The day of two sunrises

Morning sunrise 2/5/15

Afternoon sunrise 2/5/15

The heck with that groundhog, this sign is more scientifically accurate – this sign that spring is coming on the Orca Jones almanac calendar. This is the first day the sun rises twice to shine in this yard barely covered with snow but full of birds. The complete explanation is in the link below.

The next item on that calendar? The first kiss of spring. That's the day, usually later in February when your are driving generally westward during the part of the day when the sun is highest and you feel a bit of warmth on your cheek for the first time in the year. That's the first kiss. Next comes Green Day but with an Equinox in between. But those are too far off to contemplate yet.

Despite those dates, I am not one of those people tired of winter and anxiously awaiting the advent of spring. Nor am I one of those people who irritate others by proclaiming they love winter for a various number of reasons and happily want it to go on forever. A lot of those people ride bicycles in winter, too.

No, I just want winter to hang in there for a little bit longer than many people do. That's because to my mind March is the best month on the Alaska calendar and it is particularly best for outdoors activity. There's a reason the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is run in March.

Afternoon sunshine lights up a male Pine grosbeak.

To begin with, we get almost a full day of sunlight as the Equinox approaches. Generally in March the weather is fairly mild with most of the potential sunshine actually lighting up the world. Temperatures drop below freezing most nights and rise into the 20s during the day making it cool for sleeping at night and warm for moving around outdoors during the day.

Snow that has fallen over the winter has had time to compact and form a good base and the surface snow solidifies in the cold overnight making travel relatively easy during the early part of the day. Often even a full grown man can walk across the surface until early afternoon when it softens enough that you can break through.

The sun that offered that first tempting kiss in February in March beats down and warms everything in its way. At times on the deck at the East Pole the temperature has reached 70 in direct sunlight and you can sit there in a t-shirt, at least until the sun goes behind a tree and the then it cools off rapidly.

It is also spring, a time of new energy and in that climate energy flows.  It's one of the best times for gathering firewood because you can maneuver in the woods so easily. It is a time to haul in supplies for the summer building season over well-packed trails.

Just generally March in Southcentral Alaska is a grand time to be outdoors. And while I am probably as happy as anyone to see spring replace winter, I honestly do want it to happen a little later than most people do. Any time in April would be just fine.

Explanation: The month of two sunrises