News flash: It snows a lot in Alaska in the winter.

This cold season, we've seen modestly greater than average snowfalls out in the Susitna Valley. It's been cold - boy, howdy, has it been cold, with nighttime lows brushing up against -30F, and expected to hit close to that mark through this week. Whether you're from Alaska, or Siberia, or Antarctica, that's cold. But snow, well, we're getting along OK. Most of us who live out in the Borough have places to put the snow that we're plowing off our driveways and clearing away from walking paths. People who live in the city, though, quickly run out of places to put snow, especially when, like Anchorage right now, they get hit with over a hundred inches of white stuff. (We've had 95 inches, but as noted, we have places to move it to.)

And the winter isn't nearly over yet.

So much snow has fallen — so far, more than 8.7 feet (2.65 meters) — that roofs on commercial buildings are collapsing around Anchorage and officials are urging residents to break out their shovels to avoid a similar fate at home. As of Tuesday morning, the three-day storm had dropped nearly 17 more inches (43 centimeters) of snowfall, pushing Alaska's largest city past the 100-inch (254-centimeters) mark earlier than at any other time in its history.

The city is well on track to break its all-time record of 134.5 inches (342 centimeters).

Now, even winter-savvy Anchorage residents are getting fed up with the snow-filled streets and sidewalks, constant shoveling and six days of pandemic-era remote learning. It is already in the record books with this year’s snowfall, at eighth snowiest with a lot of time left this season.

Anchorage got nailed last year, too.

Last year, 107.9 inches (274 centimeters) fell on Anchorage, making this only the second time the city has had back-to-back years of 100-plus inches (254-plus centimeters) of snow since the winters of 1954-55 and 1955-56.

This year, the roofs of three commercial structures collapsed under loads of heavy snow. Last year, 16 buildings had roofs collapse, with one person killed at a gym.

Yes, that is a lot of snow.

Amazingly, in ABC's account, the climate change boogie-man isn't cited as the reason for all that snow. We don't need a reason to expect a lot of snow; it's Alaska. We put up with all kinds of things that most of the rest of the country doesn't, and honestly, most of us like it that way.

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Changing climates or not, it snows a lot here. It gets cold, too. It's Alaska. This is hardly news. Speaking only for myself (and my wife; we are of one mind on this and many other things), we love the winters here. It's worth putting up with the snow and the cold; I'm reminded of it every time I go outside and take a lungful of that crisp, clean, free air.

However, to anyone who is contemplating moving here from California to take advantage of Alaska's unparalleled natural beauty and low taxes, I can only say this:

Don't! Don't! You'll freeze! We get snow measured in feet and cryogenic temperatures! There are bears the size of Volkswagens! Moose will bite your sister! We have mosquitoes the size of crows, and they will literally pick you up and carry you away! Every valley is full of crazy rednecks with guns, and every small town is loaded with radical right-wingers. Stay in California! Trust me, you'll be better off.

And so will we.