A Note on the Cold..

Undoubtedly, whenever I mention that I'm from Alaska, the first comment I get is something about how cold it must be there and why people go there and subject themselves to such a thing. This is my answer about what it feels like, what life is like in the cold, and most importantly, why.

When I arrived in Anchorage it was not terribly cold. It was around freezing (so 32 or 0, pick your unit system).  This is a temperature experienced by many at some point in their lives. It's not bad. You step outside and see your breath; your nose gets cold after a while.  If you're skiing or doing something physical, it's surprisingly easy to overheat, shed layers, and then freeze because all that sweat you've been working up freezes when you take off your jacket to cool down. An unfortunately side effect of hovering near freezing is rain.

Yes, it rained while I was in Alaska. In December. I went skiing that day and so I was going up and down the mountain. I'd start at the bottom with the rain, get soaked and then riding up the chair lift, it would change slowly into ice and then finally snow at the top.  Then of course the whole process goes in reverse while snowboarding down. By the end of the day I was soaking wet through three layers and my down-jacket was practically useless. In Alaska, wet and cold spells hypothermia and disaster much faster than simple cold does.