Big Flat 15, Gasquet 21

Gasquet weather spotter Jane Christmas stands near a frost-covered vine at her home on Wednesday afternoon. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

According to the National Weather Service in Eureka, the temperature gauge at Del Norte County Airport hit a low of 28 degrees Wednesday morning, breaking the record low of 31 degrees for the date of Dec. 9 set in 1997.

At the Gasquet Ranger Station, the temperature gauge hit 21 degrees Wednesday morning, said Bryan Caffrey, a NWS meteorologist.

However, for some it was a little colder.

Chuck Blackburn, who lives up South Fork Road at Big Flat, said his temperature gauge read 15 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

That’s not the coldest Blackburn has experienced in his 26 years at Big Flat.

“The coldest I’ve ever seen it was 5 degrees above zero,” he said.

Darlingtonia californica (cobra lily pitcher plants) are encased in ice alongside U.S. Hwy. 199 near Gasquet on Wednesday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“It’s weird,” she said about the frost outside her Gasquet home that looked almost like snow. “You expect overnight frost, but usually by the time the sun’s up, it’s gone. But it’s not. It’s furry.”

Caffrey said that a cold air mass has settled over the North Coast. This morning will be cold, but a degree or two warmer than Wednesday, he said.

“It will gradually warm up,” Caffrey said.

This is one of the coldest spells of weather Christmas has seen in her 17 years in Gasquet.

That’s partially due to being in a valley surrounded by a forest that continues to grow up and blocks the sun, she said.

“The extreme temperatures are not helping,” she said. “We’ve never had 107 degrees in the summer.”

The temperature is normally in the 30s and 40s at Big Flat this time of year, Blackburn said, although the area can get a decent amount of snow from time to time.

South Fork Road has been a little icy, he said, but county road crews have been putting sand down to keep the road clear.

Workers have also continued to plug away at ongoing roadwork.

“Those traffic control girls look like they’re in Alaska,” Blackburn said with a laugh.

It can be tricky navigating a winding road with patches of ice, Blackburn said, so it’s necessary to take it easy when driving.

“You learn to drive careful,” he said, “you have to up there.”

A big concern for Gasquet residents  who live in mobile homes is being able to stay warm, Christmas said. In addition, it can be costly to keep houses well heated, she added.

“They leak heat,” Christmas said about the mobile homes that have thin walls and are not well insulated. “They’re not easy to heat.”

Christmas’ own mobile home usually stays pretty warm, she said, but in the last couple of days it hasn’t been holding heat well.

“There’s ice all over the porch and sides of the walls (on the outside),” Christmas said.

Being off the grid, residents on South Fork Road have figured out how to generate their own electricity and water.

In the past, snow has frozen pipes at the Blackburn residence, but not this week, he said. He keeps hot water running through the pipes to prevent them from freezing.

However, the hose that runs out to Blackburn’s pet llamas’ water supply did freeze and he had to take water out to them.

The llamas were also able to withstand temperatures below 20.

“It doesn’t bother them a bit,” Blackburn said about the cold. “They’ve got that big ol’ shaggy hair.”

Big Flat might be one of Del Norte’s coldest spots in the winter and one of hottest in the summer.

“That’s the nature of the canyon,” Blackburn said about where Big Flat is located. “The cold air gets trapped in and makes it a lot colder.”

Living off grid and being so far inland can make life a little bit more difficult, especially with extreme weather.

“We have great neighbors and we all rely on each other,” Blackburn said. “It’s a great way to live, but you know it’s harsh.”