of us in the South West.