Anchorage drivers advised to stay home as snow piles up

Intermittent road closures are expected along the Seward Highway, with as much as 15 inches of snow forecast in the Anchorage Hillside and a blizzard warning in effect for parts of Prince William Sound and the Kenai Peninsula, with more than a foot of snow expected. There is also a winter weather advisory for the Mat-Su.

Here's what's happening this evening:

• ANCHORAGE: Winter weather advisory through 9 p.m., with snow storm totals ranging from 6 to 10 inches in Anchorage and up to 15 inches on the Hillside, according to the National Weather Service. Snowfall should taper off by midnight.

Between midnight Thursday and late Friday afternoon in Anchorage, there were 71 accidents in, four with injuries, and 126 reports of vehicles in distress, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

• MAT-SU: A winter weather advisory is in effect through 9 p.m. for Palmer and Wasilla. The National Weather expects snow storm totals of 4 to 7 inches. Travel may be difficult with limited visibility and heavy snowfall, the Weather Service says.

• SEWARD HIGHWAY: Expect difficult driving and areas of blowing snow along Turnagain Arm. Avalanche prevention has been periodically closing the Seward Highway in the Summit Lake area, between Mile 44 and Mile 21, according to the state Transportation Department. That's roughly Summit Lake to Snow River Bridge.

• WESTERN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND/EASTERN KENAI PENINSULA: A blizzard warning is in place through 9 p.m. for Whittier, Seward, Girdwood and Moose Pass. Expect six inches to a foot of snow and near-zero visibility at times, the Weather Service says. Winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 65 mph. The combination of wind and snow will create whiteout conditions at times, making driving difficult.

• GLENN HIGHWAY: Deep, blowing snow, limited visibility. Motorists should drive with their headlights on, reduce speed, and watch for equipment, according to the department.

• RICHARDSON HIGHWAY: Travel is not advised due to heavy, deep blowing snow, poor visibility and drifting. Drive with extreme caution, the departments says.