The rain blizzard of January 2025

Last week was an unusual weird winter weather storm. Temperatures were in the low 40’s (which is odd and only occasional) and a monstrous wind came rushing in along with rain. It was whippy and wet and wicked. Just attempting to describe it is difficult. Close to all the snow pack has melted and we see the remnants of green grass in January. Again, this may be normal in many of the states, but IS NOT usual in Alaska. The last two winters have been heavily snow-laden with record snowfalls. People generally have numerous shovels at the ready this time of year, but in this strange year, none of the shovels are necessary. They all sit in an isolated row, by the fence, looking lost and sad.

Wind Reckoning—Palmer is no stranger to wind. It’s part of our personality and character. But the recent wild winds were too crazy, dancing like a dervish in distress. They swirled and switched and broke through the corners and streaked on the flat stretches. It wasn’t long before legions of shingles were tossed, garbage cans tumbled and thrown, and all was upended. Birds hid quietly in trees. Dogs refused to go outside. It was a chaotic wind, unpredictable and conspiratorial. It crafted huge piles of darkened, dust domes. But as the Chinook wind collided and collapsed with energy, in came uncanny, warm temperatures which melted most of the remaining ice and snow.

Geology Confusion—Remember that while all this wind and rain ruckus was happening above ground, the subsurface, or underground remained frozen, for the most part. After all this IS January and the ground is only halfway through its’ self imposed winter hibernation, So when the warm temperatures, excessive rain, and ridiculous winds created above-ground chaos, the soils and sub surface stayed solid, kinda. So….where was the water to go if it couldn’t seep down through the permeability of the frozen earth? It had to go somewhere and the so the confused waters chose to hang out in the streets and sidewalks and driveways. The water drainage system was blocked by ice and debris so suddenly that Palmer acquired many accidental large waterfront features,

Palmer’s New Accidental Waterfronts—Palmer instantly had small lakes, large linear ponds, canals, and puddles the size of semi-trucks! It was exciting to watch these waterbodies create themselves. It was so tempting to drag out a canoe or small sail skiff or paddle board (or maybe a gondola?) It was tempting for big trucks to take the dare and drive through these flooded streets like a mud bogger. And while it was all interesting, it was also treacherous. So Palmer rightly erected barricades to protect the safety of the non-swimmers and observers.

Meanwhile there were Mudslides—There were flooded basements, destroyed decks. fallen and uprooted trees, power outages, impassability, small land sluffing or land slides, destroyed roofs, and general weather related mayhem.

General feeling of Concern—Although this was an interesting weather event, it was also disturbing because of its unpredictability and its signals of change. We wondered…if this is January, what will the remaining winter months hold? Will the bears get up early and be grumpy? Will the lambing begin far earlier? Why are the Primula Primroses in the Museum garden already in bloom? Are dormant plants waking up? Will the next precipitation be snow, sleet, hail or rain? We don’t know what is happening and that is a very disconcerting thought.

Fortunately The Helpers Were There—The thankful thoughts during this crazy storm are always directed to the helpers and volunteers. This always includes the line men, fire teams, law enforcement folks, utility workers, EMS, city leaders, and public work employees. As usual they were predictably out there in Palmer—helping in any way they could.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222