As a result of a strong winter storm, schools in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough, along with much of Kenai Peninsula Borough, are closed Monday.
Overnight, the Anchorage School District was closed and Mat-Su Borough Schools District was closed. A decision on Anchorage after-school activities is expected to be made by noon. Poor road conditions also caused classes to be closed at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Alaska Pacific University.
Since Wednesday’s storm, Anchorage schools were closed on Wednesday due to flooding.
Pam Szatanek, National Weather Service meteorologist, stated that West Anchorage received more than a foot snow overnight following Sunday’s storm.
She said, “We actually got more than 15 inches at work tonight and broke a snow record yesterday.”
This weekend’s storm follows a system that left Anchorage with more snow over the overnight Tuesday. Anchorage schools were closed while road crews worked round-the-clock to clear sidewalks and streets.
According to Szatanek this week’s storm was caused by a moisture plume that stretches more than 500 miles across and reaches Alaska at 2,000 miles.
She said, “We had an atmosphere river come from central Pacific, so literally it was moisture coming from Hawaii.” It was an anomaly, it was very strong.
Weather radar continued to track additional snow in the Anchorage Bowl and Cook Inlet, with more expected Monday.
She said, “We believe we could get another two-to three inches but that we think we are on the backside of the storm. Thank goodness.”
Szatanek stated that another storm system will be moving through the region later in the week. Forecasters are still trying to determine its strength.
