What was falling from the Alaska sky yesterday morning wasn't the snow that residents are used to, but ash from Mount Redoubt.
The volcano erupted five times in six hours beginning Sunday night and spewed ash more than nine miles into the air. It was the first time the 10,200-foot volcano had erupted in almost 20 years.
The volcano erupted five times in six hours beginning Sunday night and spewed ash more than nine miles into the air. It was the first time the 10,200-foot volcano had erupted in almost 20 years.
Based on past eruptions over the decades, "Redoubt tends to erupt for some period of time, usually months," said John Powers, a geophysicist at the AVO, during a 3 a.m. news conference. "This could persist for some period of time."
Redoubt, located about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, had been moody for the past two months, threatening Southeast Alaskans with an eruption. Some suspected the volcano was jealous of all the attention Sarah Palin had been getting (Read Dear Mt. Redoubt). Between her rejecting federal stimulus funds, the reignited AGIA debate, and Obama's Special Olympics remark, this last week was a classic example of All Palin All The Time.
Redoubt began shaking again over the weekend. Then, late Sunday night, the cone unleashed. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) recorded four "large explosions" over about three hours and raised its aviation alert from code orange to red.
An ash cloud is now drifting toward the sparsely populated Susitna Valley, not far from Gov. Palin's home town of Wasilla. But geologists aren't ready to blame Palin on the eruption. Redoubt's has had its own problems for centuries.
So far, it looks like Anchorage may escape the ash cloud. But the National Weather Service issued an "ash advisory" until 4 p.m. for Willow, Cantwell, Houston, Talkeetna and other parts of the Susitna Valley:
VOLCANIC ASH THE ASHFALL ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS AFTERNOON.REDOUBT VOLCANO...ON THE WEST SIDE OF COOK INLET...ERUPTED SEVERAL TIMES LAST NIGHT. AREAS OF LIGHT ASHFALL CONTINUE OVER THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND WILL PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON. ASHFALL HAS BEEN REPORTED AT SKWENTNA RANGING FROM ONE EIGHTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. THE TALKEETNA AIRPORT HAS ALSO REPORTED LIGHT ASH COVERING ALL SURFACES OF THE FACILITY. LIGHT ASHFALL HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG THE PARKS HIGHWAY IN WILLOW, CHULITNA, AND CANTWELL AS WELL.
Redoubt, located about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, had been moody for the past two months, threatening Southeast Alaskans with an eruption. Some suspected the volcano was jealous of all the attention Sarah Palin had been getting (Read Dear Mt. Redoubt). Between her rejecting federal stimulus funds, the reignited AGIA debate, and Obama's Special Olympics remark, this last week was a classic example of All Palin All The Time.
Redoubt began shaking again over the weekend. Then, late Sunday night, the cone unleashed. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) recorded four "large explosions" over about three hours and raised its aviation alert from code orange to red.
An ash cloud is now drifting toward the sparsely populated Susitna Valley, not far from Gov. Palin's home town of Wasilla. But geologists aren't ready to blame Palin on the eruption. Redoubt's has had its own problems for centuries.
So far, it looks like Anchorage may escape the ash cloud. But the National Weather Service issued an "ash advisory" until 4 p.m. for Willow, Cantwell, Houston, Talkeetna and other parts of the Susitna Valley:
VOLCANIC ASH THE ASHFALL ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS AFTERNOON.REDOUBT VOLCANO...ON THE WEST SIDE OF COOK INLET...ERUPTED SEVERAL TIMES LAST NIGHT. AREAS OF LIGHT ASHFALL CONTINUE OVER THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND WILL PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON. ASHFALL HAS BEEN REPORTED AT SKWENTNA RANGING FROM ONE EIGHTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. THE TALKEETNA AIRPORT HAS ALSO REPORTED LIGHT ASH COVERING ALL SURFACES OF THE FACILITY. LIGHT ASHFALL HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG THE PARKS HIGHWAY IN WILLOW, CHULITNA, AND CANTWELL AS WELL.
