Noctiluca Ice Classic 2020.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is almost March and that means it is time to post the annual Noctiluca Ice Classic. This will be our seventh contest. Most of you will already be familiar with our yearly game, but for those who are not, I will briefly explain:

Each year, I take your bets as to when our compound will be completely snow- and ice free. This little game we play with our family, friends, and readers is of course a nod to the Alaskan staple, the Nenana Ice Classic (we Alaskans sure do like to gamble). Unlike the Nenana, our game is FREE! All you have to do to participate is guess the date and time that our grounds will be free of ice and snow completely. Our prize is a small, handmade gift and has in the past included things like my home made mosquito repellant cream or a small piece of art.

Here are some things I can tell you about past years: For the past seven years, the winning day has been in either the first or second week of May. All but one year, the time of total ice melt was in the morning. Every Winter out here is different. The speed of total meltdown has as much to do with Spring temperatures as it does with total Winter snowfall.

Now, as far as this year goes, Winter has been a doozy. It has been harsh, with long periods of deep sub zero temperatures and less than a handful days on which temperatures were above freezing. The snow load is typical. Owing to the massive snow storm on Thanksgiving day, and our tractor being out of commission that day, we also have the giant ice wall of Westeros smack dab in the middle of our grounds. That thing is over 7 feet tall in some spots. I’m expecting Kit Harrington to show up in a black cloak any day now.

The rest of the place isn’t much better off. We were hit so hard early in the season it was difficult to keep up.

So now that we have all that out of the way, let’s lay down the rules:

The Rules.

• Pick a date AND time that you guess our compound will be completely ice and snow free.
• Post your guess as a comment on THIS blog post. You can post it elsewhere too, but those guesses will NOT be entered. If you post a date without a time, your guess will NOT be entered.
• Sit back, relax, and wait for the announcement declaring our Victory over The White Shit.
• The winner will be the person who guessed closest to the correct day and time. They will win a small, handmade gift, plus Eternal Glory ™ and bragging rights.

That’s it, folks! I look forward to seeing your guesses. May the Force be with you and may the odds be ever in your favor. Let the games begin!