Wasilla, Alaska weather - Winds up to 80 mph

Wasilla, Alaska weather - December 15, 2010 - High winds: Driving back from Acnhorage, Alaska this afternoon, it was all I could do to keep my car in my lane as I got back to Wasilla. High winds with speeds up to 80 mph were peeling the snow off the local mountains and sand-blasting the town. At some points the road disappeared almost entirely, and I had to slow down to a crawl to make sure I didn't rear-end anyone who might be in front of me.

After not being able to see while driving, it was also easy to run into snow-covered roads. The wind blew the snow against the guard rails, and it piled up there, and on the roads:

(Morning of December 16, 2010) With winds of up to 80 mph last night landed a large tree in our parking lot. (Yes, that thing that looks like an ice-skating rink is our parking lot.:

One question I just had looking out at the parking lot and seeing all the trees bending over: Where do all the ravens go when we have such high winds? (See my Ravens in Alaska article.)