In this Earth Observatory blog the authors explore the cause for the recent (Jan 24. 2014) enormous avalanche that blocked the Richardson Highway (Alaska Route 4), the only land link between the ice-free oil port of Valdez and the rest of Alaska. What does this have to do with the rest of us, you may wonder. In essence, Alaska’s warmth is the “flip side of the coin” to the Midwest and Northeast’s frigidity, and the drought in the Southwest. Read about it and see some impressive images of the avalanche, here.