Welcoming light back to Barrow

January 20th 3:26 am | Hannah Heimbuch    

In just four short days the sun will once again peak over the Barrow horizon, giving creatures great and small reason to welcome back the light.

The sun ends its 64-day absence from the Barrow skyline on Monday, Jan. 23, rising at 1:11 p.m. and dipping away again at 2:08 p.m.

The show may be short, but no one is complaining.

"Even if it's only going to be up for 53 minutes we're all looking forward to it," said Barrow City Mayor Bob Harcharek. "It's the switch that turns on to get ready for the whaling season. It picks up people's spirits, especially if it's not a stormy day."

At Ipalook School, the smallest students make the biggest celebration, said principal Jennifer Litera. The preschoolers will decorate and prepare for their Welcome Back Sun Luau, a 20-year tradition that includes parent-student activities and art projects on Friday, Jan. 27.

While the sun does come up that Monday, Litera said, they've found a high-energy luau for 170 4-year-olds is best held on a Friday.

As for the rest of the student body, many classes will don sunglasses and head outside to give the familiar orb a wave of welcome.

Despite the sun's representation of warmer days to come, its immediate return traditionally heralds in the coldest three weeks of winter, according to Barrow NOAA weather station manager Dave Anderson.

"It comes up on the 23rd and we gain several minutes a day after that, but we're just starting to go into our coldest part of the year," Anderson said. "That's when we will typically get down around 40 to 50 below zero, (with) usually clear skies because there's such high pressure."

Despite the chill that comes before the thaw, many hunters are using this time of renewed daylight - and a twilight that increases by several hours - to set out for wolverine and other winter hunts.

"They are the coldest months, but that doesn't prevent anyone from going out because the sun's up and the hunting is great," said Harcharek, whose son is among a number of hunters preparing for winter's best wolverine hunting.

"Right now the wolverine and wolves are in their prime coloration and fur," he said. "(And) the animals seem to come out and play more this time of year, when the sun comes up."

Whether you're throwing your own sunrise party, joining 170 preschoolers for a luau or pulling out your hunting parka for a long trek, there looks to be plenty of ways to appreciate a little sunshine on the skyline in the coming weeks.

And if it's clear, you can follow Anderson's lead on Monday afternoon.

"I'll probably be out there, freezing on the roof, taking pictures."

 

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