Alaska Beat

AK Beat: Century-old ash from massive Alaska volcanic eruption again gets airborne

Novarupta ash re-emerges: Ash from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula has once again become suspended in the air, threatening to scatter to Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. A special weather statement from the National Weather Service warned that minor ashfall could fall in Kodiak, thanks to strong northwest winds sweeping over the Aleutian Range and stirring up ash from the massive eruption more than a century ago.

Southcentral sees snow: Snow was flying on the Anchorage Hillside Sunday, putting the perfect bookend on a year when spring came way late. The Southcentral region of the state saw unseasonably late snows in May and was witnessing unseasonably early snows in September. Thankfully, between the two came one of the best summers in regional history. Go figure. The National Weather Service was predicting winter's first round to continue for a couple days before temperatures start moving back toward normal. The forecast called for up to an inch of snow above 500 feet elevation in Anchorage on Sunday night with the possibility of up to 2 inches at that elevation on Monday. Rain mixed with snow was forecast to fall at lower elevations, but with no accumulation of snow expected there.

Man arrested after inadvertant game of chicken with state trooper: A man allegedly road racing in Wasilla nearly crashed into an Alaska State Trooper on Saturday evening, troopers reported. Troopers said in a dispatch that Miles Walker, 34, and Scott Parker, 38, were racing along Pittman Road in Wasilla when Walker went around a blind curve and into oncoming traffic, straight at an approaching trooper, who swerved to avoid Walker's 2005 Subaru. Walker was arrested for reckless driving and his car was impounded. Troopers said alcohol played a role in the incident, although Walker was not arrested for a DUI.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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