Low sun angle caught on road weather camera

Click on "loop"
Sun angle pretty low, & getting lower.
You can watch the clock for time of day.
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/iways/ro...?areaId=9&perspectiveId=1&siteId=230&viewId=1
Thought is was cool, NO, I take that back It Was "COLD", High to day got to 12, no or very little heat from the sun

BogyDave, what part of alaska are you in? I was just up in Tok (40 Mile air out on a moose hunt). took two days and spent a night in Valdez doing the tourist thing. The drive down to Tok is the prettiest drive I've ever done. I've seen a lot of Alaska and the Lower 48 and I can't think of anything that comes close to Wrangell's/St Elias and Prince William Sound. Maybe Kenai Fjords or yellowstone.

Cool trip I bet.
Matanuska Valley, between Palmer & Wasilla.
I've driven almost every road we have. Been to the Arctic Circle, Adak Island for a couple weeks, Drove the Alcan, Flown remote out hunting, worked at a remote camp (airplane access only) for years.
Hunted the Mts for sheep & goat, hiked glaciers. Snow machined frozen rivers for many miles out to remote cabins. (Just not many roads until the water freezes). River boated way out on many rivers fishing & hunting.
I still see places, things & wildlife that are just breathtaking.
I've seen just a fraction of Alaska.

Awesome. I worked over by Glennallen for a few summers as a teenager. They invited me back when I graduated college but I knew if I went up I wouldn't come back to Pennsylvania. Probably the only decision in my life I question. That said, I couldn't handle 7-8 months of winter. Alaska is a special place. That's for sure!

Neat . . . you'll practically be neighbors with my sister and her husband . . . after years of renting a ramshackle cabin in Portage they're buying a place in Wasilla . . . she's pretty excited since this place will have running water AND central heat . . . no more stopping at the road-side spring, paying for showers in Girdwood and coming home to the cabin at -40 degrees F.

Well when you come to visit in August, you'll have a nice place to stay. Convince them you can help set up a woodstove for them, cut some wood & catch some fish.
They are leaving some of the wind behind, & it will be a little dryer & warmer.
Portage area in Turnagin Arm makes it own weather, well they know that I'm sure. Lots of glaciers, & beautiful place surrounded by MTs. I was there once in the summer with no wind & blue sky, & only needed a jacket, rare but it happens Rain,wind & cooler there, so they are moving to a new warmer climate. Not close the any ski resort though.
Good for them on getting into their own home & a house with indoor plumbing.

Seeing as the last time I visited was several Septembers ago and I stayed in my brother-in-laws 1980s vintage van with shag carpet in it and nearly froze to death . . . I'm very much looking forward to staying in a real house this time . . . but I'm actually planning to time things for the Summer Solstice.

They have a woodstove now . . . not sure if they will upgrade . . . I hope so . . . for their sake since they probably have no idea about how much it costs to heat a home with oil . . . especially with the prices you guys pay for petroleum products.

Personally, I kinda preferred the Wasilla/Willow area when I was there . . . went to the Iditarod Headquarters and did the tourist thing with the sled dogs and talked to the son of the man who started the races . . . seemed to me that the climate was a bit milder . . . as you say . . . in the Portage area the area can make its own weather . . . my sister tells me about massive snow storms followed by rain a day later and then sun and warmth a day later . . . very freaky . . . she also has had to wait several hours going/coming to work/home due to avalanches closing the road in the winter . . . hopefully she will not have to contend with many of those.

I suspect they may miss being so close to Alyeska . . . but they can always drive down and make a day of it.

Hopefully they house they have has NG for heat & hot water. Depends on their location, but pretty widespread NG, close to Palmer & Wasilla.
Let them know that Alaska is to come out with a new "energy upgrade reimbursement fund". Basically the same as 2010 one. They need to apply online to get on the list ASAP, up to $10K. I got my stove under the program a few years ago, energy efficient patio door, & 14" of insulation added to the attic. They paid for the initial audit & the closing audit & around 80% of the cost of the other stuff.
New appliance upgrade also qualify under the program. You spend up front then get reimbursed. Initial & closing audit required.
One of these site should get them in the right direction. Can also call to talk to someone to get more info in the program.
http://www.ahfc.us/energy/weatherization_rebates.cfm
https://www.akrebate.com/

Kings & Reds run thru June. August, silvers start running

Thanks . . . I'll pass on the info . . . they just bought a bunch of appliances for the place too.