Bill Buck Remembers A Really Cold Copper Valley Winter

COPPER RIVER COUNTRY JOURNAL 

Bill Buck (Journal File Photo) 

Bill Buck, Originally From Nome, Worked In Glennallen. Here's His Christmas Story 

In 1998, Bill Buck, who had grown up in Nome, reminisced about Alaska's weather. In particular he told the Country Journal about a very cold runup to Christmas, after a midwinter breakup of the Copper. 

All the rivers were froze and the Copper River ice all went out in December. There was also some trappers stuck on the other side of the river, with their dog teams, and they had to get them by boat. 

It was a short time before Christmas. It used to be when I worked building the Glennallen School in 1962, it stayed 60 Below for almost 2 weeks. At noon time it would warm up to 50 Below. 

We had parts of the high school closed in, so we had big heaters while we worked.

They'd let us start our trucks every 2 hours. Otherwise, we'd never get them started. In the mornings.

We had to get up early to put a firepot or any kind of heat under the bottom pan of the engine, to get them started. Also, we took our batteries into the house every evening…"