Cottonwood in Alaska

Somehow I managed to forget about the "snow in June" here in Alaska. This "summer snow" is from the cottonwood trees.

When I lived in the cabin in Talkeetna in 2007, right around June 20, 2007 it started "snowing" like crazy, with white stuff floating in the air like a gentle snow storm. After talking to some people in downtown Talkeetna, I learned that this cotton-like substance was from the cottonwood trees.

Here are two short videos that show the cottonwood snow. This first video is taken from my apartment in Palmer, Alaska:

This second video shows a cottonwood tree in Butte, Alaska, while I was out on a bike ride. (Sorry about the vertical video, I'll try not to do that next time.)

The floating cottonwood seems pretty harmless, but it makes bike riding a challenge, and one of the street vendors in Talkeetna told me he dreaded this time of year because it causes a lot of problems with his grill ventilation system.

Oops, I just remembered, I also have these two photos of the cottonwood in Talkeetna, Alaska from 2007.