First Blast Of Winter...

3:51 pm - 28 degrees - a few scattered clouds, 53+ mph wind gusts...

We’re getting our first blast of winter with sharply cooler temperatures, a result of frigid air pushed in by a powerful storm that hit Alaska with hurricane-force winds.  The big chill is now spreading into the Pacific Northwest.

Many people started feeling the arrival of the bone-chilling cold yesterday along with high winds that caused a lot of power outages.  Just one more reason to love living off-grid – we don’t have to worry about the power going out.

Today it took us an hour and a half to get off the mountain due to numerous downed trees.

Tony cleared four downed trees off the road,
so we could get off the mountain.

Tony thinks it a good practice run before winter really hits.  We spent the day doing some last minute vehicle repairs, making sure the house is stocked with lots of firewood, hooking up the snowplow (snow is supposed to be on its way), dug out all our snow gear out of our storage unit and the kids dug out their sleds.

Fixing my 4-wheel drive.

It's very windy out with 54+ mph wind gusts.

Last nights 70+ mph wind gusts knocked all our chairs and table over.

Getting the snow plow put onto the Dodge.

  

Getting their sleds out, they really want snow!

According to the weather report, this arctic storm is just beginning.  The kids are hoping to wake up to a blanket of white, while Tony thinks we’ll have our first snow day of the season.