Anchorage is clearing more than a foot heavy and wet snow on Wednesday.
The storm shut down Anchorage and Mat Su schools. It slowed traffic and caused cars to slide off the roads.
Justin Shelby, spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation said that this is the most significant snowfall in Anchorage’s history. “Our crews are doing their best to keep up.”
The snow began Tuesday afternoon and grew overnight, accumulating onto the streets of the city on Wednesday.
Anchorage police dispatchers received reports that 143 vehicles had fallen or got stuck on snowy roads in the hours between midnight and noon Wednesday. Only four accidents were reported. None of these involved injuries.
Shelby stated that state road crews were working overtime to clear major roads in the region, including the Glenn and New Seward highways as well as Minnesota Drive. This was before the evening commute.
Early Wednesday, the Anchorage and Mat-Su Borough school district decided to close their schools. After-school activities were also cancelled. Also, the University of Alaska Anchorage closed Wednesday along with Alaska Pacific University.
According to the National Weather Service, snow had fallen almost a foot at its West Anchorage office as of Wednesday morning. The total snow depth was 17 inches. Michael Kutz, a meteorologist, stated that even greater snow depths were recorded on the east side.
Kutz stated that reports have been coming in from the east about snow depths as high as 18 inches. He said, “And that’s on the Hillside.”
Kutz stated that snow should recede Wednesday afternoon to allow crews to clear roads in the area. The temperatures will drop to the mid teens Wednesday night, and then it will be single digits by Thursday.
Kutz stated that Friday night would be the coldest, coldest of all the nights. “It’s about 0 on the west, maybe a bit lower in some places, but probably around 10 degrees below zero on the east.”
According to Kutz, the falling mercury will be accompanied generally by northerly winds with gusts of between 15 and 25 mph.
Kutz stated that there may be some visibility problems in some areas due to blowing snow and some light problems with drifting.
Kutz suggests that wind gusts could be greater in “channeled places” such as mountain passes.
