A close encounter of the moose kind In Anchorage, moose wander through neighborhoods on cold January days. In Homer, hundreds of eagles make their winter homes on the spit that juts five miles out into Kachemak Bay. Daytime temperatures in Anchorage are usually in the teens and 20s (fahrenheit) during the winter, but a cold spell can take them as low as 20 below zero. The severe cold that Alaskan winters are known for is to be found further north. In this part of Alaska though, cold spells are infrequent. One of them came in January 1996 when Anchorage temperatures stayed below zero through most of the month, thinning out the crowds of skaters at Westchester lagoon. It was about 15 below zero fahrenheit when this photo was taken. While snow buried parts of the United States unaccustomed to it, Anchorage snowfall remained far below normal. A succession of cold, calm days promoted the growth of hoarfrost that created crystalline landscapes. Below, ice floes drift in Cook Inlet with Mount Susitna, "the sleeping lady," in the background. And where better to end a winter day than at the library? This sunset scene at the Loussac Library was captured about 5 p.m. (Sunrise, in late January, was about 9:30 a.m.)

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