<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[&#039;Homecoming&#039; Blog]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[sueannbowlingauthor]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com/author/sueannbowlingauthor/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[North Pole Weather&nbsp;12/23/13]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="8421" data-permalink="https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/north-pole-weather-122313-ian1/snowstake-122213/" data-orig-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg" data-orig-size="1267,1818" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1387724939&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="Snowstake 12:22:13" data-image-description="&lt;p&gt;snow stake&lt;/p&gt;
" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=209" data-large-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=714" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8421" alt="snow stake" src="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=209&#038;h=300" width="209" height="300" srcset="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=209&amp;h=300 209w, https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=418&amp;h=600 418w, https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/snowstake-122213.jpg?w=105&amp;h=150 105w" sizes="(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px" /></a>The sun will rise at 10:59 this morning, and set 3 hours 42 minutes later, at 2:41 this afternoon. The days are getting longer, but only by about half a minute since the solstice, nor is the maximum height of the sun much more than 2°. That will begin to change with increasing rapidity. By Christmas the day will be 2 minutes longer than today.</p>
<p>We’ve had a little more snow; the snow stake in the yard indicated around 18” in the brief period of daylight yesterday, and it’s still snowing lightly. The forecast was for more snow, so I could have more by the time it’s light enough to see. Note that only half of the stake now shows. (Update 10:45: the snow depth is now 21&#8243;.)</p>
<p><a href="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="8420" data-permalink="https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/north-pole-weather-122313-ian1/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15/" data-orig-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg" data-orig-size="208,315" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="Photo on 2013-12-22 at 15" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg?w=198" data-large-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg?w=208" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-8420" alt="Photo on 2013-12-22 at 15" src="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg?w=99&#038;h=150" width="99" height="150" srcset="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg?w=99&amp;h=150 99w, https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/photo-on-2013-12-22-at-15.jpg?w=198&amp;h=300 198w" sizes="(max-width: 99px) 100vw, 99px" /></a>The temperatures are not extreme by Alaskan standards: generally below zero, but nowhere near forty below. I can live with that, especially since I now have a heated garage.</p>
<p>And I’m actually beginning to look (and feel) as if I have hair again.</p>
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