Another storm that hit Anchorage on Tuesday after weeks of wintry weather in Southcentral Alaska has created sloppy road conditions and prompted closure of most Anchorage schools and a shift to remote learning.
“Due to hazardous road conditions across Anchorage, all ASD schools except Girdwood PreK-8 will switch to remote learning today. Girdwood School will be open for in-person learning,” the Anchorage School District said Wednesday morning.
Decisions about after-school activities and community rentals will be made by noon.
This storm wasn’t initially expected to add much fresh snow to Anchorage, but the system “trended” more to the west than initially expected, the National Weather Service said in a social media post. “Therefore, more moisture is now making it through the Turnagain Arm and into the Anchorage area.”
Snow showers were expected to continue Thursday in Anchorage, the weather service said.
On Wednesday morning, the agency issued a special weather statement warning of bands of moderate to heavy snow through Thursday morning for communities along Turnagain Arm and western Prince William Sound including Girdwood and Seward.
The storm was expected to bring nearly a foot of snow to the Copper River Basin and Thompson Pass. The pass was closed Wednesday morning due to avalanche hazard, state transportation officials said. The Richardson Highway remained closed from Mile 12 to Mile 65
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities on Tuesday described conditions as fair to “very difficult” south of the Alaska Range and said travel was “not advised unless necessary.”