Anchorage Spring Breakup Memories
Anchorage Spring Breakup Memories
Ah, Spring time in Anchorage - slushy roads, potholes, cars covered with dirt and the promise of summer.
Those welcome warmer temperatures bring slushy roads, mud puddles and potholes almost big enough to swallow your vehicle.
It’s a time in Anchorage when a good sense of humor, along with a pair of “breakup boots” helps get you through the day.
The Long Winter
Freezing temperatures and snow marked those long winter days and nights.
The fun music video below takes a look at a heavy snowfall in Anchorage, complete with cars stuck in the snow and helpful pedestrians lending a hand. You may have seen this video before, but it’s worth another look. Enjoy.
BONUS
But as winter comes to an end, Anchorage “enjoys” another season.
Our 5th season is called “breakup” and you have to go through it before you can enjoy Spring.
During breakup, warmer temperatures begin to melt the ice and snow. Roads fill with slush, mud puddles and those famous potholes.
BONUS
Take a look at this fun breakup music video.
Just click on the following picture.
The Attack of the Tudor Road Potholes
Freezing temperatures and traffic take their toll on Anchorage roads.
As a result, during breakup, holes appear in paved roads… and dirt roads too. Some are small and some seem big enough to swallow up your vehicle. And city road crews can’t begin to keep up with needed repairs. Tudor Road always seemed to have more than it’s share of potholes
One local TV show was going to do a comedy video about local city road crews trying to keep up with breakup road repairs. But Mike of Anchorage Memories had another idea… “wouldn’t it be funnier if the video showed the road crews secretly “creating” the potholes with picks and shovels?”
Breakup at Portage Glacier
Remember driving down the Seward Highway to spend some time at Portage Glacier?
In the photo above, Mary of Anchorage Memories enjoys an afternoon at the glacier with daughter Nikki and son Christopher.
During breakup one year, we went for a drive to Portage Glacier. We had no sooner had we stepped out of the car when we heard “snap, crackle and pop”… All the ice covering the water in front of the glacier began breaking up and flowing down to the creek.
It was a remarkable site.
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Breakup Humor
During breakup one year, while using a pick to help break up the ice around the house, Mike of Anchorage Memories drove the pick into some ice next to the deck at the back of the house.
When Mike pulled back on the pick and broke up the ice, the air was suddenly filled with an overly strong smell. Mike had uncovered one of the places where our family dog had been making his pit stops during the winter. Ugh.
Spring Breakup
by Joyce Pennington
When it’s breakup in Alaska
And the streets begin to flow.
All the potholes start abloomin’
‘Neath the everlasting snow.
Cars are joggled, splashed and muddy.
Axles bend and drivers curse.
Don’t despair, and just remember
Things are going to get lots worse.
All the kids leave lovely footprints.
And the breakup that they talk of
Isn’t ice, but mothers’ backs.
‘Fore the end of this “sweet” season
All the snow will melt away,
And the junk you left last autumn
Will upon your front yard lay.
Don’t give up-the summer’s coming
With its flowers and glorious fun.
And we’ll soon be having picnics
‘Neath Alaska’s Midnight Sun.
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OK, time to take off those clunky breakup boots.
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Until Next Time
Mike and Mary
Anchorage Memories.com
I've mentioned to many people around here in NE SD that this year we are having an Alaskan "breakup," rather than spring. In fact, we've gone through two early stages of it already, with snow "re-falling and re-melting." We are in the third one right now...the day after the ground was totally uncovered, while wet, muddy, and dull. The huge, soft, quiet flakes coming down right now would be quite alarming, if I didn't know how this works, from having lived in Alaska for so many years. :-D
Thanks for your stories here, today...many memories pricked!!! :-D
I remember the soft chinook winds that would come during the winter and spring breakup and the temperature would climb in the 50's. I would love to walk outdoors during those chinooks but it could be slippery. Brings back a lot of warm memories.