Nenana Ice Classic still far from crowning a winner
Published Friday, April 25, 2008
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Stumble It!Nenana Ice Classic officials have taken the last ice measurement on the Tanana River at Nenana. Now it’s just a matter of time before the ice goes out.
The ice measured 40.5 inches Monday, the thickest measurement this late in the spring since 2002. Even with warm temperatures in the high 50s this week, there is no sign that the ice is rotting or weakening, Ice Classic manager Cherrie Forness said.
“It’s just solid ice, bank to bank,” she said. “There are no (open) leads.”
Now in its 91st year, the Ice Classic is Alaska’s version of the lottery. Thousands of people pay $2.50 a ticket to guess what date and time — to the minute — a tripod set up on the Tanana River at Nenana will move downstream and trip a clock it’s attached to by a wire from shore.
The wire has been strung from the top of the tripod to the clock tower but is not hooked up to the clock yet. That will be done in the next three or four days, Forness said.
Once the clock is connected, guards will stand watch 24 hours a day until the tripod moves far enough downriver to tighten the wire and trip the clock.
Workers are in the process of entering guesses, and the amount of the jackpot will be announced Tuesday. Last year’s jackpot was $303,272 and was split among 22 winning ticket holders.
It doesn’t appear the ice will be going out any time soon, Forness said. The Nenana River has not shown any signs of breaking up.
“The Nenana River is still ice; that usually breaks up five to seven days before the Tanana,” she said.
When Forness drove to Southcentral Alaska two weeks ago to pick up ticket cans from Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Mat-Su Valley, she was surprised how much snow remained in the Alaska Range.
“There was loads of snow in Cantwell,” she said. “There was three or four feet of snow; usually there’s nothing.”
Last year, when the ice went out April 27, officials took the last measurement April 11. The ice was 46.5 inches thick at that point.
In 2006, the last measurement was 32.7 inches on April 2 and the ice didn’t go out until May 2. The year before, 2005, the ice was 35.5 inches thick April 21 and went out a week later.
The latest measurement on record is April 29, 2002, and the ice was 42 inches thick. It went out on May 7 that year.
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son of a...
"Now it’s just a matter of time before the ice goes out."
I beg your pardon? You mean, after all our efforts at getting the ice to even be *susceptible* to melting? After changing the laws of physics to allow ice to be transformed into water above 32 degrees Fahrenheit?
Mr. Mowry, it was always just a matter of time.
Hey Tim, how do you think my guesses starting tomorrow will do?? Dang, I was thinking/hoping for an early breakup....well, it wont be my guesses this year, I hope my poolmates are smarter than I.
April 30th baby...
Not April 30th. Alaska is demanding that we UNDERSTAND, that that is who she is.
Alaska as Northern lights extreme cold, snow, more snow and ICE and lots of it baby, Mountains more mountains, Tundra tundra and more tundra, and more ICE.
Wild animals are wild animals, so don't expect them to respect YOUR space HA!
Global warming is for woosies! You're in Alaska, she'll be just as warm or cold as she wants to be, and that's how you'll love her or LEAVE...End of Story.
With all the newbies hanging around, it's gonna snow in July you watch!
We'll Be Lucky if it goes out May 30th.
Im out.
my last guess is may 9th... commmeeeee onnnn iiccceeeee!!!
Let's ask Al Gore what time the ice will go out?
The clown prince of the DNP probably doesn't believe that the river even froze over.
La Nina is swiftly changing into a El Nino in the eastern part of the Pacific equatorial waters, maybe it will be warmer up here next year?
If you would like to see what the tripod looks like when it goes down
the river check google video "Nenana ice classic 1973"
If you would like to see what the ripod looks like when it goes down the river check google video "Nenana ice classic 1973"
So much for global warming...
Hurry up Summer!!! My flip flops are waiting.
Ok Greenies tell me how long do I need to leave my truck running to make this thing fall?
What do ya know, Global Warming is over and I still haven't recycled a dang thang.
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