Surprised by Spring

As winter started to come to an end here, many people cautioned me that it would be the end of May before the weather would be "nice." With this ringing in my ears, I was prepared for temperatures hovering around the freezing mark for the month of April and most of May. I was expecting nighttime temperatures to be in the 20sF (around -7*C). I braced myself for more snow. I held on to the hope that once the middle of May hit, winter would FINALLY be over. Imagine my surprise when it was hitting 50*F (10*C) by the middle of April and it was no longer necessary to bundle up to go outside. It has been weeks since we last had snow. Here it is the beginning of May and the snow is almost completely gone. This was not what I expected. This is not what I had been told. Break up (known as "spring" in other parts of the country) was supposed to almost as cold and miserable as winter. While it is true there are no leaves on the trees, or even buds for that matter, the pussy willows are out. There are no flowers poking up from the ground, but the geese, swans and sandhill cranes have returned. It is still very brown outside, but I can see swaths of green grass. Spring has come to Interior Alaska, and, like most other experiences I've had in Alaska, it is not what I was expecting at all. 

This was my front yard on March 31

This was my front yard on May 1. The snow is *almost* gone.

There are still small chunks of ice floating down the river.

The pussy willows

I stood in the middle of the river at this exact spot in February and watched the Yukon Quest dog teams go by.

 The locals tell me that the return of the of the birds to Creamers field is a sure sign of spring.

 What a welcome sound and view after a long, long winter.

Sandhill cranes

Spring?

According to the calendar, it has been spring here for a week. Looking outside, however, you will see none of the typical signs of spring. There are no flowers poking up through the soil. There are no buds on the trees. There are no robins or geese flying overhead. The grass isn't turning green. In fact, it looks pretty much the way it has looked for the last 8 months: covered in snow.

And yet, I can feel spring in the air and I can see signs of springtime in Interior Alaska. As I am writing this it is 23*F (-4*C) outside. The overnight low tonight will only be 4*F (-16*C). I can walk from my car into the grocery store without gloves on and not feel like I am about to get frostbite. The air no longer hurts my face. We now have over 12 hours of sunshine each day. We are inching ever closer to the almost-constant daylight that will come with summer. The sun's strength has returned as well and I can feel its warmth coming through the windows. It is actually melting some of the snow now. I can see bare pavement in a few places. In the parking lot of the gym, I can see the yellow lines for the first time since October. I must confess that after months of gauging my parking spot on the parking jobs of the cars already in the lot, parking between two yellow lines seems a little foreign. The roads are starting to clear up and I am not as worried about sliding through intersections anymore. And the people? Everyone suddenly seems nicer and happier. There is a hope in the air.

Is this the spring I am used to? No. My internal clock is having a difficult time with the Alaska spring. This isn't what spring is supposed to be like. There are supposed to be flowers, and birds, and leaves. But this, this Alaska spring--with its snow, and its cold temperatures, and its brilliant sunshine--promises the end of winter is near. And you know what? I believe it.