The sun will rise today at 10:30 in the morning and set at 2:52 this afternoon for a mere 4 hours 22 minutes of theoretical sunlight. Very theoretical, as the sun at its highest is only 3° above the horizon and clouds are hiding it anyway. The day-to-day difference in length of day is dropping, at least – it’s only a little over 2 weeks to the solstice.

We had a group reading Saturday, starting at 2 in the afternoon. I had to leave just before 3 and it was barely light enough for me to drive by the time I got home.

We actually had temperatures above freezing yesterday, which is a real pain this time of year. According to this morning’s radio, we got up to 47°F. The snowpack was settling, and it was about 7” deep when it got too dark to see yesterday evening. But I expect once it’s light this morning, fresh snow will have made up for the fact that snow was melting as it fell yesterday. (Well, that’s what I expected yesterday. As of 8:10 this morning, it looks like Fairbanks got less than an inch overnight, and we might get another inch at the most.) Good thing I don’t have to go anywhere today; the combination of above-freezing air temperatures, precipitation and below-freezing roads produces wicked driving conditions. In fact the schools and state offices are closed today because of the road conditions, the university says “use your own judgement” though it’s open, and employees at the Army base are allowed to be as much as two hours late. Blowing snow is expected on high ground, but not so much in the valleys. And it’s supposed to cool throughout the day, from current temperatures around 20°F.

Out my front door, about noon.

Next week it’s supposed to cool off again, going back and forth around 0°F, but with continued clouds and chances of snow. I’m glad for the plants this time of year, even if I do need artificial light for them.

P.S. at 10:20, still 10 minutes to sunrise. The snow stake shows a bare 8″, and it is not snowing. In fact the sky has only scattered thin clouds, and the temperature has dropped to 18°F.

Noon: It’s snowing, though small flakes and they’re falling straight down.  Any wind is confined to the hilltops.