Its cold here!!! (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer: rent, vacation, job)

[Beth15]

I'm from Southern California, and just moved to Anchorage Alaska. My husband came here for a new job. I really miss the weather of Southern California. This summer here in Anchorage was very short, cold and rainy. Has anyone gone thru this? How do you adjust?

[Joeklr]

Kind of sounds like heaven to me. I left Houston, Texas 20 years ago to get away from the heat. So-Cal was too hot so I moved to the SF Bay area. I retired a couple years ago and moved to Minnesota (I'm 7 miles from the Canadian border) and have just experienced my first Minnesota summer. The stats lied! It's hot here too. Not quite as hot as the SF Bay Area but still pretty annoying. I just came here to check some data because I want to live somewhere where it NEVER GETS HOT! I love snow! I love the bite in the air of sub zero temps. I love skiing, I love snowmobiling, I'm just a winter kind of guy. To me, spring, summer and fall just get in the way of winter.
People tell me that I become a very irritable and difficult person above 60 degrees. Everyone likes different things and different climates but I don't miss the year and a half I lived in Santa Monica even one little bit. It really is an endless summer down there.

Want to trade?

[Jamracingalaska]

Hello Beth,
This was a normal summer for Alaska in many years. The past several years it has been very warm in summer, but not this one. First off, be thankful your in Anchorage where it really doesn't get too cold in winter. Go to Big lake or Willow or even Fairbanks. You'll never get used to this weather being from so cal. 20 years later and my wifes butt and feet are still cold ! She has just tolerated it all these years. For you, in just 2 short years, the seasonal affectiveness disorder (SAD) will kick in.(lack of vitamin D from lack of daylight) Buy some happy lights to combat it. Closest thing for you to the PCH is the glenn Highway. No comparison. This place is just not the same. Keep an open mind and you'll do fine. Besides, just look at how happy your husband is being here in Alaska. All of those Jack London stories are finally coming true for him. You'll do fine!

[travelling_paws]

May I just say, I got a kick out of seeing "It's cold here" in the AK forum.
I'd probably love it; I used to love hot weather but the older I get the less I love it. Can't wait for winter, now....!

[Rance]

The trick is to stay busy. Be it work or play. There is as much to do in the winter as there is in the summer. You just have to dress accordingly!

[travelling_paws]

I moved from CA to CO in the 1980s and hated winters for the first couple of years. Then I discovered Goretex, thinsulate and other marvels of fabric engineering.
And, being active, agree with Rance 100% on that one.
I'm in Michigan now - it might not be AK but certainly gets plenty cold here. I walk or run with my dogs most mornings; I found that getting out in the cold first thing in the morning "inoculates" me against cold for the rest of the day.

[Rance]

It's not that bad!




When you have this!

[frogamigo]

I'm so jealous! Short, cold, and rainy is the *best* kind of summer.

[SubNoize]

You just have to learn to like it. I have only been here a year and last winter was pretty hard to get used to but the more I'm here the more I like it.

[HockeyGirl]

Hey Beth..

Our summer this year was probably the WORST one in... man Oh man, I can't even remember!

The year before last, we had continual sunshine and absolute perfect weather throughout most of June and July --- then began to get into the rainy season when August rolled around.

Seems like every autumn, the second the Alaska State Fair opens its gates.. =BAM= the rain starts! Actually though.. I went to the fair this year on Friday, August 18 and it was super sunny and warm..

If you moved here from Southern Cal, than yeah... it's quite an adjustment! But this particular summer broke all kinds of records for rain and lack of sunshine and was not the norm.

Guess the people out in Palmer looked at the bright side... the broke five world records for largest vegetables in the fair, and I lost count of how many statewide records were broken.

In the winter ~ (if you're still here I mean ;o) ~ stay busy! There's tons of things to do if you're willing to give new things a try.

You haven't seen Anchorites yet until you've been to an Alaska Aces Hockey Game, so plan on taking one in if you haven't yet.

And in January... take a trip back to SoCal for a vacation! Heck.. where else in the nation do you get big fat free dividend checks like we're getting in another couple of weeks? That's LOTS of money for Alaskans to travel anywhere they want to!

It was a crummy summer... but it was also an extremely unusual one that we hopefully won't repeat again! )